They paid £75,000 to add him to the race on Monday and whilst Lady Bamford probably did not have to pawn her pearls to raise the money, she is not Coolmore/Godolphin. During the week there was talk from the clerk of the course about adding some water as there was only the possibility of thunder storms in Berkshire on Friday. It should be Good To Firm on Friday. It would have been very foolish to pay up on the strength of a five day weather forecast so surely ground similar to Royal Ascot would not be a deal breaker. I hope to see him there as this does currently look like the best all-aged race of the season so far.
If the horse is pulled out on the same advice of the person who advised entering him then someone needs a firm dressing down. After paying 75k to enter the horse must be allowed to run. Ascot would never have unsafe ground, so the horse is in no danger, he may not be at his best on the ground but surely must be able to run, if only to recoup the outlay by running into the substantial place money.
Some horses have won on good to firm (even though their action suggests they would be better suited with some give) but didn't enjoy the run (so to speak). Next time they are a bit more wary, knowing that it hurts and, if made to run their heart out, they will probably come out of the race a bit sore and maybe lame. Just because a horse has won on good to firm does not mean they are suited by it. As the trainer said, he wouldn't be happy to subject him to firmish ground again. He probably knows what the effect will be. Nice to know that some trainers actually put the horse first.
It may well be Ron but what could we say of a trainer who put a 75k bet of someone else's money on rain. I am only a couple of miles from Ascot however and the first rumbles of thunder have just been heard and Rain is coming soon, not sure how much however.
If you have one horse who wants it softer, and one who wants it firm then you are always going to be right!! (and also wrong)
It was a disappointing performance by Eagle Top – they cannot blame the ground; but in an interview with Aussie Jim McGrath that was partially shown on the big screens before the last race, I did hear Gosden cite his lack of big race experience as a possibility. Both he and Romsdal look like horses with futures if they stay in training. Could they both end up on Town Moor for the final Classic?
Have to say this is a peculiar episode. Hamdan demands Taghrooda runs in the KG instead of the IO. Gosden painted in many quarters as being against it. Enters his up and coming 3yo, Eagle Top and makes it look as if the rumours are correct. Taghrooda generously priced just a few days before the race and is then heavily backed in the last 36 hours before the race. Taghrooda slews in and makes some probably decent horses look ordinary. So was Gosden really against running Taghrooda? Did he really think Eagle Top could beat his filly? Interesting to hear in years to come what Gosden was thinking. Trainers sometimes misjudge their animals. A huge success for Hamdan. Actually the first 4 look very good horses and I'd have thought Eagle Top could have been nearer. If he had the bravery of Mukdramah he would have been, but I felt Buick was easy on him once it was obvious Taghrooda had flown.
Eagle Top ran right up to his King Edward form, Gosden has said he is not a horse for the Leger, he looks one for the Leger to me if ever I saw one. "If this horse was right he might be considered, but that is not the plan at this stage. He is a tender three-year-old and has just had three runs. "I love the St Leger, but he is not a horse for that race and hopefully I have two, in the Derby third (Romsdal) and Forever Now, who won a maiden at Doncaster on Sunday." He has already changed his mind on the first one, Romsdal is not in the same class and neither is Forever Now at this stage anyway, Eagle Top looks a perfect Leger horse, full brother to The Lark, he has a high class engine but he doesnt have the gears to win a good middle distance Group 1. Do you hope for a bog one day down the line to maybe win a Group 1, or do you go for the Leger when its there for the taking. Ill be amazed if he doesnt run provided he is sound, and 8/1 would be a cracking bet.
Some interesting comments and thoughts from you, Boris. What surprised me was how far and how soon Trading Leather and Magician were beaten. The two of them were never seen with a chance. But my guess is Romsdal couldn't have got near to Eagle Top either, and if as Gosden says he ran to his KE form then Taghrooda is probably 7lb (with the filly's 3lb included) better than Eagle Top. If Romsdal is not near to Eagle Top (let's be kind and say if Hughes hadn't eased him he'd have finished 4 lengths behind Eagle Top) then Romsdal is 14 lb inferior at the least to Taghrooda. So where does that place Australia? So how much better than Romsdal is Australia: the Derby form would say about 9lb but of course he might have had more up his sleeve than it appeared at Epsom. I think I'd be on the side of Taghrooda if they met over 12f anywhere. Over shorter we'll perhaps never know. What it does say is that apart from Australia the current crop of UK and Irish staying 3yo colts look a bit ordinary (milers are OK) at the moment. That makes me think you are right in your comments about the Leger and Eagle Top: a race to be plucked. I know a lot of people are saying Kingston Hill but not my idea of a Leger winner. Also the older colts outside of the 2nd and 3rd in the KG don't look so hot. Mukhadram upheld the credibility of his Eclipse win and if Hamdan is looking for a sire he may not be a bad idea. Seems as tough as old boots, delivers on a whole range of going and is the Giants Causeway line of Northern Dancer (and only one other cross in his pedigree). So maybe a good replacement for Sakhee and then Nayef. Just keep him away from mares with more Mr Prospector in them.
