Daily Racing Thread Tuesday 6th. April 2021

Tuesday's Meetings

Pontefract
Flat 8 Races 1:00-4:35p.m.
Exeter
N/H 7 Races 1:45-4:50p.m.
Bath
Flat 8 Races 2:10-5:45p.m.
Chelmsford(E)
A/W 8 Races 5:00-8:30p.m.

Racecards
At The Races
Racing Post
Sporting Life

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Good Luck

 

1.20 Saint-Cloud

All first time filly's, but looking forward to seeing how Goldistyle gets on

A daughter of Dubawi & Goldikova!

Trading currently at 4-1

 

The Prix Penelope is a Group 3 generally considered as a potential prep for 3YO Fillies who may go to the on to better things but Winners have a poor record in the Classics though. Just five fillies in the field this year and one of them is currently co-favourite for the French 1000 Guineas in very early betting provided by Paddy Power.

Philomene is by Dubawi and she made a winning debut in a Longchamp maiden last Seprember, when odds on favourite. She only won by a short neck from Tasmania but is obviously open to plenty of improvement. Priced up at a shade of odds-on for the 3.20 Saint Cloud, she seems no value to me and the better play for me would be taking the 16/1 for the Classic, because her bare form is plenty short of Group 3 quality and the odds of reward look miserly. Given the stats though and the fact that I prefer Sweet Lady for the French Guineas, I couldn't have Philomene for the first fillies Classic in France.

Fabre's other runner, Anasia, is much more exposed but has better form than the favourite.

Divertissement is 2/2 for Rouget but needs plenty more after winning small races.

Incarville was progressive after a slow start last year but still needs a good bit more here.

Stormy Pouss seems held on her run behind Anasia in a Listed contest last month.

Philomene could well progress and be better than these but the betting is already assuming that she is well superior. I wouldn't want my Guineas fancy to be making her seasonal debut over 10F and the Prix Diane looks a much more logical target, unless she somehow looks good before blatantly failing to stay today.

Anasia only just lasted home on her latest start but the better ground today may suit. That is of course if we can believe the reports of good-soft going. At the prices I played Anasia at 4/1 with form and fitness on her side. Philomene could be special but 4/6 did not appeal as any value to me.

3.20 Saint Cloud Anasia 4/1

 

I'll take a chance on Chief Craftsman in the opener at Pontefract. Down in trip and class should suit. Booking of Ella Mccain for this apprentice event eyecatching.

 

Not a bad debut run in 3rd after looking clueless in first half of race, but ran on well and looks like she has ability

 

Bugger; Only just looked at today's racing and noticed Waldkonig won at 5/4 . Surely that was a long odds on shot?

 

Nice win for former Derby hope Waldkonig at Pontefract. His sights were lowered to Handicap company today and he was a warmish favourite but no mean feat to win well off a mark of 101 and he will surely soon be too high for handicaps. He was largely disappointing last season but did bump into Mishriff first time up and then had a bad tooth infection later on. He should make an impact this year at a decent level based on today's show.

 

Bit disappointing from Anasia. I don't know whether they just used her as the hare today. Philomene won without much fuss but I am not sure it screamed Guineas form in a modest looking Group 3. No doubt the bookies will slash her after that but the Penelope has an awful record for winners in the French Guineas. As ever when you oppose an odds-on shot they skate home.

 

Philomene 7/1 for the French Guineas on Betfair now.

 

16:35 Pontefract - Rhyme Scheme

(Last race at Pontefract a very tricky affair. Selection might just make the podium at decent odds.)

 

Trawlerman bolted up at Pontefract on his third start but that looked an awful maiden and 25/1 quotes for the Derby are a joke in my opinion. Silly season stuff.

 

Bit late to the party as the race has already been run (2.40 at Bath), but I wanted to point out that today sees the implementation of a new “type” of race in Britain - the “Restricted Novice/Maiden”.

These have been in the pipeline for a while but BHA have rolled them out with very little fanfare (or explanation for that matter!).

These races are replacing the Auction and Median Auction Novice/Maiden races for 2 year olds (the old auction and median auctions remain in place for 3yos and up for now). The difference is that the two types have been merged into one category. Horses are allocated one of 4 bands (hence why the race at Bath today stated “Band D”) in the title. You qualify for the banding based on the sale price achieved as a yearling (like the old Auction races) or if not sold based on the median price of the sires offspring at the yearling sales (like the old median auction races).

The bands are as follows:

Band A - horses sold for £50,001-£80,000 OR if not sold with a sires median auction value of <£60,000
Band B - horses sold for £30,001-£50,000 OR if not sold with a sires median auction value of <£40,000
Band C - horses sold for £15,001-£30,000 OR if not sold with a sires median auction value of <£25,000
Band D - horses sold for £1-£15,000 OR if not sold with a sires median auction value of <£12,500

Any horse sold for more than £80,000 or by a sire with a median price of more than £60,000 can only run in open maiden/novice company.

We don’t know how these changes will affect the programme yet, they are very much an experiment at this stage.

Tag me if you have any questions on these, I’ve been getting quite heavily involved with them for one reason or another over the last year or so!

 

The dreaded 4th!

 

What evidence is required of the sale price?

 

OK got it

 

2YO Restricted Novice and Maiden Races 2021 In 2021, most auction and median auction races for two-year-olds will cease to exist. Instead, they will be replaced by a single race type – Restricted Races. These races are designed to be a simpler more straightforward alternative, with standardised conditions and horses organised into Bands. Two-year-old horses will qualify for these races by means of an auction value at a recognised yearling sale or breeze-up sale. If they were not sold through the ring, horses will qualify through their sire’s median auction value (N.B. A horse's auction value will always supersede their sires median auction value, which will only be used if the horse did NOT go through the ring at a yearling sale or breeze-up).

Additionally, horses will be organised into Bands, corresponding to their auction or median auction value. Any horse sold or bought in for more than £80,000 or whose sire’s median auction value is £60,000 or higher will only be eligible for open races as normal.

Where applicable, a lower Band horse will receive a 2lb allowance from a higher Band. So, a Band B horse will receive a 2lb allowance from a Band A. In turn, Band C will receive 2lb from Band B and, correspondingly, Band D a 2lb allowance from Band C. Allowances will be cumulative, so a Band D horse will receive 6lb from a Band A horse in a race open to Bands A, B, C and D.

More info and Q&As here

 

I guess the premise is to have horses of similar quality racing against each other and allowing the smaller owners to be able to be competitive outside of handicaps? I am guessing that the banding also has an impact on prizemoney?

 

Sorry folks, had nursery pick up and kids’ bedtime to deal with!

The theory behind it all is to simplify the programme and create a more level playing field. Concerns had been raised about some trainers trying to mine the median auction races by getting hold of an expensive horse by a “cheap” stallion, so by merging the two types it prevents the trainer from exploiting the loophole. Also the programme had become unbalanced with far more “auction” races than “median auction” races which meant homebreds horses had fewer chances to run at the lower levels.

 

Yes, I’ve got the breakdown somewhere but the basic premise is that Band D races will be mostly Class 6, Band C mostly Class 5, Band B a mix of Class 5 and 4 and Band A Class 4 and above. The majority of races will be for Band C and D horses as the horses in those brackets make up the majority of the horse population.