Solid enough run from Mustashry at 10/1. Zabeel Prince had a real going day and reportedly will try Group 1 class next time. I'm not sure he's that good to be honest but he did that well today. Forest Ranger had another solid run in the Spring but he can't quite get his head in front. The Godolphin runners were a bit disappointing and not for the first time in Group races of late. Elaraqam put in another head scratcher and we are no wiser regarding his optimum trip. If he were my horse, I would be trying a different trainer because there is no evidence that Johnston can turn him around. He is a trainer who clearly knows fitness and wellbeing of horses but I don't see him as a man who can place his runners to best effect and plan for a specific target. He seems to run them plenty and it looks pot luck to me as to when they click.
I thought whoever knocked out Juve would win this Rudey. Spurs decimated by injuries too means the youngsters of Ajax have a great chance of making the final. Probably harks back to childhood but Ajax always seemed like a magical team. Shame they get one shot at it and then all get snapped up by the European heavyweights.
Think we can put quite a few of the horses from the bumper into the notebook for the future but the rocking horse (chestnut with big white face) that Stick put up is definitely one of them. She was under pressure a long way out but showed a really good attitude and will make a nice little novice hurdler over a trip.
That seems like a perfectly decent explanation. I had concluded myself that they had moved the Craven Stakes to Wednesday because of Easter. This meeting does not normally occur in Holy week and I figured that travelling horses from France or Ireland might be inconvenienced running on Thursday. As it was they made Thursday some sort of ‘Family Fun Day’ with Peter Rabbit along to entertain the kids and Easter goody-type prizes for them to win.
I spoke to the lad that does Elarqam before the race and he was only “hopeful” that he would win. The horse has been working well but has had six months off after suffering a fracture, so it was a fact-finding mission.
