I bet on him last night and had another go when I saw it being backed 30 mins before the race. That was his first win for a good while as well.
That is not actually true. I would include Rosscarbery (20/1) in the “outsiders that it is difficult to make a case for” but I did not name them all individually. I had not realised that I had named all but one of the runners. As we know, I did not miss the winner as a three year old won (again) and despite being punted down to 9/2 my four year old selection finished behind not only the Twomey four year old but the former Aussie seven year old.
I expect many were surprised that Baaeed was beaten. He travelled well for much of the race and seemed to be in a good position but he just could not get his hooves out of the soft ground and was beaten. I am half expecting some report that the horse has scoped badly the morning after the race or a similar excuse. Obviously punters that backed the placed horses are happy with the result although I suspect much of the money wagered was each way in the hope of grabbing second or third. Sadly Champions’ Day continues to be anything but and there is no point re-opening the debate about its scheduling. Adayar is really a mile and a half horse and on this evidence it is difficult to make a case that he would have fared any better if he had gone to the Arc instead as the ground was softer at Longchamp.
Any news on whether My Prospero stays in training Bustino? Still very few miles on the clock and he could develop into a top-class middle distance horse.
I’m sorry, QM, but I can’t be buying the soft ground as an excuse for any top class horse. It’s just another example of our namby-pamby society. I grew up watching racing from the fifties onwards, and I honestly can’t remember a trainer in the fifties to seventies ever complaining about soft ground like we had at Ascot yesterday- let alone thinking of withdrawing their charge or offering it as an excuse when beaten. In fact, the only solitary instance I can remember related to the going was one trainer, Harry Wragg, praying for rain in the Derby, because his horse, Sovrango, was virtually unbeatable on testing ground. Yet he still ran him on firm ground to finish fourth.
Got to stay in training hasn't he? He hasn't done enough to be sent off to stud. His biggest win was at St Cloud and a G2. He ran only once as a 2yo, so as you say has few miles on the clock. I'd love to see him on a proper galloping track like Newbury or York. I don't particularly think Ascot suits him. Maybe the Juddmonte will be his target next year, after initially picking up the Lockinge and Eclipse. He's certainly bred well enough to be a stallion.
No surprise to see this one entered in this weeks Cheltenham Tattersalls Sale. I wonder what the going rate is for a relatively easy winner of a junior bumper.....
You may wish to have a look at one in this sale called Sheeka Supreme. Not so much with this one in mind but more a nod towards one currently with Alan King - who beat Sheeka Supreme back in May. Her name is On Se Calme (4YO No Risk At All filly) and she was bought by current connections not long after the May contest for 40,000 gns. On Se Calme hasn't run since that May win but Sheeka Supreme has - last month when winning a Point by 6 lengths. I would envisage that after the sale of Sheeka Supreme On Se Calme is going to look very. very, very well bought for 'just' 40,000 gns. Even more so when you further consider the dam of tAlan King's new arrival was a Listed winner, on the level, and she has already produced a colt who ran 4th in a French 2,000 Guineas.
