Daily Racing Thread Sunday 20th. July 2025

Sunday's Meetings

Curragh
Flat 8 Races 1:20-5:25p.m.
Stratford
N/H 7 Races 2:08-5:33p.m.
Redcar
Flat 7 Races 2:18-5:45p.m.
Newton Abbot
N/H 6 Races 2:25-5:17p.m

Racecards
At The Races
Sporting Life
Racing Post

Good Luck

 

4.35 Redcar-Lunar Force

Each Way @ 12-1(Bet 365)

She is better than form figures suggest

 

After moaning about the poor fair on offer yesterday in Ireland it now looks like it is the turn of France. Three Group races and a Listed race with just five in the Group 2 Prix Robert Papin and six in the Group 3 Prix Chloe but at least there are double figure fields in the other two events.

The Prix Robert Papin (4.00 BST) is a Group 2 race in name only. Three of the five declared are foreign raiders and I have to wonder how come some other trainers have not sent horses over pot hunting as this is worth €75k to the winner and the fourth will get over €8k. Karl Burke’s Super Soldier was second in a five furlong Listed race at this track before being out with the washing in the Coventry. Joseph O’Brien’s Green Sense was second in a Naas Group 3 before being an also-ran in the Albany. So of the raiders the best form chance would seem to be Archie Watson’s Tadej, sixth in the Coventry but now with blinkers applied. Of the home defence, Imperial Me Can was third in the Group 3 Prix du Bois over course and distance but now has blinkered applied to try and reverse placings with the winner Moojeed, who might be good enough to collect here for Francis-Henri Graffard but makes no appeal as a bet in what will be a tactical affair.

A quick look at the betting told me not to bother looking at the Group 3 Prix Chloe (2.50) with Ralph Beckett’s Coronation Stakes fourth Cathedral the obvious form pick and long odds on to collect the €46k first prize with the other British raider, Karl Burke’s Serving With Style having shown nothing in two starts this term after finishing her juvenile campaign with a second in the Rockfel Stakes. Of the locals, Paix Des Dames won a conditions race at Compiegne last time out and the best prospect for forecast punters is going to be second favourite Relaxx, winner of a Listed race here when last seen and stepping up a furlong. The Andre Fabre runner Whataboutism was fifth in a Listed race on only her second start and Rosa Salvaje was down the field in the Prix De Diane but neither of them look good enough to challenge the Beckett filly.

There are ten probables for the Listed Prix de la Pepiniere (3.25) but a quick look at some of the names puts me off. It is hard to fancy Ralph Beckett’s raider Doha, third last in the Middleton and second last in the Wolferton on two starts in 2025. Euboa ran dreadfully in the Listed Goldikova Stakes (third last) a fortnight ago and the grey North Reliance won a Listed race in Germany when last seen but how good is that form? I would like to see Mme Jourdain run well but her second in the Group 3 Prix Allez France (Euboa third) does not look so good after her poor run last time. So that does make the favourite Quisisana look like the most likely winner as she easily won a Listed race here on her penultimate start (last July) before beating Baltic Empress in a conditions race at Compiegne first time out six weeks ago.

So that only leaves the ten runner Group 3 Prix Messidor (4.35). It looks quite easy to eliminate some of the outsiders. Dos Mukasan was fourth last in the Poulains and second last in the Prix Paul de Moussac, Vertbois won a Listed race at Saint Cloud first time out but has drawn a blank in three pattern races since, six year old Siam Paragon won a conditions race first time out but has been second in Listed and Group 3 races since and Caramelito won this last year to complete a hat-trick but has not won since. 2023 Poulains winner Marhaba Ya Sanafi continues to run consistently without winning (no win for more than a year) and could be forecast material again (was ahead of Vertbois last time but behind Siam Paragon and Quddwah before that). German raider Geography was sixth in the Group 3 Diomed at Epsom after winning a Group 3 race at Dusseldorf. The two British raiders amongst the older horses both have claims. Karl Burke’s Ice Max was second in the Diomed at Epsom (Geography behind) but he was only fifth in this last year before winning a four runner Group 2 Celebration Mile at Goodwood, which at least makes him high enough standard to be in this Group 3. Quddwah followed up winning the Listed Prix de Montretout by running last in the Queen Anne. He won last year’s Ascot Summer Mile to complete a four timer and was subsequently well beaten in Group 1s. Now back at this level he is favourite with the British bookies; however, I suspect that the favourite on the PMU will be Andre Fabre’s Alcantor. He started 2025 with victory in the Group 3 Prix Edmond Blanc (Marhaba Ya Sanafi second) but was only fourth in the Group 2 Bet365 Mile at Sandown. He comes here fresh having not run since April. They say a fool and his money were lucky to get together in the first place but I am going to go back to my Prix Du Jockey Club runner RIDARI. He was sixth that day under the blanket that included Grand Prix de Paris runner-up Trinity College (fourth, a couple of nods ahead), having finished fifth in the Poulains (another small blanket job with Jockey Club winner Camille Pissarro third, a couple of nods ahead) at this trip. Prior to that, he had won the Group 3 Prix de Fontainebleau (one of the main Poulains’ trials) so I am on a recovery mission with the three year old receiving weight from his elders over the mile. Curiously he still holds an entry in the Irish Champion Stakes, so could this be an intended stepping stone to Leopardstown?

 

Over at Chantilly the Prix Robert Papin looks a bit below the quality of past years. The Karl Burke horse is only rated 92 and it would be a surprise if he were good enough.

Moojeed and Imperial Me Cen have met twice with the latter winning easily on the first occasion but then looking badly out paced behind the front running Graffard grey on their latest meeting.

Prior to that win Moojeed had been well beaten by No Tune but that Filly has been super impressive in two starts and is held in the highest regard by trainer Christopher Head, who has been planning races like the Prix Morny and Cheveley Park for the daughter of No Nay Never.

Hard to shake the memory of Imperial Me Cen struggling to keep up with Moojeed and coming all too late last time. I thought Moojeed was perhaps getting lonely in front last time and hopefully his tactic will be simple. Just go out and make all.

4.00 Chantilly Moojeed 2/1

 

Unplaced