Without putting a penny on them, I have managed to floor two odds-on shots at Doncaster today and Libranno has won as a rank outsider. Somebody at RFC should be looking at making The Triple Crown something of an annual flag-bearer for racing. How about a £5 million bonus for winning The Triple Crown? That would make it more valuable than the Arc and might get some owners and trainers targeting the achievement. At present it seems to hardly ever be attempted. In my lifetime only four qualifiers have existed – Nijinsky did it, Nashwan and Sea The Stars were no shows on Town Moor and Camelot was foiled by Encke. They will not have to pay out very often! Racing has to accept that it is a minority sport and if it wants to get the broader media coverage that it has had with Frankel and Camelot this year just swapping around the fixture list is not going to do it. Noticeable that none of the Godolphin owners were at Doncaster, they fancied Encke that much. And who was Frankie Dettori riding? Nice promotional coup for the sponsors – the £20 “free bet” should see a few rare-visiting punters returning and they have not had to pay out on the favourite winning. I was surprised that the course bookmakers did not oppose Camelot as they had no ante post liabilities. The post race interview with O’Brien did not give the impression that Camelot will be staying in training after just six races. The horse just was not good enough today, which is unfortunate. Will they go for a Paris swan-song or put him away for next year?
Absolutely chuffed for Maarek to win his 2nd Group 3. Fantastic performance on ground that I thought was nowhere near soft enough and he is definitely going to be plying his trade in Group 1s next year. Fantastic training performance by David Peter Nagle and he is probably my favourite horse in training. If and when they interview the trainer he is 100% going to say he's better on worse ground.
I didn't know that. Who was the other one Dex? KM is out of that wonderful mare Miesque, who was the daughter of Nureyev. Never was any good on thoroughbred breeding.
I think when you watch it again- whilst Camelot did have to wait for a gap, he never really looked like going on and winning. He has never finished authoratively if that makes sense. I know it sounds ridiculous, given that he won a Derby by 5 lengths, but there is quickening clear and there is hitting 7th gear, so to speak. He got out and had fully 2f to claim Encke- but Encke improved for the step up and stayed on very strongly- he went up through the gears and stayed in top gear. Camelot was cruising in high gears already and didn't have the final gear to hit top speed. I noticed it 5 minutes before race watching a buildup in my local bookies. Something about him looks babyish and still a little green under pressure. He doesn't hit the line like a Galileo, Sea The Stars, New Approach, or Pour Moi for example. He travels better than any of them, almost perfectly. But he needs to develop into a ruthless racehorse at the end of his races. The way he travelled today, he looked special and he is a hell of a specimen of a horse. He will make an awesome 4 year old. I think the light campaign has bitten Ballydoyle in the arse. Other than the Guineas, he has hardly been in a race and he hasn't really had to knuckle down and beat a top class proven G1 animal and today he showed inexperience for my money. Horses develop when they get in top class battles. All the greats did it. Galileo had to see off Fantastic Light (as well as a loss to him later!), STS had Fame and Glory/RVWinkle/Youmzain etc to fight with,to a lessder extent a horse like Nathaniel came of age after a ding dong over at Chester with future Derby runner up Treasure Beach, and even Frankel hasn't looked back after holding on at Royal Ascot in the SJP stakes. He needed to race these to become a racehorse. He still has a sea of potential though and he will be a strapping 4 year old. Look at how Frankel developed as a specimen for example. They need to race as 4 Y Os I think.
That's the most flustered I've ever seen AOB. Was he in shock or had he realised he cocked it up, or did he know Camelot wasn't 100% and hoped he would win anyway, or was he furious with his son's riding? Who shot JR? I'm sure something will be revealed sooner or later. Odds are Camelot wasn't quite right and he'll be retired.
I still wonder whether he wasn't fully ready today? If AOB thought they could get him 95% ready for this, that would be enough to win today and leave something in the tank for the Arc? I think if he won today he would definitely be Arc bound, because if he didn't win the Arc you have the perfect excuse of him having a hard race in the Leger and would be a triple crown winner after all.
I've just watched it again on C4+1 and I have re watched the Derby and I really wonder if Camelot takes a while to quicken off of the bridle. He travels so so well but he just took a while to get up to top speed when young Joseph asked the question (and when he was at top speed he was reigning the winner in) whereas Encke had a wonderful turn of foot which won him the race.
Ah yes. When I looked at his progeny I only looked at the first page, showing the top 10. Rule of Law is 13th in the list on p2. Cheers Dex.
Fun fact, Rule of Law was retired to stud at Darley's Japanese farm but returned to Europe a year or so ago and is now a dual purpose stallion in Ireland.
I think if they put him away and bring him back as a 4 year old he will be very interesting next year if kept to 10-12f. I am not sure what plans are for St Nicholas Abbey but the races he took in this year i feel could suit Camalot very well next year such as the Coronation, King George, Juddmonte and if enough evidence of ability the Arc. I think there is very little sense in retiring him now as they are not retiring a triple crown winner and if they are to maximise a potential that they clearly believe he has they have to let him have a chance at proving it at four before people will accept it. As for young Joseph as i have said before he is a good jockey for a young man learning his game but he should be second or third string to keep him out of the spotlight and pressure. He is not of sufficiant ability to be Ballydoyle number one just yet and it's not fair to allow him this amount of pressure.
I'm gonna play Fame and Glory over in Ireland. I just think the price is there today. I'm worried that he might need the run but I'm up for the day and feeling good so I'm gonna go with it.
He will only be retired if he wins the Arc. Otherwise he will race as a 4-y-o. I disagree with the viewpoint that the jockey was at fault. The horse wasn't good enough on the day. Interesting to see if Encke targets the 12f races next year or the cups.Godolphin already have a decent portfolio of stayers.I like him and he did show a decent turn of foot today off a moderate pace.
Does anyone else have horses they can never get right? Fame & Glory is my nemesis, every time I've backed him he's run like a drain, every time I've gone against him he's hosed up. Never known a horse like it. I'm not backing him today so there you go, maybe a tip in itself
I like Hartani, I was dissappointed he was beaten in the trial, I thought he was an absolute certainty that day, but Oxx's werent in great form and giving 3 pounds to Ursa Major, in hindsight it wasnt much of a disgrace that he was beaten. He has to improve again to win today but I think he is capable and im convinced he will run a big race. Lemaire over to ride him aswell speaks volumes.
Oddy Fame and Glory is a bit in and out these days isn't he! I always prefer him on better ground, so 'yielding' in Ireland is probably like a drought for him compared to normal Is he targeting the staying race on Champions Day? I'd have thought adding the Irish St Leger to his CV would be pretty good for his staying-stallion credentials.
