Wednesday's Meetings York Flat 7 Races 1:50-5:20p.m. Carlisle Flat 8 Races 2:05-6:02p.m. Worcester(E) Flat 6 Races 4:50-8:05p.m. Sligo(E) N/H 7 Races 5:08-8:10p.m. Kempton(E) A/W 6 Races 5:50-8:30p.m. Racecards At The Races Sporting Life Racing Post Good Luck
Interesting the COT is pink across the board whilst Calandagan and Bluestocking are blue across the board
The first of the pattern races at York sees the juveniles contest the seven furlong Acomb. It is little surprise to see that the first two in the betting come from the big breeding operation trainers. Godolphin’s Justify colt Ruling Court hosed up at long odds on over this trip at Sandown and clearly has bags of potential whilst Coolmore’s Sea The Stars colt The Lion In Winter won on debut over this trip turning over their more fancied Ides Of March in the process. Preference would be for the more impressive former as the latter looks like a middle distance prospect. The betting on the race dismisses every other runner (16/1 bar two) but there is some half decent form to be found, such as the Haggas contender Yaroogh, easy winner of his last two against ordinary opponents; and Hannon contender Our Terms, never saw an opponent over six last time. With half of the field for the Great Voltigeur coming from Ballydoyle, it seems probable that Euphoric might be doing the donkey work and leaving Los Angeles and Illinois to try and fight out the finish. The one with clearly the best chance of upsetting that plan is Harry Charlton’s King’s Gambit, runner-up in the Hampton Court and the York Stakes after winning the London Cup. Space Legend was second in the King Edward VII but last in the Bahrain Trophy and has something to prove now. So there are several possible outcomes to the Great Voltigeur that would give form indicators for the Group 1 feature Juddmonte International. Obviously King’s Gambit chased home Alflaila last time and Space Legend had a remote view of French raider Calandagan. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that Hans Anderson is in the Juddmonte to cut out the running for the yard’s more fancied contender. Karl Burke’s Royal Rhyme is probably way out of his depth here having finished last in the York Stakes, albeit less than two lengths behind the winner that he re-opposes. That winner, Alflaila, is half his odds and does not have too many miles on the clock but last year after winning the York Stakes he was well beaten in the Irish Champion behind Auguste Rodin. Docklands steps up in trip today after chasing home Charyn in the Queen Anne, where Maljoom was third and his subsequent second in the Sussex Stakes reads well but it is difficult to make a case for either of them stepping up against the real middle distance performers here. Israr is quite consistent but at a lower level that this, last seen winning the Wolfreton, so he is not hard to remove from calculations. The first of the French raiders, Zarakem finished second in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (ahead of Alflaila and Royal Rhyme), and has clearly been kept for this race. My feeling is that chasing home Auguste Rodin leaves him a little short of the level that may be needed to beat the three year olds today. Ghostwriter was third to City Of Troy in a muddling Eclipse and it is hard to see why the flat track would favour the former more than the latter with the same pacemaker in the field. Ambiente Friendly chased City Of Troy home in the Derby before finishing third in the Irish Derby when favourite. I cannot see why the drop in trip will help him beat the Derby winner as he was beaten over nine furlongs in the Feilden. The second French raider could be interesting. Calandagan won the King Edward VII comfortably and has been kept for today. The Aga Khan’s gelding won’t be at Longchamp in October but could be at Ascot again on Champions’ Day if the drop back to ten furlongs proves to be his thing. I am pretty sure that there has never been a Japanese runner at York before but Durezza is impossible to assess having won five of his eight starts in Japan, all four of his three year old starts; and last being seen running down the field in the Tenno Sho over 3,200m at Kyoto on firm ground. I wanted BLUESTOCKING to run in the Yorkshire Oaks, where she would have been favourite as the form horse, but when she was declared for this at the 48 hour stage, I backed her each way at 12/1. If City Of Troy does not bring his A-game then she has as much win chance as any of the other older horses and only has to give the three year olds 4lb.
Over the last several years, I have lost count of the number of wonder horses that have been coming out of Ballydoyle and have proved to be nothing such – like the still-in-training Auguste Rodin. Perhaps more punters have finally stopped listening to O’Blarney and are prepared to take his horses on until they actually prove their brilliance. City Of Troy might hose up by half the track this afternoon, or he might just scramble home by a short head, or he might be midfield somewhere behind a better horse on the day. We should know by 3:45...
A few picks for a little interest 1.50 Kylian -e/w 4.10 Forza Orta - Win 4.45 Midnight Affair - e/w 2.25 Rajeko - E/W 3.35 Maljoom - E/W 5.20 Cayman Tai - Win
Some at York to pass the day at work today... Small e/w singles & ew yankee... 1:50 - Desert Cop, 14/1 4:10 - Robert Johnson, 20/1 4:45 - Profitable Edge, 16/1 5:20 - Moving Force, 9/1 Good luck to all if you are having a play today...
The Lion ruled. By Sea The Stars out of a Lupe de Vega mare could be a Derby horse Los Angeles wins City of Troy breaks the course record from the front
Well yes but I did not expect it to be that dramatic If you think it can be beat, heap on all the others
