Punters who have backed Willie Mullins’ Clondaw Warrior for Saturday’s Ebor handicap must be hoping that Quest For More runs in tomorrow’s Lonsdale Cup and is withdrawn from Saturday’s big race before 9am or they will just be getting an ante-post refund. He is currently one of two reserves needing somebody to defect to get in the race. If the local weather forecast is to be believed York racegoers will need coats and umbrellas on Saturday and the ground is going to be softer than ‘dead’ by 3:45. They have been wrong twice this week so sun block might be needed.
TGG connections were delighted with his run and he ran to the pound with the Derby winner on Eclipse form. No excuses...pocket talk redolent of Taghrooda getting beaten fair and square last year. This race has produced the highest turf performance ratings of any race for 3 of the last 5 years. When horses race on a strip of turf a metre apart all the way up a half mile straight there can be no excuses..unless I missed a sink hole...? Some of you have clearly fallen into one.
I dont think anyone on here backed him at 4/9 in order to pocket talk, or made excuses. Unless I missed something.
Ground,proximity of pace maker,York racecourse orientation,wrong race.... ..you clearly missed a lot of your back catalogue of mitigation..
I never mentioned the ground I said he was a king george horse, been saying that since long before the king george I said York is a lottery of a track since it was modified, Ive been saying that every year since they changed it, the ebor was my favourite meeting until then I also said, in response to the comment "Truly run race, no excuses", "agreed, there doesnt seem to be any fluke about it, TGG and Time Test well beat, Arabian Queen has ran a blinder and had too much speed for him ultimately" Based on the proximity of the pacemaker and my opinion of York as a track, I said "im inclined to doubt the legitimacy of the form, not the result on the day" And I stand by that 100%, there is absolutely no agenda or bias behind it, but I know its hard for some people to understand neutrality. So again, where is the excuses? Why would I excuse something I have agreed there is no excuse for, the right horse won on the day fair and square, I stated my reasons for why I wont be trusting the form in the future and I think they are reasonable.
And what happened with Tapestry last year after York? Tailed off in the Arc while Taghrooda ran 3rd from a wide draw. Moore rode a blinder at York on Tapestry, switch the jockeys and you switch the result that day, and while there wasnt much between them on the day, there is no doubt whatsoever that Taghrooda was a better filly than Tapestry, just as there is no doubt that Golden Horn is a better horse than Arabian Queen, but York is a funny track now.
Spot on assessment DK. I agree don't think people were making excuses, just merely looking for reasons as to why a mediocre (she was going into the race) has beaten the top rated horse in the UK. It's a bit like when Man City beat Chelsea 3-0 last week, people analyse as to why it happens and that is the beauty of sport
Can we please give Arabian queen some credit I've watched every race she has run in and she is improving all the time. She got her ground and thrived on it. She has raced in top company all summer and is learning her trade. I'd like to see her run in the Arc this year. Would she get three year old and fillies allowance? treve apart I think the Arc looks poor this year.
Pretty sure she would as a 3Y0 filly yes I think a fair bit of the middle distance form looks scratchy! Treve beat the (not so) mighty FLINTSHIRE last season and has done the same again this year. He's been beat by Pethers Moon! I backed Arabian Queen at Epsom because the pedigree said she would improve for a mile upwards but I deserted her after Ascot thinking that she had probably found her limit- Group1 class but not Group 1 winner class. She won fairly at York with few excuses, but I suspect the form would be turned around on good/good to firm. She was the best of the day and a deserved winner. She would lack the gears for the Arc in my opinion. New Bay has done everything asked of him and does have the gears, yet has to prove stamina. The picture isn't too clear yet so maybe the trials might begin to iron out who is running and whether there are any lightly-raced types to surprise.
