Saturday's Meetings Ascot Flat 8 Races 1:10-5:15p.m. York Flat 7 Races 1:25-5:00p.m. Chester Flat 8 Races 1:30-5:30p.m. Gowran Flat 8 Races 1:45-5:40p.m. Newcastle A/W 8 Races 1:52-5:55p.m Windsor(E) Flat 7 Races 5:45-8:45p.m. Salisbury(E) Flat 6 Races 6:00-8:30p.m. Racecards At The Races Sporting Life Racing Post Good Luck
Been waiting for this day and I won't be able to watch the race . Not making a selection as I don't want to lumber the lovely Jan Brueghel with another 2 stone on his back. But I will be hoping he wins to cement his chance in the Arc. COME ON JAN
A day when very horse in training seems to be running... ... theres a massive gamble in the first at Ascot Dark Show 10 (thursday) down to 2... Small stakes day... I personally can't understand the price of SUPIDO in the 3.35 Ascot. 5th in the Brittania last time better off with the horse just in front of it and Teroom Varian finished a good way behind. Last night it shortened to 9 and is now as big as 22... Also, KORKER 2.00 York. How it managed to finish 8th in the Wokingham at Ascot I do not know. Has a tendency to lug right, but here is drawn 18. Unfortunately far side yesterday seemed to be where you needed to be. I also looked at 3yo Caburn in the same race which was tipped as likely outsider in the Jersey. Good luck with the Saturday minefield.
Another disappointing renewal of the Ascot showpiece today. Years ago it was quite normal for the Epsom Derby winner to tackle his elders in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes (I particularly remember Nashwan's glorious campaign - 2000GNS, Derby, Eclipse, King George) and also Generous smashing his field at Ascot. But since the turn of the cetntury only 4 Derby winners have run in the King George, with only the great Galileo winning. A depressing trend.
I will be surprised if most people get past the first race in the ITV7 today, a trappy 21 runner sprint on the Knavesmire. And does anyone know what side of the draw will be needed in the Ascot 3.00? The handicap good thing Aalto is drawn 3. With Inglorious Goodwood next week, I was half expecting small fields across the board but York have a gimmick sprint full of donkeys with jump jockeys on and there is an extra handicap at Ascot before the disappointing King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes with a turnout of five after O’Brien took out his three year olds and left in the last two St Leger winners, one to set the pace for the other. Looking at the Sussex Stakes next week, O’Brien has five of the eleven still entered and there are three for Juddmonte including the favourite. Dance To The Music’s absence from the Group 3 Princess Margaret (1.40) leaves a field of ten but I think several of these look to be looking for place black type as they are probably not good enough to win. Sukanya has the pedigree of a middle distance filly (sister to one!) and her debut victory in a Newbury novice leaves her a lot to find with plenty of these. Daneh Of Dandy won a Ripon novice and also looks like she will need to improve a ton against opponents with pattern form. Irish raider Arugam Bay won a six furlong maiden easily and followed up with a Tipperary Listed race over five and will probably outrun her odds; however, Jamie Spencer is a curious jockey booking on a horse that likes to be up with the pace. Amberia opened her account with a debut seven furlong win and then tried to make all in the six furlong Listed race where Midnight Tango was second and Bella Lyra was third. There is little between the three of them; however, Bella Lyra was previously nearly four lengths third in the Haydock race won by Fitzella, a form line that gives Hugo Palmer’s subsequent Albany fourth the beating of all three of those rivals and makes her worthy favourite today. Subsequent Prix Robert Papin winner Green Sense was down the field in the Albany. Three of today’s field contested the Queen Mary. Maiden Eskimo Pie had chased home Dance To The Music (Midnight Tango behind) and been third in the National Stakes before finishing seventh at Ascot. Two places ahead was Staya, who won a Sandown Listed race on her next start and steps up to six today; and three places ahead of George Scott’s filly was runner up FLOWERHEAD, a 100/1 shot at Ascot. With so much apparent pace in this field, I can see Charlie Clover’s filly sitting behind and being delivered late (she is the one Jamie Spencer should be on!). Nine are set to start the Group 3 Valiant Stakes (2.20) with five of the Classic generations taking on their elders. Lou Lou’s Gift looks the easiest to dismiss having warmed up on the kitty litter in a Listed race but never having contested a pattern race. Glittering Stuff was behind Bermuda Longtail in a York Listed race having previously beaten that rival on the kitty litter at Kempton (American Gal third); and the other three year olds have better claims. Last week I got burned following a horse in France that had contested a Group 1 at the Royal meeting and dropped in grade. American Gal won a Chantilly Listed race but was out with the washing in the Prix de Diane (French Oaks, Group 1) and now drops back to a mile in a lower grade. Irish raider Jancis was fifth in a Group 2 and then more than 7 lengths fifth in the Pretty Polly and drops in trip and grade here. Chantilly Lace was fifth in the 1000 Guineas and in the Coronation Stakes; however, the fourth in the Coronation (Ralph Beckett’s Cathedral) did nothing for that form last Sunday and the third (January) failed to win the Falmouth, so I am opposing her today. Cajole followed up second in the Sandringham with second in a Sandown Listed race and I cannot see her ending her seconditis run under Buick at the fourth attempt. That leaves me with previous Listed and Group 3 winner ROYAL DRESS, winner of a Pontefract Listed race last time, beating Cheshire Dancer more than three lengths. The five year old has little potential for improvement but she finished ahead of Bermuda Longtail at Epsom on her penultimate start and can be relied upon to run to her 106 official rating whereas Ralph Beckett’s favourite might not.
I think it will depend on whether he manages to start on time. Can't afford to give away that many lengths in a sprint
Credit to Oisin Murphy in the Princess Margaret Stakes. He set a decent clip on the favourite Fitzella with several of his fancied rivals travelling well behind him. Then he appeared to quicken again and those rivals pretty much found nothing (especially mine, Flowerhead, never close enough to challenge). The one for the notebook from that race was the runner-up Staya, the grey filly staying on way too late to go second (reversing previous running with Flowerhead) and looking like she perhaps needs to step up another furlong. That might turn out to be a race that produces a few winners from the also-rans. If the trainers are shrewd enough they could go pot hunting in France and earn some good money at this level and Listed level as the home team does not look very strong (so far) this year.
Well, it did not happen back-to-back. Hector Crouch tries to make all on the favourite Chantilly Lace. My choice Royal Dress sat in behind and the gap opened up but she did not go through it. She faded out of it in the last furlong whilst the horse that she thrashed last time, Cheshire Dancer came down the outside to snatch the win prize money in the last strides, delighting the bookies at 22/1. It looks like my betting involvement might be over for at least a week as Inglorious Goodwood is usually a dreadful meeting for me (too many short-priced favourites in the pattern races) and there is no French card worth looking at tomorrow.
If there was an Arc winner in the KG it must have been Kalpana. A few jockeys should question their rides there. What was Continuous in the race for? As a blocker? Why did Jan Breughel get ridden as if he was a 10f horse? Why did Murphy get carried away and make his run about a half-furlong too early? Well done to Barzalona. .
Not in GB. only 2 options for the 4yo colts/geldings over the distance - the Coronation Cup and King George & Queen Elizabeth. THe 4yo+ mares and filles also have the Yorkshire Oaks and the Mares and Fillies race on Champions day. Miss the days when the race was sponsored by the diamond company and the BBC used to do a feature on the prizes, the fields were brimming with genuine G1 winners too.
You are probably right. More likely to be the fashion to have 10f sires and there are definitely too many 10f Group 1 races. Just checked and I went to the '73, '75, '77, '78, '80, '83 to '88, '93, '98 and 2004: so 14 times and saw some fantastic races.
Yes if you have a G1 miler (especially a filly/mare) there are opportunities aplenty to win a G1. Oh wow the 75 race
Another weekend, another ‘big race’ with a small field not run how anybody would have thought beforehand. While the race was running, I thought that the Ballydoyle tactic was to have Continuous box in Rebel’s Romance and that Jan Brueghel had been fitted with the cheekpieces to assist him in making the running for Ryan. That was the only way that I could read it. In some respects that was how it turned out as William Buick had nowhere to go turning into the straight with the O’Brien first string in front of him and the pacemaker on his outside. Lordan had dropped his hands on Continuous so the gap opened up for the Godolphin seven year old but way too late for him to be involved in the finish. Held up at the back, Kalpana had a clean run up the outside to take the lead but the French favourite was able to follow her and mow her down in the final furlong. That was a career best by the Balding filly, even adjusting for the sex allowance. In terms of where to go next, I wonder what the plan is with Jan Brueghel unless they want to drop to ten furlongs for the Irish Champion. Calandagan has the same issue of the lack of twelve furlong options but I expect he will be back to Ascot for the Champion Stakes, where he blew it last term. The Yorkshire Oaks is obvious for Kalpana but the trainer mentioned the September Stakes or the Prix Vermeille as more likely and one suspects that Rebel’s Romance will be back to globetrotting.
What is worse OD is that I just read on the RP website, theyre increasing the prize money to £2 million making it Britains richest race. Unless they can attract the Japanese then surely the money could be better spent elsewhere. Winning £2 million will not affect a horses stallion potential one jot, though will always suit a two short Calandagan. Proximity to the Juddmonte which surely carries more credibility cannot make it a better race.
Calandagan was 2/1 earlier in the week but too short to put up today. I felt Jan Brueghel was rated a bit too high for winning The Coronation Cup and thought the field today were a lot more closely matched than the ratings suggested. Quite why Jan Brueghel made the running was hard to figure. It seemed like Continuous could not go fast enough in front at the start and the Ryan wasn't going fast enough at the front for Continuous yet the jockey on Continuous didn't seem to want to take up the running. I can only assume the pacemaker was a ruse and that the plan was for Jan Brueghel to pinch a few lengths before setting a slow gallop before kicking off the front. Whatever it was, Jan Brueghel folded like a cheap suit. Rebels Romance was short of room but never really quickened. Only the most Rose tinted eyes could have thought he was an unlucky loser. A mediocre renewal for me and I doubt we will see this one replayed in 50 years time as the Grundy/ Bustino renewal was. I saw the Fitzella race and in the aftermath they mentioned going up to 7F next time. I would think the tactics will need to be different if that is the case. She came out of the traps like Ballyregan Bob today and may have been fortunate that James Doyle dropped the whip on runner-up Staya. Jesus these top jockeys and they can't even hold onto the whip. At least Lester Piggott would have stolen another jockeys whip, as he did in France one time when dropping his own one. Up in front of the stewards he was asked why he had snatched the other jockeys whip and casually replied "My horse was going better than his"
