I’ll be at old Ascot tomorrow exchanging pleasantries with the Royals and featuring on many a fashion feature but it’s all about one man and one animal for me in 24 hours time – Mr Henderson’s Lieutenant Miller (Mr Henderson is the chap by the way and Lieutenant Miller the horse!). Am Delighted with a capital ‘D’ that this one has got in at the foot of the old handicap and I can see old boy Graham Lee slapping him on the rump and then saying to the rest of the field, ‘Now catch me if you jolly well can’. And do you know what, troops, I don’t believe they will and that as a result my topper will be yanked skywards in jubilation. Current quotes of 12/1 are most, most appealing re the Lieutenant and if you only ever listen to one thing I ever say, make that – GET ON THE OLD BOY. It’s been 8 months in the planning but it’ll be just 5 minutes in the execution.
I think it's fair to say I can speak for the entire forum when i tell you that we all fully share your sentiments Sir Barney. If the lieutenant wins there will be dancing and celebrating of the like not seen since dear old Bobby Moore raised the Jules Rimet trophy above his head.
Good luck with your plot Barney, you may well be right. Interesting runner in the race for me is BIG EASY who looks very well treated on all known ability. With the Twiston-Davies claim he will barely know he has a jock on board.
I say Sir Barney, is old boy Ponsonby going "Belt and Bracers" by having Lady Cecil's Tiger Cliff in the same race? Or is he sniffing around for a nice juicy reverse forecast perhaps?
Anyone have any comments about the draw for the Coventry? Low numbers not been the best over the years and Stubbs is drawn 1. Would you be put off with this? I was going to go big on him, but slightly doubting myself now?? Any thoughts?
Can't wait to see Just The Judge Friday, have a feeling she is a bit special. 5/2 look's fair to me also. Was very impressed with her at the Curragh.
Starting slowly this year taking one day at a time done £40 double animal kingdom and dawn approach my local corals doing bet 5 ten pound bets get a free £10 bet at ascot so made it 4x times £10 doubles so only need another bet to get my free £10
Really fancy Reckless Abandon tomorrow and I think 11/2 could be a very good price. Drawn well and Im expecting him to have come on a ton from his run in the Temple Stakes where he was only touched off by two horses who had race fitness advantage plus he was carrying a penalty that day on the back of it - It looked a very good effort. He likes Ascot and is a tough nut to crack when he gets his head in front. Shea Shea is plenty skinny in the market and he wouldn't be the first horse to blow out at Ascot after a campaign in Dubai. Sole Power is the only other intresting horse for Me in this field if he can put his poor effort in the Temple behind him but at 11/2 I think Reckless Abandon could be a fair bet...
Totally agree with that Istabraq. Taking it easy tomorrow and probably only betting in 3 races but this is one i've fancied for a while.
Im going to get stuck in tomorrow purely for a good start to the week (Well hopefully) A few short priced favourites to take on I think. Wednesday looks an absolute ****ter for the punters..
I'm gping on the wednesday and whilst head says it's a bad day for punters and you should take it easy I suspect the sense of occasion will be enough to empty out the old wallet!
Elkaayed 10/1 for the Tercentenary, looks a stronger race than I expected but he is no 10/1 shot and I still fancy him strongly.
Just got home from work and watched a replay of the St James Palace. What a terrible ride from R Hughes. Why on earth did he drop Toronado so far out the back? He used up a heck of a lot of energy just getting to the front. To my eye he was still closing at the line. Another 10 yards and he would have had DA. I did not bet on this race, so my opinion is not coloured by that.
Britannia - Cape Peron 9/1 Surely a Group horse in a handicap, probably the most competitive race of the meeting, Market Town 25/1 looks way overpriced.
Interesting, I was on Cape Peron last time and I agree he did look a Group horse. However I like a horse he beat 2 runs ago called Kyllachy Rise. This one was trained by Sir Henry Cecil and he was meant to win that day with no fuss before going on to the Guineas. He made most before Cape Peron beat him late on. The whispers at Warren Place were that this one was/is Group horse. Following a disappointing Guineas the owner moved him to Richard Hannon and I just wonder if, with a pull at the weights and also at 33/1, this one represents the value in the race. Looks a cracking race.
Little bit of a risk but I've taken the 25/1 about Maarek for the Diamond Jubilee on Saturday. His disappointing 2nd at the weekend isn't a concern (put in a similarly disappointing performance 6 days before winning his Group 2 at Ascot last year) and I think it will come up soft at the weekend and the race looks like it could really fall apart. If it comes up soft at the weekend he's definitely going off a single figure price. Always a chance he won't run but I see no reason why he won't if it comes up soft.
You did not get to hear the post-race interviews. The plan with Toronado was to come with one long run and snatch the lead late on so that Dawn Approach had no chance to get back at him. The bumping that occurred as he was coming to deliver that run saw him knocked off stride and once he and the favourite were locked in battle the Guineas winner was always going to prevail. Putting the bumping aside, my suspicion is that the finish was only close because Dawn Approach did not settle (again) early in the race and wasted energy that he could have used to go clear of the trouble in the straight.
