Latest News:

Saturday 9 October 2010

Coral Sprint Trophy at York

Not a great day for the blog yesterday although we narrowed down the sprint at York Oldjoesaid was once again not given a chance by being dropped out the back by Spencer.
Today the Class 2 Coral Sprint Trophy at York over 6f sees a competitive field of the usual suspects do battle once again and the betting is headed by the 2 David Barron runners Poets Place and Colonel Mak.
The draw conclusions I gleaned from yesterdays sprint race suggests that there could be a better strip of going near the stands rail from where both Haajes and Ishetoo made up a lot of ground yesterday to finish 1st and 5th.
Richard Fahey sends quarter of the field with 5 runners namely Kaldoun Kingdom (20), Knot in Wood, Quest For Success(19), Irish Heartbeat(2) and Brae Hill and Paul Hanagan has chosen Irish Heartbeat in stall 2 as low numbers have been traditionally favoured here when the going is on the soft side.
Last years winner Kaldoun Kingdom who was 6/1 fav last year off a 12lb lower mark is available at 16's this time around as he isnt in the form he was in then and 5lb claimer Lee Topliss takes over from B. McHugh who rides Knot in Wood this time. I feel ha has a good draw in 20 but I'm not sure Pricewise selection can overcome the weight increase on last season.
Hawkeyethenoo may not be as effective on this ground as he is on Good to Firm, although he did run well on Good to Soft when winning at Newmarket first time out this season and his draw of 18 and the booking of the in form Tom Queally catches the eye, particularly as he is a horse that finishes his races well and thats what you needed to do here yesterday to win.Tom Queally said the following on his blog on www.racinguk.co.uk
I have some interesting rides at York on Saturday including Hawkeyethenoo in the Coral Sprint Trophy. He was well fancied for the Ayr Gold Cup last month but it didn't happen for him whatever reason. However, he's run well in these type of race before and Jim (Goldie) is a master at preparing sprinters for the big handicaps and it's great he's given me the chance here. You don't need me to tell you that he has an obvious chance.
I liked the way Colonel Mak won the Ayr Silver Cup from the wrong side of the track and I think he is a sprinter on the up and he is certainly in my view in the better place today and he will take some stopping, his trainers other runner Poets Place on whom stable jockey Philip Makin takes the ride is another improving sort and Barron certainly has a grip on this today.
Consistent sorts Parisian Pyramid, Rileyskeepingfaith(17( and Tajneed are others to look out for however the latter may not be as effective here as he is at Ripon.
Able Master was troubled in running behind Colonel Mak at Ayr and he may get closer this time with first time cheekpieces, although I would have preferred it if he had been tackling a less competitive race than this.
Jamie Spencer usually rides one of the Ryan runners but he has gone for the other stable he regularly gets involved with and thats Michael Bell's Gramercy but as usual you have to wonder what Spencer will do riding wise.
Barry Hills has 2 entered and Swilly Ferry doesnt look as though he will operate on this going so that leaves Damien who has gone well in the past when there has been some cut which is predictable being by Namid and he could be a lively outsider at 25/1.
However I would be keen on both Colonel Mak and Hawkeyethenoo who can both be thereabouts at the finish.

Also today we have the Group 3 Bengough Stakes at Ascot over 6f which sees the 2 highest rated horses in the field Genki and Redford drawn next to each other in stalls 16 and 17 and they look the most likely ones to be fighting out the finish and the improving Redford can get the better of the argument under Richard Hughes to make it a hat trick of weekend wins for this improving sprinter.