Sunday's Meetings Leicester Flat 6 Races 2:00-4:30p.m. Ripon Flat 7 Races 2:10-5:10p.m. Downpatrick N/H 7 Races 2:18-5:18p.m. Racecards At The Races Sporting Life Racing Post Good Luck
A very interesting runner in the 2.48 at Downpatrick today is Semblence Of Order. Andy Oliver's gelding had a busy first two years on the flat, packing in 16 races between June 22 and October 23. Whilst not exactly prolific he did manage 2 wins and achieved a rating of 85 before being sent for hurdles debut in a juvenile race at Punchestown last November. He won that race in pretty good style, travelling well and jumping nicely before responding well for pressure after the last to defeat Eagles Reign a couple of lengths. Semblence Of Order has not been seen since that race but Eagles Reign has given the form a decent look by winning at Punchestown in January (giving a subsequent winner tons of weight) and then finishing a fine second to Lark In The Mornin in the Fred Winter. Semblence Of Order might just need the run today but is worth a small dabble at around the 4/1 mark.
The opener at Ripon (14:10), a Class-6 Apprentice Handicap over 1m. on good ground, is certainly an open affair. Selection is the National Defence gelding (Damsire: Galileo), Mount King, who has the form to gain a podium finish, at least? Trainer has two runners in the race, but I prefer Mount King to Little Ted at the early odds. Wears tonguestrap and cheekpieces as in previous races. Amie Waugh (3) on board for the Tim Easterby stable. 9/1 (Coral(Ladbrokes/BetVictor) top price early-doors, on the ATR site. E/W best option.
No doubt about the big race of the weekend: the Prix Jacques le Marois (Deauville, 3:04). The eight assembled to chase the €630,000 first prize includes the last two Poulains winners, Metropolitan and Marhaba Ya Sanafi, but even just looking at it from a ratings perspective it is hard to fancy either winning. Since beating eight rivals at Longchamp, Marhaba Ya Sanafi finished last in this in 2023, has changed yards and won a Listed race, been sixth in the Prix d’Ispahan and won a Group 3 at Chantilly. He won’t be winning today. Metropolitan beat twelve rivals in what looks a poor Poulains in hindsight and was over three lengths third in the St James’s Palace. That does not look good enough as form lines through the Royal Ascot winner give Haatem the beating of the French colt. Richard Hannon’s colt has placed in two Classics before getting his head in front in the Jersey and looks the most likely of the three year olds for the win. Unbeaten Quddwah steps up to the top table after collecting a weak Summer Mile with a little to spare but he will need to improve seven or eight pounds to win today and that might be just a little too much to ask. King Gold was a total no-show defending his Prix Maurice de Gheest crown last week and his one mile win was in 2020 so he is easily discounted. Big Rock is the top rated runner in the field but he earned that rating last year in the QEII having run second in this race on soft ground. It will not be ‘soft’ today at Deauville and since switching yards his two races this term have been underwhelming. Inspiral comes here chasing a hat-trick in the race with Ryan Moore taking over the steering. However, she is another that has underwhelmed this term and to get in the history books she will have to run like her career best in this race in 2022, a feat that seems unlikely. So that leaves just the favourite CHARYN, ahead of Inspiral and Big Rock at Newbury and Big Rock in the Queen Anne. Tactically uncomplicated for Silvestre de Sousa and the clear form pick today. The support card features a five-runner Prix Gontaut-Biron (1:33) that could be a tactical affair between Al Hakeem and Feed The Flame, the latter placed in the Prix Ganay, Coronation Cup and Grand Prix de Saint Cloud whilst the former has had his problems since being fourth in the Arc two years ago. After the Marois, the Listed race prize money might be leaving French shores as five of the nine declared have crossed The Channel to take part. The British bookies have the Gosden/Moore combination on unbeaten Ombudsman as favourite but it won an egg and spoon race at Leicester last time in a canter. War Rooms was a remote third in the Dante and has a visor applied, which puts me off him, and if the favourite does not turn out to be markedly better than his form the one I would fancy is Jane Chapple Hyam’s Sons And Lovers under Hollie Doyle. Irish raider Stromberg was out with the washing in the Hampton Court where Sons And Lovers was sixth. Involvement won a handicap in a quick time at HQ when last seen so it is not impossible that he could progress to Listed company here.
Charyn looks the form horse but 2 things would stop me backing him Inspiral is a class mare and to finish 11l behind Charyn doesn't gel with me. Last year she beat one of the best milers on the planet Mqse De Sevigne, Big Rock and Warm Heart, The fact she takes on Charyn again makes me wonder if she was just being warmed up for this Quddwah. Always fear an unbeaten horse as you never know how good they might be, especially an unbeaten lightly raced 4yo that didn't run at 2
Metropolitan, Inspiral and Quddwah finished 2nd,3rd and 4th with 2 heads separating them. But Charyn bolted up, forging 3l clear of those in the final furlong; very impressive in a fast time. Inspiral had a lot of ground to make up after a tardy start. Would she have won had she started with the others? Questionable
Fair play to say that Inspiral blew it at the gate but Charyn looked the real deal. My guess is Sun Chariot next for her. I won’t be backing her. Quddwah is certainly one to look for going forward; I think I know where he will go as the Crisfords have done this before. No excuses for Metropolitan who just illustrated that it was a poor Poulains this year as subsequent form has illustrated. To answer your final question: no, she would not have won as I think the Varian grey was value for more and would have found it.
