Racing Post spotlight for Dark Crusader on the big race at Newcastle. "Looked a rapid improver when completing hat-trick last summer, the third leg coming in the Melrose at York (1m6f soft; has won on good to firm); admittedly disappointing on final start last term but has found 7f-1m2f too sharp in three outings this season and could be set to bounce back now returned to a much longer trip; intriguing contender for shrewd Irish trainer who won this race in 2008." Small bet on this one.
Hopefully Graham Wylie will get some much deserved luck today and get himself into the winners enclosure at his local track with Lucky Bridle. A real pinsticker's race, typical of these flat handicaps mind you!
Discussiontofollow ridiculously unlucky in 3rd. Travelled like the best handicapped horse by a mile but got no luck and had no chance when he got out. Very frustrating.
With the only realistic opponent out of the race, what a surprise that Geoffrey Chaucer did not face the starter and the two remaining Aidan O’Brien runners effectively set the race up for their fabled stablemate. Australia won in a common canter but we did not actually learn anything. Will they dare go and take on Telescope and the other older horses at Ascot? If the rule is the same in Ireland as it is over here, the sixth place money will go to the winner. Looking around there appear to be quite a few people on the internet who are of the opinion that “the Irish Derby is a joke of a race”. Including today, in the last eleven years Ballydoyle has provided 41 of the runners and eight of the winners. If the others will not take them on then the race will lose all relevance. Not surprisingly the bookies are not rushing to shorten the winner’s odds for the Arc because he probably had a harder time in his last piece of work on the gallops than at The Curragh.
In a way you cannot blame them for mopping up the prize money for as you have mentioned he worked harder in his last piece of work. This piece of work however put 1.1 million into the coffers for the first 3 home combined, which must pay for Ballydoyle for a few months. The sponsors will likely leave sooner or later and it will be a hard race to market to new ones. I will forgive them as long as they allow him to be challenged later. As Dex pointed out earlier the Irish public want to see their champion up close, and I understand this, but would add that we as race fans also want to see our champions challenged and so hopefully we will get our satisfaction the next time he runs, when hopefully tackling his elders.
If you are a player on the exchanges, Brazil are surely the lay of the tournament. They have done nothing to justify favouritism other than be hosts with a history. Their quarter of the draw is all South American – they will face the winner of Colombia v Uruguay for a semi-final spot. The other quarter in their half of the draw includes Germany and France. If Brazil meet either of them in the semi-final, they will not be in the final. This Brazil team may have big names but they do not have the flair as a team that we expect to see and they do have a dodgy defence. After all the talk of no European team winning in South America, could Holland and Belgium set up a semi-final in the other half of the draw and give us a totally European final?
Hes a class animal, his turn of foot is nothing special but he has some engine, very uncomplicated horse and there probably isnt anything around that would touch him in a 1m2 race at Championship gallop. Looking again at the form I dont think the Derby was a particularly strong renewal though far from the worst ive seen, and he was a Group 1 horse against Group 3 horses today but there is something about him that just reeks quality. To be able to get that close in a good Guineas and get a mile and a half is the mark of a special horse. He is the real deal, Obrien was spot on, and he will take his form to another level when given the chance in serious middle distance races, but he is not an Arc winner I dont think.
I'm sticking with the Argies to win it, them and Germany in final. France doing ok but haven't played anyone yet so am not getting carried away with them. Belgium have a great squad but have been far from convincing so far and could end up been underachievers much like Spain were for many years, great players no success. Holland were flattered by the Spain scoreline, as we now know how poor Spain turned out to be and Mexico should give them a proper test in the 2nd round. If they impress against the Mexicans then they could be considered a genuine contender to win it. I'm not sure what the exchanges are or what it means when people say to 'lay' something but i think they should be considered one of the favourites, home advantage counts for a lot and i think they have improved with every game (not counting Fred)
He does look to have the three things a champion needs which is the ability to travel, ability to quicken and to also stay. It remains to be seen if he can do it in the top company as the Derby did seem to lack a test but I believe he will prove very good and hope he will take on the best around this year.
We ascertained that his victory irked a certain individual even more than his Epsom win....that is more than enough for some who gloat at others ire. I think such people are reprehensible...the gloaters of course.
Making an assumption that I am the reprehensible gloater who is allegedly irked, I would just like to say that the “best horse” that Aidan O’Brien has ever trained (he said that, not me) has yet to prove that assertion. He won what does not look a very good Epsom Derby beating a runner-up who is a known mudlark – declined a rematch in the Irish equivalent because it did not rain – and then had a penalty kick at The Curragh where only one of his opponents had not previously been beaten out of sight at Epsom. Granted it is not his fault that all bar two of the other trainers in Ireland could not find a horse to run for the excellent prize money down to sixth place; all he could do was win. If they are going to give Australia a break and target the Irish Champion Stakes, there has to be good grounds to believe that some decent older horses will show up for that race and he can then prove that he is top draw rather than just a good horse beating a moderate bunch of three year olds – as was Camelot. Of course if the ground comes up soft, they might decide to change plans. For what it is worth, the other comments that I was reading about the Irish Derby being a joke were being posted on the Racing Post web site; but those people are so reprehensible that they do not come on here to debate it!
