Monday's Meetings Brighton Flat 7 Races 1:00-4:00p.m. Perth N/H 6 Races 1:45-4:25p.m. Newton Abbot N/H 7 Races 2:10-5:15p.m. Galway(E) N/H 8 Races 4:05-7:40p.m. Newcastle(E) A/W 8 Races 4:55-8:30p.m. Racecards At The Races Sporting Life Racing Post Good Luck
Not much to get excited about today so I invested ante-post instead. I already have Inspiral at 16/1 for the 1000 Guineas but have now gone in again at 12/1. Looking at the others in the betting, I can't get excited about any of them. Inspiral is due to run in the May Hill this week. She is 8/11 Fav for that race and if she wins it I can see her go pretty short for the 1000 Guineas. Sandrine lost her unbeaten record behind Zain Claudette but they might be 6F fillies anyway. Both are prominent in the Cheveley Park betting and could be up against it, facing Sacred Bridge. I backed the Irish trained filly for the Cheveley Park at 12/1 and then went in again at 6/1 because the price just seemed too big still. She is 11/4 now and may yet start shorter on the day. Ger Lyons has indicated that Sacred Bridge may go to the Breeders Cup and that would seem to hint that this may be her main season. He has also said that they will wait until next year to worry about what her trip will be. Inspiral is already rated 104 and has plenty scope for more. She has won over 7F and looks nailed on to stay a mile. I would expect her to rate about 110-112 in her next race and then hopefully pull over the 115 mark in the Fillies Mile, to go into the winter as a warm favourite for the Guineas. John Gosden had said that he had a couple of nice 2YO's this season and I am assuming that Reach For The Moon and Inspriral are the ones he was talking about. Hopefully Inspiral can lay down a marker this weekend and at 12/1 I felt worth investing further in her. 1000 Guineas Inspiral 12/1
Perth 2.50 Cosheston Backed this one when an eyecatching 3rd last time out (Staying on from behind). Good 3rd before that race. Mark unchanged today. Today over a slightly longer trip and with the Candlish stable in fine form this horse should run well for each way purposes.
I notice that the Queen's Mellow Yellow is very weak in the betting for her debut at Newcastle today. She opened at 2/1 last night but is double those odds now. Roger Varian's Flora Finch is also weak in the betting. The money is for Fresh Hope, who is hovering about 2/1 in the betting. I had a small bet on Gifted Gold, the daughter of Galileo Gold is a half sister to Richard Hannon's Threat, who was very decent as a 2YO. The Karl Burke filly is 10/1 and having cost 82,000 Guineas they will be expecting her to have some talent. 6.25 Newcastle Gifted Gold 10/1 for a token bet.
You know, Grendel, you would think Simply Gorgeous would have something of a chance with her bit of experience with that one-time run to finish third at Redcar. My problem is with trainer Richard Fahey, who, along with Mark Johnston, I just don't seem to know what their runners are going to do! Since I rarely if ever guess right, I will pass on a bet. To be very mean, when one sees Tony Hamilton get in to all sorts of boxed-in trouble in a race, you just have to say, "OK, notebook NTO?" Now, that really is mean and unsporting (but, I'd never say that about Joe Fanning!)
Really nice little race of its type. MELLOW YELLOW has strengthened in the market during the day. Dam won on debut and so did a half brother. Has a fillies mile entry too which says a fair bit to me. Good luck with the selection
Gifted Gold returned at 12/1. I thought she was beaten when they left the stalls because her head was right up in the air and she was pulling like hell. She eventually settled somewhat but I expected that her earlier capers would have ruined her chance. To her credit she came with a promising run and hit the front with enough momentum to hold Mellow Yellow, who ran on well today. I feel Gifted Gold can do better if learning to settle and Mellow Yellow looked ready for a mile today. She is entered in the Fillies Mile but that's probably going to be too rich, too soon, for her. It was a promising start from both fillies. A perfectly satisfactory debut from Flora Finch, while Fresh Look also made a decent start, if at a rather skinny price. Simply Gorgeous was 5th today and probably posted another effort around the low 70's or so and she looks a shoo-in to be contesting a Nursery next time. Like Swan Hills, I find Fahey hard to work out. I recall an early season race where I felt his runner had a good chance and he was dismal at odds of 9/2, fast forward one week in a race for horses rated up to 20 lbs higher than the previous week and the same horse pelts home at 25/1.
