Friday's Meetings Haydock Flat 8 Races 1:40-5:40p.m. Newmarket Flat 8 Races 1:55-5:55p.m. Downpatrick N/H 7 Races 2:00-5:30p.m. Worcester N/H 7 Races 2:20-5:50p.m. Newcastle(E) A/W 8 Races 5:45-9:15p.m. Dundalk(E) A/W 7 Races 6:00-9:00p.m. Racecards At The Races Racing Post Sporting Life Good Luck
Hello, hello, hello. Really good racing tomorrow in my opinion. I’ll nominate, to the dear old regular readers, a couple of fillies and a old boy jumper at Worcester. JOURNEY (2.30 Newmarket) – what a lovely name for a filly by the way. Old boy Gosden’s charge proved herself most progressive in the latter stages of last term winning a pair of Listed races (including this very race by 8 lengths!) and then running a cracker to be 2nd in a Group 1 on ‘Champions Day’. Has continued that improvement into this season and after finishing 3rd first time up did it very well ‘oooooooooooop’ at Haydock Park in a Group 3. Returns after a near 4 month break here and although Journey will have bigger targets later in the year she should oblige in this heat first. FAIR EVA (3.05 Newmarket) – what a lovely name for a filly by the way. The ‘hope of the county’ and our sports next superstar created a huge impression in her first 2 events winning her maiden effortlessly ‘oooooooooooop’ at Haydock Park before running away with the ‘Princess Margaret’ at Ascot. Did suffer a reverse at York, last time, but that was still a commendable effort over a distance now seen as too short for her. Steps up to 7 furlongs in the ‘Rockfel’ and this should see a return to the winner’s enclosure for the old girl. At current quotes of 8/13 she isn’t a punting proposition for a simple working man such as myself but expect Fair Eva to oblige with ease before shortening dramatically for the 2017 ‘1,000 Guineas’ (currently 8/1). WELD ARAB (5.50 Worcester) – find myself almost ‘contractually obliged’ to put this one up after last time although as I said, earlier in the week, would be far less confident here than last month. After 4, how shall we say, introductory runs over the sticks Weld Arab improved dramatically, and I do mean dramatically, last time to run a very close 2nd over course and distance. Up 5 lbs for that effort although the form does look reasonably solid as the 3rd, that day, has subsequently won and the 4th past the post, has gone onto finish a decent 2nd of 13. I would expect Weld Arab to be highly competitive off 102 and he is more than capable of going close once again. Good luck all.
Squire runs in the Silver Cambridgeshire at 5.55 and at first glance you would think he has a really good chance. He ran second in the race in this race last year and arrives here off 3lb less. He has however been off the track for ten weeks as after his last run he had a second soft palate procedure. He has missed a few engagements since then and in all honesty the reason has been that he has not been himself and whilst fit his breathing has seemed laboured after work. He runs in a tongue tie which we hope will help. He did his piece of work wearing one this week and we were very happy with him. Over the winter he will go back to the surgeons for a full tie-back operation but in the meantime we have to say that we will be running him more in hope than expectation. He is fit and he has the right jockey on . He loves Newmarket and everything is in his favour but with his current issue we certainly couldn't recommend anyone parting with their hard earned cash on him!
Ah, I see what you mean. However I look at the weights because last year the race was won in 1m 52.86s (slow by 5.06s) and he was beaten 1¼l, carrying 9.6. This year he carries 8lb less which equates to 4.57 lengths - enough to have won last year's event comfortably. If the going is the same and the race is won in (roughly) the same time - AND he is at least as good as he was last year, he has won the race. The 8lb more he carried last year was also dead weight. This year the weight is all jockey. If it wasn't for the doubt about his relative well being I would have said he was a banker for a place with a very live chance of winning. As you say stick, everything else is perfect.
Just had to come on and say good luck tomorrow Stick as I know it was this meeting that you had in mind from the beginning of the season, and although the season hasn't been as hoped Squire is genuine as they come and has lots in his favour. Just as the greatest disappointments come when we most fancy them the greatest thrills can come when we are least expecting. Here's hoping your lad finds his form of last year, that despite his work, despite his form, that tomorrow just falls right and he gets his head in front in the last furlong, if he does, it's his. Good luck Stick.
All the best tomorrow stick and the don. I hope Squire enjoys his run and comes back safe and sound, and that you will be with him in the winners' enclosure
best of luck with Squire boys among all the good racing tomorrow I'm intrigued with Hugo Palmer sending an unraced 2yo up to Newcastle with the excellent Josephine Gordon riding -until you remember it's the track he loves to win at -his first ever winner was there and I believe he went there to college -so to send just one I think tells its own story Tamayef 7/2
Best of luck with Squire Stick, enjoy your day and i hope he comes back safe and sound (into the winners enclosure!)
When I saw the five-day declarations for the Sliver Cambridgeshire, I could not see how Squire would get in. By my reckoning he was 60th of the 65 entries and needed thirty to drop out to get in the field. Amazingly, 44 defected so even the ones below him have got a run. Good luck guys. I should have taken an ante post punt on the Rockfel Stakes at the end of last week when Fair Eva was trading at 11/10 because there were 20 fillies still in the race. Now that most of the others have declined, she will be long odds on but I hope she wins to set Frankel up with a great chance of a Classic winner from his first crop. The opening mile Listed race looks one to avoid with question marks against so much of the form, whilst Journey will have to overcome race rustiness to prevail in the second so I may take a chance on Beautiful Romance to bounce back dropped in class. It is a very hard card to find anything to back with confidence, with two divisions of the maiden race sandwiched in to make for a late finish – will Rab Havlin have a pit helmet on to light the way for Squire?
SkyBet going 1/4 odds first 6 in Silver Cambridgeshire and 16/1 squire , just in case anyone fancies a wager.
