Sunday's Meetings Tramore N/H 7 Races 2:03-5:03p.m. Southwell A/W 7 Races 2:20-5:25p.m. Pontefract(E) Flat 7 Races 3:45-6:45p.m. Racecards At The Races Sporting Life Racing Post Good Luck
In the opener at Southwell (14:20), a Class-5 Apprentice Handicap over 7f on the Tapeta surface, the 3YO Kodiac gelding, Master Franca, has a sporting chance to gain a podium finish. Wears blinkers as in previous runs. Oliver Carmichael (5) rides for the Hugo Palmer yard. 11/2 (Bet365) top price at time of writing. Any drift, then E/W option should be considered.
Good luck today to Jim Goldie, chasing the £100k bonus with the same two chances he had last time: Letsbefrank (5:15, Prescott horse to beat) and American Affair (6:15, needs a career best off 4lb more than last time). Four Group races over at Deauville today but the first two feature just five runners each. The Prix Kergolay opens proceedings at 12:58 and last year’s Prix Royal Oak winner Double Major ought to be good enough to win but has failed to win on either previous visit to the seaside so it would not be a surprise if Alessio reversed their most recent running in what will be a tactical affair. It is very easy to see why just five contest the Prix Jean Romanet (1:33) as Mqse De Sevigne will be very long odds on after her course and distance Prix Rothschild victory and there is no reason to believe that the hugely disappointing Blue Rose Cen is going to get anywhere near the Fabre mare. Most attention in the Prix Alec Head (3:25) will be on the Gosden raider Friendly Soul, winner of three of her four starts but a huge disappointment when favourite for the Musidora. She easily won an Ascot Group 3 last time and Kieran Shoemark has been sent over to Deauville to ride her even though last week Ryan Moore rode the Gosden runners at the French seaside. If she wins convincingly then will her next two races be the Prix Vermeille and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe? Main hope for the locals looks to be Prix Saint Alary winner Birthe, not seen since finishing mid-division in the Prix de Diane, just ahead of Candala. So the most competitive pattern race on the card is the Group 1 Prix Morny with five of the nine declared coming from these or Irish shores. Epson Blue Cen won her maiden over course and distance but was then beaten by Estepona over the same trip whilst in receipt of 3lb, so there seems little reason to see that form reversed and it does not look good enough form against the pattern race form on offer today. The two principal chances for a home win surely lie with Prix de Cabourg winner Daylight and runner up Polyvega; and preference would be for the Patrice Cottier filly, successful by two and a half lengths that day with Richard Fahey trained Columnist just behind in third. Arabian Dusk got off the mark at the third time of asking in the Duchess of Cambridge and she will need to step up on that here as a couple of the other raiders have better form already in the book. Rashabar has not been seen since a surprise winner of the Coventry but a line through third Columnist (beaten in a three-way photo) suggests that Brian Meehan’s colt is going to have to have improved markedly to give the sex allowance to Daylight. The clear form pick today is the Ballydoyle raider Whistlejacket, beaten fair and square by the filly Babouche in the Phoenix Stakes and turning out only 8 days later. That quick turnaround is a negative for me but the easier ground, like when he won the July Stakes, is a positive. However, I see the form book being turned over today. Shareholder beat Whistlejacket in the Norfolk and the Wathnan Racing colt steps up a furlong today and comes here fresh having not run for nearly two months since. The British bookies have Karl Burke’s charge as favourite but I am actually going with his other runner to bring home the bacon. ARABIE won a York novice followed by a Chantilly Group 3 (Daylight third). He then returned to Chantilly and collected the Group 2 Prix Robert Papin, from which race today’s Group 1 is the natural progression. After yesterday my serious problem is the jinx jockey. He won on it the last twice so what will the numpty do today to lose my money?
14:15 Deauville - Cambronne (Top weight but is ultra-consistent and will make them all go. Distance: Extended 1m1f on the Polytrack surface. Mickael Barzalona rides for the P. Cotter stable) 9/2 (Wm.Hill/Betfred) top price early-doors, on the ATR site. E/W best option.
Awful. Absolute rubbish from me today. Hindsight says I should have gone with the missus for a picnic lunch in the nearby foothills of the Alps! Or. stayed in bed.
