Morning gents. A slightly different opening to a daily thread as we look forward to a quite superb race in France today- The Jaques Le Marois Group 1 event. It is mouthwatering because it is an absolute sea of very good horses all taking each-other on and it shows just how special a race we could have at Ascot if people stop ****ting themselves about losing to Frankel. TIN HORSE, GOLDEN LILAC, ELUSIVE KATE, MOONLIGHT CLOUD, MOST IMPROVED, FALLEN FOR YOU, CITYSCAPE, and EXCELEBRATION. What a superb lineup that is. Some proven colts, some high class fillies, some exciting fillies, and a mix of 3 and 4 year olds. Absolutely phenomenal. Moonlight Cloud 11/4 may just prove a little special for a filly in a nice lower draw and has the turn of foot to steal the race from the very good stayers like Excelebration and rates my value shout. It is an interesting battle between Frankel and Black Caviar form and whilst I am in no doubt Frankel has some in hand on Black Caviar, I also think Moonlight Cloud is a serious filly and over the 1m might have too much toe for these guys- a little like Goldikova. This might be a big boost to Black Caviar's form and the trainer speaks incredibly highly of her. It will take a clever ride from a prominent sit but Jarnet can deliver it I feel. Warwick Avenue 12/1 is the days biggest outsider in a small field up against Born To Sea and Famous Name. Warwick Avenue is listed in Group1 entry later this year (St Ledger but also Great Voltigeur/Champion Stakes/Ebor) and struck me as a horse on the up. A soft lead here would be dangerous. Famous Name is a proven Group3 class, Born To Sea is possible Group1 class but in a small field will he settle? I hope BTS wins well but I think Warwick Avenue is the betting call.
I can't believe the farce that is the Royal Whip in Ireland. 4 runners for a group 2 with the best part of £60k to the winner and associated black type on acceptable ground. Have a word with yourselves. If I own any half decent horse I'd be asking some serious questions of my trainer right about now. It's a match race between Famous Name and Born To Sea. The weight difference may swing things in the 3 year olds favour but there's a nagging doubt this year's Classic Crop are below average so I think if you back Born To Sea you're a mug. Blindingly obvious no bet race. I think Fascinate will win the opener. Magical Dream to win the Debutante. Bungleinthejungle each way in the Phoenix Nice to see Starspangledbanner back but we've seen this before from Coolmore and I don't like it. Fire Lily each way instead. Excelebration in France with Most Improved each way. I backed MI last time at 9/1 and thought he ran a gutsy race. Best 3 yo miler barnCamelot who's not a miler. The forecast 16/1 is barmy. That's my lot.
Just as an example by the way, it will be interesting to see how STARSPANGLEDBANNER will be campaigned now that stud value about of the equation. George Washington, the late, great Ballydoyle miler came back and was upped in trip, taking on the Breeders Cup Classic in that tragic final race. It is odd though that people go for ambitious tilts when stud value goes out the windows and one has to wonder if stud fees were not worthwhile, we would see some corking racing. This French Group2 for example today has a batch of excellent horses who are very good but the top of their field (moonlight cloud aside) and because there are no real stud values to be had, they aren't afraid of taking each other on. There will be 7 or 8 very good horses who lose today- only one of them can win.
You are quite right GGW! Thanks for pointing it out, that changes the complexion of the race a little bit! 5/2 Excelebration sounds more tempting now. Hmm. I'm going to ponder over it for a while with a cuppa and a round of toast!
Our French cousins do like their fancy names for horse races - "Prix Du Haras De Fresnay - Le Buffard - Jacques Le Marois Stakes" - christ what a mouthful that is. Much more stylish is the racing at Downpatrick with a Johnny Cash tribute card Gigginstown Stud can honour the great man by taking the Winner Alright Hurdle with Zerashan. Dessie Hughes Azamour gelding achieved a BHA rating of 101 on the flat with Mick Halford, that rating coming from an authoritative display over 12F on Gd/Fm at Leopardstown, so today's conditions should suit. He has taken a while to get the hang of things over hurdles but got off the mark at the 5th time of asking at Dowmpatrick on good-yielding and the ground looks to be the key for him, having been well beaten on easier ground in the winter. After getting his maiden win he went for a decent handicap at the Galway festival and finished a decent 4th behind runaway winner Kalellshan (who was probably one of the most impressive winners of the whole festival). Back in open company today he can improve again to land this. Best of luck to all who dabble (and indeed to those who keep their powder dry) - may you have a salubrious Sunday ok>
Oddy, hope all is well. Any verdict on the French race or too tight and not enough value? I see that rascal Cityscape is due to tempt many at 12/1 but is he really up to this class?
ELUSIVE KATE for me over the Channel is unbeaten in France in a treble with FAMOUS NAME at the curragh and bin suruurs IHTIFAL at Leicester
Everything good here Toppy, you too? For me Excelebration (who would be a multiple G1 winner and odds-on for this had he not run into the mighty Frankel) will take all the beating and 9/4 looks value to me
Morning all, what a days racing Excelebration for me all day long taking out the frankel form it reads 14 and then a whole load of 1's! I think he will take all the beating. Will also have a small sentimental bet on Starspangledbanner. will be doing a small double on those two! and may even do a treble with those two and one that RV likes Cristofocolumbo 15.45 Leics- Night And Dance- 4/1 Beaten by a short by Angel Gabrial lto, he has more to offer and I feel is on a generous mark! (sorry for the short write up, but am just about to go out!)
Morning all, Think Mr Hughes will be having a good day over at Folkestone today getting possibly at least 3 winners. I fancy Stiff Upper Lip in the opener, Lisa's Legacy in the 3rd race and Knocker Knowles in the 4.00. Over at Leicester in the lucky last i'm hoping that Mayo Lad can finally get his head in front. I have backed him on every start so far and the day i dont he will probably win. Good luck all
2.15 Lord Of The Garter - 15/8 Many of you will know the routine in regards juvenile horses from the Brian Meehan yard, the line "improves with experience" always springs to mind, and this one for me looks like a horse that needs to be followed. The form of his debut run is good, the winner is a horse that is very highly rated by the yard, and the second won over in France as well. LOTG was unsupported in the market but showed a really nice attitude, rallying to finish a good third, and this step up in trip should see him to an even better light. I think he is going to be a smart horse, and if he is to take up his engagements in Group races, I would expect him to prove good enough to win this interesting race on his second run.
At Deauville, the Prix Jacques le Marois is a Group 1 race over a mile without Frankel – in other words a chance for somebody else to collect. The favourite, Excelebration, has the best collateral form and is clearly the one to beat. It will be interesting to see what tactics are adopted as he may not be favoured if this race is run like most other French races. Leading the home defence is Freddie Head’s Moonlight Cloud, who undoubtedly has class but is not really a miler. She ought to be pencilled in for the Prix de la Forêt on Arc day over seven furlongs. Her Prix Maurice de Gheest victory and her narrow defeat by Black Caviar are ample illustration of her speed. If the betting is to be believed, the best chance amongst the Classic generation is held by John Gosden’s Elusive Kate, who can boast a Group 1 victory against her elders in the Prix Rothschild, although its merits are yet to be established. Golden Lilac has proved to be something of a disappointment this term and something always seems to go wrong for Cityscape. Neither of the proven three-year-old milers, Fallen For You and Most Improved, have form that would suggest that they can trouble the older generation even with the weight-for-age allowance.
I haven't been following the flat season at all closely but Excelebration looks like a tremendous bet to me and I can't believe Stan James are going 11/4 on him ........................ if you took Frankel out of his races he would have won 8 from 10 including 4 Group 1s. There is nothing of that calibre in today's field.
R.I.P. Sid Waddell - Amazing charismatic darts charachter. Had another one for today 3:45 Leic - Cape Explorer @ 3/1 Good Luck
Buick on Fallen For You over Elusive Kate is strange I think he has it wrong again saying that I will be very surprised if either are good enough to get near EXCELEBRATION - he pisses it for me. Cristoforo Colombo is my idea of the 2000 guineas winner next year - Good horse this one but he still has so much to learn. I have no doubt he is a more talented horse than Probably who managed to beat him last time out. Will leave him alone today but he reminds me of his sire so much at 2 although he did manage to win the coventry.
RIP Sid Waddell - one of THE great commentators. Here 10 of his most memorable quotes: "When Alexander of Macedonia was 33, he cried salt tears because there were no more worlds to conquer... (Eric) Bristow's only 27." "Big Cliff Lazarenko's idea of exercise is sitting in a room with the windows open taking the lid off something cool and fizzy." "As Freud said to Jung in Vienna, you can psych up too much for a darts match." "Bristow reasons; Bristow quickens; aaaaah Bristow!" "Keith Deller's not just an underdog, he's an underpuppy!" - Deller would go on to win the 1983 World Championship final against Bristow with a 138 finish. "The atmosphere is so tense, if Elvis walked in with a portion of chips, you could hear the vinegar sizzle on them." "This lad has more checkouts than Tescos." "If we'd had Phil Taylor at Hastings against the Normans, they'd have gone home." "William Tell could take an apple off your head, Taylor could take out a processed pea." "There's only one word for it - 'magic darts'."
Look at the man go, it's like trying to stop a water buffalo with a pea-shooter.. Here's the epic collection of Sid quotes.http://www.darts501.com/Sid.htm
