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Sunday 31 October 2010

Mar Adentro to make amends at Maisons-Laffitte

Mar Adentro ran very well from a poor draw in the Group 1 Prix de L'Abbaye to finish 3rd behind the well drawn Gilt Edge Girl, Mar Adentro made up a significant amount of ground in the final stages of that race and should appreciate the step to 6f in this Group 3 contest at 2.15 tomorrow. The excellent Thierry Jarnet (212)takes the ride and Mar Adentro has few miles on the clock only having run 15 times. The very soft ground forecast should hold no fears as it was very soft in the Abbaye and he coped with it well enough there. Sir Michael Stoute runs Main Aim but he may prefer 7f and Dalghar who was 2nd to Lady of the Desert in the Diadem Stakes may pose the bigger threat.
Mar Adentro should go very well though and if you can get a bet on then you should get a run for your money.

Piscean to win ?

Piscean could well be good enough to win the Class 3 5f sprint at Lingfield this afternoon. He broke the course record at Kempton last time out and that could turn out to be a decent race so he obviously acts on Polytrack and having only been raised 3lb he has been given a chance to record back to back wins.

Saturday 30 October 2010

Keep on Running !

Not much on the sprinting front today, so looking at other options we have the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby. It looks a trappy event and the pace should be hot with Nacarat and Ollie Magern in the field and this course is not as testing as it used to be now that the circuit has been reduced and the jumps are portable. Barber's Shop is one that has shown top form in quality races but has never quite made it and he is capable of running a big race on his showing in last season's King George. Of course Paul Nicholls always has one for every big race in the calendar and he sends up The Tother One to win the cash but he has some issues with his jumping and they might be put to the test with the pace that will be on here. I think Nacarat will run a big race from the front but Barber's Shop should have the class to win this if Henderson has him in top form.

Thursday 28 October 2010

Up a bit, down a bit

Well the nights are really drawing in now, the temperature is dropping, it's Halloween and Bonfire Night next week and the end of the turf flat season is upon us.

Still we have next season to look forward to and if we can harness what we have learnt this year and put it to good use next then who knows what can be achieved.

Anyway, back to what happened last week and how has the handicapper has reacted.

First up is Class 4 Totesuper7 Hcap at Pontefract over 5f which was won by Captain Royale, who is trained by Tracey Waggott, Russian Spirit was 2nd and Strike up the Band 3rd. The winner has been raised 4lb for his 1 length win to a mark of 76.
Strike up the Band has been right out of form this season and he was ridden differently here being held up before being produced to stay on into 3rd. Ishetoo had run very well on his previous run and he is dropping down the weights of late and as a result of this effort he was dropped a further 2lb to 76, he must surely be capable of winning off that mark.

Later on in the week at Kempton the Class 4 5f Hcap went the way of Piscean from Sutton Veny and the winner was raised 3lb for his 1 1/4 length win. Anne of Kiev finished in 5th having not had a run for 5 months, she looked an improved performer earlier in the year when she did this blog a favour and she may be capable of a bit more improvement as she is only on a rating of 80. Henry Cecil's Tomintoul Singer is another that has promised more than she has delivered and she too should be able to win off her revised mark of 80 having been dropped here for finishing 9th. The race itself was run in a course record time.

Doncaster on Friday saw Mac's Power show a powerful finish to win for James Fanshawe in this Class 2 Hcap over 6f and beat a competitive field with little fuss. He had won his previous outing at Wolverhampton and his trainer has always given him a good word when asked. On his trainer he has been out of form for most of this year but he's bounced back in this last few weeks with several winners. The winner as a result has gone up 7lb to 97 but there's every chance under Fanshawe that he will be able to progress even further and take a big handicap next summer. Esprit De Midas in 2nd showed his good run at Haydock wasnt a flash in the pan but its going to be difficult for us to know when his going days will be. Kelly's Eye received the usual Jamie Spencer ride and found all the gaps gone when he tried to make his move and he remains on 93. The handicapper released his grip on a few behind dropping the consistent Parisian Pyramid 2lb to 96, Secret Witness 5lb to 95, Rasaman 2lb to 86, Quest for Success 2lb to 97, Advanced 2lb to 93 and Singeur 3lb to 92.

On Saturday at the same venut the opening 5f Class 2 Handicap went to Hoof It who has run some decent races this year and Fallon who had trouble in running on him in a previous race prevailed this time by a neck from Noble Storm who ran his best race this year. The winner has been raised 5lb to 99 but his jockey thinks he is capable of further improvement next season. Cheveton continued his good spell in 4th and he remains on 97 and he may need to come down again before winning again. Anglezarke was an eyecatcher running on at the end and she has had her problems this year with injuries and this was a good effort for the 5yo and she should be kept in mind for future. Our Jonathon was another that caught your eye out the back and he is open to improvement from 3 to 4 years of age. Harry Patch who had showed decent form on his limited runs this year was obviously not at his best for this as he looked to be struggling some way out from his stall 3 draw, but you couldnt blame the draw for this dismal effort as the winner himself was drawn 1. Arganil is better on the AW and his trainer will have welcomed the 2lb drop he received to a mark of 92 and he looks assured of further success this winter.

Sticking with the AW the Listed Mercury Stakes at Dundalk in Ireland had a few from these shores contesting and the race went to Invincible Ash in a time of 58.10s from Hitchens. Out the back was top AW performer Jaconet and I'm sure she will leave this form behind when she next runs at Lingfield over 6f.

Wednesday 27 October 2010

Horses to watch out for

The horses to watch out for page kept up its good record today when Milton of Campsie finished 3rd at 20/1, this followed some good results last weekend at Doncater when Hoof it and Mac's Power both won. Stay ahead of the game and keep in touch with "Horses to follow" !

Friday 22 October 2010

Harry Patch can be an eye opener !

Harry Patch seems to be the improving horse in the Class 2 5f Hcap at Doncaster tomorrow. He is lightly raced only having had 5 runs so far and he beat Mac's Power at Yarmouth last time out and he has since won on the AW and very convincingly here yesterday. Prior to that Harry Patch ran another good race when 2nd to Poet's Place who subsequently went on to win the Portland off a 10lb higher mark and the 3rd Damika went on to win the Great St Wilfrid and they both had race fitness on their side at Haydock. He only had one run in 2009 when 3rd to Swiss Diva and she has made great strides this year too winning two Group 3 sprints. He suffered a pelvic problem last year which kept him off the track for a while but he is making big strides now. He was entered in the Wokingham but didnt get a run there and he looks capable of defying his mark of 92 on what he has shown us so far and he could even progress up to Group class next year. He is by Lujain out of an Indian Ridge mare so is always likely to want a bit of cut underhoof.
Of course this will be no penalty kick and his draw in stall 3 mightnt be the best looking at yesterday's 6f result when the finish was full of high drawn horses and there are others to consider such as Cheveton and Johannes who ran well on his latest run.
However it is hard to get away from Harry Patch and it looks as though he will be well supported tomorrow and he is selected on the basis that his untapped class will see him through.

Jaconet to be on her toes !

Jaconet looks a bit of value at Dundalk in the 7.00, she is 5-7 on the AW and can break from stall 1 here. She is all about speed and could have the others on the hop from the start. You have to take on trust that she is fit but I doubt she would be going over to Ireland if she wasnt. The only negative for me is she is probably better over 6f, however she was beaten far on her last try over 5f on the AW when she was trying to go with Glamorous Spirit and Arganil, so no disgrace there.

Thursday 21 October 2010

Doncaster Sprint Handicap

Friday sees Doncaster stage a Class 2 Hcap over 6f and with 22 runners it looks like being competitive stuff for this time of the year. A lot of the old favourites take up battle once again and heading the handicap is the 3yo Iver Bridge Lad and Newmarket trainer John Ryan has booked the assistance of Fallon. He has been running well of late and he wasn't beaten far behind Bewitched at Ascot last time and the stables Oceans Minstrel ran very well in the Cesarewitch.
Just in front of Iver Bridge Lad in that race was the consistent Secret Witness who gets a pull in the weights here but Fallon should make all the difference to that battle.
Golden Desert is another that has been doing well of late he was 5th in the Wokingham off 1lb higher when behind Laddies Poker Two and Ryan Moore has been booked to do the steering but some might say he might not be suited by the conditions.
Knot in Wood finished 4th in the Ayr Gold Cup and is now down 4lb from that mark and with Dettori booked the stable could mean business.
Parisian Pyramid has been consistent all season but he is still 7lb higher than his last win so although he may run well he may struggle to win something of this nature.
Mac's Power is the overnight fav, he won well on the AW last time out for James Fanshawe but this looks a much stiffer test for him and although his trainer is keen on him I'm not sure he can win this. The stable have had a poor time of it this year win wise but they are in better form now.
Ancient Cross has run a couple of good races lately too but he has gone up 5lb without winning so you would have to think he is up against it here. Dandy Nicholls has a couple entered and Joseph Henry is capable of going well if he can run to the form he showed at Goodwood when beating his stablemate Victoire De Lyphar and Tajneed who has Ripon in his blood could be well drawn in stall 3 for a front runner but he wont have the cut he needs.
Its difficult to know however what effect the draw will have on this, in the Portland Hcap the draw seemed to favour those drawn low, but the going was good then and it may be slightly softer here. Whatever happens it will give us a guide for the 5f Class 2 Hcap here on Saturday afternoon.
It is often the skill of the jockey though that can have the edge in these big handicaps and one such jockey who was always worth having on your side in a handicap was Mick Kinane, however in this we have the likes of Fallon, Moore and Dettori and come the end it wouldnt be a suprise to see the 3 of them fighting it out.
Well its decision time and I'm concious of the draw having just watched the Portland again but I'm going to go for Knot in Wood who although 8 years of age is still capable of decent form and with Dettori booked he should go well.

Wednesday 20 October 2010

Up a bit, down a bit - Part 2

Onto this last week then and we kick off with Kempton again and the Class 4 6f Hcap which went the way of Green Park, but I liked the way Barq followed up his last run in being beaten a neck here and this 3yo is an improving sort and should be able to win a race soon for the Godolphin blue.
At Catterick on 16th October the Class 2 Dash went to Thats a Fret with Favourite Girl and Johannes filling the minor places, the latter two both finished to some effect and have been raised 3lb each to 93 and 97 respectively. They have both had busy seasons but on this run they look like they're not ready for stopping just yet. A few of those behind who have seen better days were given a bit of respite by the handicapper, they are Pavershooz who is down 2lb to 85, Moorhouse Lad down 3lb to 97 and Judge n' Jury down 3lb to 95, all 3 can go well of these marks in the future.

Up a bit, down a bit - Part 1

Ive not been updating this for the last few weeks so I will start by looking at some of the highlights from a few weeks ago starting with Kempton on 27th Sept when Mac's Power won the Class 3 Hcap over 6f on the AW by 1 length from Arteus with Five Star Junior a further 1 1/2 lengths back in 3rd. The winner looks well up to winning again of his revised mark of 90 as does the 2nd off his mark of 87.
At Kempton again on 30th Sept Jeremy Noseda's 3yo Illustrious Prince won a Class 4 Hcap over 6f in a slightly slower time beating Vintage by a neck. The winner was value for more than the neck that he won by and he looks open to improvement and he has only gone up 3lbs for this to 81.
At Musselburgh on 8th October Fol Hollow dissapointed in the Class 2 Hcap over 5f and finished last of 10 and as a result has been dropped 2lb to 90 which is 3lb lower than when winning at Thirsk in May. Archers Road ran well in 2nd only just being run out of it close home.
At Wolverhampton on the same day the Class 5 6f Hcap went to Darcey, but it was Cape Melody who finished 1/2 length behing that went into the notebook. Hughie Morrisons charge has been raised just 2lb as a result and is now on 74, so has plenty of room for improvement.
At York that day the Class 2 Hcap over 5f which was run on going described as Soft (good to soft in places) Haajes rewarded his followers with a win, he came there strongly at the end and he can continue his run of good efforts in the coming weeks now he is getting his ground. His win takes him to a mark of 86, up 3lb. Ishetoo ran well in 5th from off the pace and his turn could be near and I'm getting fed up of saying Oldjoesaid is well handicapped but he has been dropped another 1lb to 79 and it can only be a matter of runs before it all clicks and he has an overdue win.
The following day at York Fathsta romped away with Class 2 6f Hcap at York under Silvestre de Sousa and he seemed to get a few stern words in the winners enclosure from David Simcock who probably thought he would get hammered by the handicapper and he was right, he was raised 9lb to 103. The manner of his win though shows he can be a class act on soft going. Damien who also liked the going was a running on 2nd and a 2lb rise for him isnt harsh considering the strength of the opposition behind.
Out the back Able Master who had run well previously got 3lb taken off his mark and he is now on 92 and Signor Peltro was dropped 2lb to 98.
At Bath on 10th October Ray of Joy won the Class 4 5f 161 yard Hcap by 3/4 length from Superior Edge and she looks to be on the up and should be able to win again off her revised mark of 81. Dream Number who I had noted after her win at Folkestone may need to run over the minimum as she got caught close home.
At Goodwood on the same day R Woody won the Class 3 Hcap over 6f on going described as Good to Soft by 3/4 length from Lochan Mor and he seems to be a progressive 3yo for his trainer Dean Ivory.

Sunday 17 October 2010

Oceans collects on ew bets !

It wasnt a good day for the sprint selection yesterday with Taberet running himself out after getting into a good position, but we had better luck with Oceans Minstrel who managed to run on into 4th to collect us some ew money in the Cesarewitch at Newmarket on our 40/1 ante post bet. Had he had a better run through he may have even won as he was the fastest finishing horse up the hill come the end, still 4th provided us with some welcome relief and he could be one to look out for over hurdles during the winter.

Saturday 16 October 2010

Totepool Catterick Dash

The big sprint today is the Class 2 Totepool Catterick Dash Handicap run over 5f at 3.25pm and some of the usual suspects are on show as we get near to the end of the turf flat season.
The going at Catterick is Good and I'm afraid I'm going to side with the spotlight verdict in the Racing Post and go for Tabaret who is in first time blinkers and as stated by him Taberet has won twice previously when wearing some form of first time headgear and his draw of 3, I feel, is a good one on this sharp track and his win at Doncaster shows he still has whats required. Amy Ryan takes off 3lb and his price of 18/1 is good value for this.
Of the others I would have time for Pavershooz who is on a decent mark again, Judge 'n Jury who has been running well of late in decent races and Moorhouse Lad, these 3 would make up my 4 for doing any pool bets such as the exacta or trifecta.

Monday 11 October 2010

Winter Warmers !

Over the coming winter months I will be keeping in touch with the sprint action at the all weather venues and I will also be looking at finding some value ante post bets for the Cheltenham and Aintree festivals and these will feature on a new blog page to be commenced in November.

I have always looked for value throughout my punting life and although I'm not always right I occasionally do have one or two big priced winners and I hope to continue that theme were I left off last year when picking the Topham winner at Aintree, Always Waining.

As always over the winter I will be keeping up the good work on the turf sprint racing and hope to be back next April better than ever having learnt a few lessons over the last 6 months. Also over the coming months I will be writing a booklet to accompany the blog for the 2011 flat season which will set out sprint horses to follow for the season together with their respective requirements for producing their best form and I will be reviewing some of the big sprint races of this season and looking at what it will take to win them in 2011. I will also be looking at sprint Kings and Queens of next year and who are the well handicapped dark horses to keep an eye on.
I will let you know in due course how you to get hold of a copy of the booklet so if you are interested please keep in touch with the blog.

But first we still have a few weeks of this flat season remaining too eek out some more winners !

Sunday 10 October 2010

Horses to follow

There are a few horses running today that feature on the horses to follow page, namely Dream Number Bath 4.10, hasnt really run with much credit since win and there are a few in the 2.35 Goodwood to check out.

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.

Thursday 7 October 2010

Can Look Busy get busy ?

Look Busy's recent form figures dont paint a great picture but if you look at the races she's run in she hasnt done that bad lately. She only finished 2 1/2 lengths behind Mister Hughie at Beverley in the Listed sprint and Prohibit and Captain Dunne were 2nd and 3rd and they have both won since with Prohibit finishing 6th at Longchamp last Sunday. She then finished 7th 3 1/2 lengths behind those 2 again in a Listed race at Doncaster when Rose Blossom and Group Therapy were 2nd and 3rd. Back in a handicap now she is running off 5lb lower than in her last one and also gets a further 5lb taken off her back by claimer Slade O'Hara and she has decent speed figures in the book too. She is going to take a bit of faith to back, but at 10/1 or maybe even bigger she should have an ew chance as she goes well on a slow surface.
The race looks set to be run at a fast tempo with the rejuvenated Cayman Fox likely to take them along and this will no doubt suit both Rasaman and The Nifty Fox who both like to come from off the pace and you get that here because there is usually a sprint to get to the first bend.
Noodles Blue Boy ran well last time out and won in a decent time at Leicester as did Fol Hollow when 4th behind Cheveton and the latter is now 1lb lower than his last winning mark when he beat Captain Dunne, so he too can go close to winning.
Its a tricky little race really and I can see Fol Hollow, Noodles Blue Boy, Rasaman and Look Busy fighting it out come the end.

There is a decent Claimer later on the card and the pairing of Nicholls (Father and Son) who have cleaned up in these types of races this year can win again with Sonny Red who goes particularly well with some cut. He is rated 94 which is 15lb higher than anything else in the race, he only gives Titus Andronicus 8lb here but Lee Topliss takes off another 5lb, however Titus Andronicus probably wont be as at home on the going as Sonny Red.
At the forecast price of 7/4 its hard to see Sonny Red being beaten.

At York in the 3.40 Jamie Spencer takes the ride on Oldjoesaid who gets the chance to run off a mark of 80 here, when you think he was running off 107 in 2008 it is some drop. Okay he hasnt been running well and his mark has dropped accordingly, but he ran well for this jockey at Doncaster when a fast finishing 7th beaten 3 3/4 lengths and I would imagine Jamie will be anxious not to leave his run too late this time. He is drawn in the middle and thats usually a good place to be on this sprint course.
However this looks a decent sprint for a Class 4 with 20 runners and Haajes, Russian Spirit and Mango Music have all been performing with credit of late and Strike up the Band is another whose rating has dropped like a lead balloon this year and he will feel like he's loose at home.

In the 3.20 Spencer and Ryan team up again on Esprit De Midas, he ran really well to win at Haydock but then dissapointed badly at Chester but it may have been the course there as you either love it or hate it and he may be capable of a better show back on a more conventional track and at the forecast 25/1 he's worth a look if nothing else.

Wednesday 6 October 2010

Oceans Minstrel is all the rage for Newmarket

I dont usually refer to any type of racing other than sprints on this blog but I feel I must mention Oceans Minstrel is now as low as 16/1 for the Cesarewithch at headquarters, he ran a race full of promise when 3rd last time out over the course and distance and it prompted me to write the following on this blog after the race "On a different note 2 other horses that caught my eye over the weekend were Cumulus Nimbus at Newbury and Oceans Minstrel at Newmarket and I think the latter could be a value bet in the Cesarewitch over 2m 2f".

He was available at 40/1 then and this son of Pivotal still represents good value for his small yard at 20/1 and that price is still available with a couple of firms. In that aforementioned race he was out the back with about half a mile to go and he came through well down the outside after having some trouble at the begining of his run. He looks to be open to further improvement over this sort of trip as he has shown that he wont be stopping come the end of this unique 2m 2f race.
Whilst I am on about other distances I thought Tony Martin's Pires ran a cracker in finishing 3rd in the Cambridgeshire and if he takes his chance in the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham then I know what my money will be on.

Tuesday 5 October 2010

Solve the anagram at Catterick ?

Paul Green's Maragna may have a chance of getting on the scoresheet at Catterick today. The leading flat amateur Mr S. Walker has been booked and cheekpieces are on for the first time at a track where the trainer has a 22% strike rate. Throw in the fact that its his only runner today and that this son of Invincible Spirit is dropping back to 5f and you have the makings of a tip ! The only downside of course is that he nas never won and not shown a great deal to date, but today could be his day in this lowly affair.

Monday 4 October 2010

Gilt Edge Girl gives out French lesson !

Gilt Edge Girl had the plum draw in stall 1 when winning the Prix De L'Abbaye on Sunday and she took full advantage of it on the very soft ground, which her trainer said afterwards she loved and it was a very big factor in her success. She was always well placed on the rail and skipped round the weakening Moorhouse lad with a couple of furlongs to go and maintained her lead to the line from Lady of the Desert who was also drawn low in stall 3. Being by Monsieur Bond (6th in 2000 Guineas)she was always likely to be suited by soft ground and her win completed a good weekend for her sire, who also had the winner of the big 2yo sprint at Redcar on Saturday Ladies are Forever.
Lady of the Desert may have found the race coming a bit too soon after her win at Ascot the previous weekend and this trip of just short of 5f was probably too sharp for her, so she did well considering. She is now to be aimed at a purely sprint campaign next year according to Brian Meehan her trainer and only having had 11 races to date she remains open to improvement over her ideal trip of 6f.
The French pair Mar Adentro and Marchand D'or both finished to some effect weaving their way through the beaten horses and coming from stalls 18 and 14 they both deserve plaudits for managing to get so close as it was not the best going to be making up ground. Mar Adentro is only a 4yo and has only had 15 races to date so he is one you should keep in mind for next years race with a better draw and on better going. Marchand D'or seems to have been around forever but he too is lightly raced considering he is a 7yo and he has only ran 31 times.
Picadilly Filly drawn 17 and Total Gallery drawn 16 were two more that were making progress from the back as the race reached its climax and both should be kept in mind for next season, the latter has had a lacklustre year considering he won this last term and a new season may bring about a change of luck. Picadilly Filly is only 3 and having only had 11 races to date she can improve on this seasons consistent runs.
The race was run in a time of 57.00secs and all of the horses mentioned above had no trouble with the going and can be followed on a similar surface in future with confidence.

Sunday 3 October 2010

Sunday at Longchamp

Lady of the Desert looks to have an excellent chance of winning the Qatar Prix De L'Abbaye this afternoon at Longchamp provided she has overcome last weeks run at Ascot. She won there with some authority from the french raider Dalghar and she has had a pretty light season compared to some of the others running today so she should be fresh enough. She has a very good draw in stall 3 and she should be able to follow the pace before pouncing late to take the spoils. Her trainer sees no real problems with the very soft ground and she handled the cut at Ascot with little problem and the iceman Richard Hughes who has been in great form all season takes the ride. Of course this is no one horse race and not only is she a filly but she is also a 3yo so she does have some stats against her.
Planet Five, Moorhouse Lad (b1), Judge 'N Jury and Marchand D'or all have sound reasons for going well and should have place claims, however taking everything into account Lady of the Desert should run a very big race as she comes into it in fine form.

Saturday 2 October 2010

Going gets even softer at Longchamp !

The words of that song "when the going gets tough the tough get going" will have to be ringing in the ears of the jockeys when they tackle the big sprint on Sunday as the course could be like a bog come then. You will need to be able to get a handy position from the off as it is unlikely there will be anything coming with a wet sail on this surface come the end. It may well be best to be drawn near the rail as there are 21 runners in all and at this stage I would be sticking with my initial ew selection of Planet Five. Lady of the Desert takes her chance and she would appear to have the best chance of the home contingent and her trainer does not seem too bothered with the forecast going.
I would suggest having a look at the track in the races today and forming your own assessment from the times of the races as to how soft it really is, but the going stick currently appears to have it as heavy.

Friday 1 October 2010

Up a bit, down a bit

This week sees us start with the Class 4 3yo Handicap over 6f at Kempton on 20th September, this was won by the Godolphin owned Barq in a time just 0.78 secs outside standard and as a result he was raised 5lb to 85 so he has plenty of room for improvement if they choose to keep him. Dubai Media who had won his last 2 races was 2 1/2 lengths back in 3rd so it is form that should stand up. Rule of Nature in 6th was probably unlucky with her run as she could never get out to mount a serious challenge and she is now on a mark of 81 for Sir Michael Stoute.
The same day at Leicester the Class 3 Handicap over 5f went to Noodles Blue Boy by a head from Desert Phantom in a time of 58.79secs fast by 0.21. The winner has been raised 4lb as a result and is now on 86 and is reportedly to be aimed at the Portland next year.

On tuesday at Beverley we had the Class 3 Conditions Stakes over 5f and the winner here was what seemed the unlikely Tangerine Trees. He was rated only 81 prior to this and after his convincing 2 1/4 length win from hardened campaigners he was raised 12lb by the handicapper and that has since been proved to be justified when he followed up at Newmarket beating Tax Free once again. He certainly looks an improved performer and there is no knowing where this will stop when a horse is in this form. His win wont however have come as a surprise to his trainer as he has always stated that he works like a top class horse at home.

On Friday at Ascot the 6f Class 2 Handicap for 3yo went to Little Garcon who had shown good form when beaten behind Bated Breath at Haydock earlier in the year. Here he beat Dungannon by a neck after coming with a well timed run down the outside of the field and it was a decent effort with 6 last time out winners behind and as a result he has been raised 5lb to 95. The race itself had been won by the likes of Genki and Laddies Poker Two in the past and there's every chance he could turn out to be just as good. One who was slightly unlucky behind was James Fanshawe's Deacon Blues who had finished 3rd in the Portland and he remains on the same mark of 95 and he should be capable of winning off that whether it be this year or next.

I was over at Chester on Saturday and I chose to stand just by the turn into the straight and it was noticeable that in all the races the horses were finding the going stretching their stamina. In the sprint Green Park continued his love affair with the track and won the Class 4 Handicap run over 6f by 2 1/2 lengths from Cape Vale who is now back in the care of Dandy Nicholls. Green Park went up 6lb for this to 82 and that would be the highest rating he has had for sometime, whilst Cape Vale remains on 83 and the maestro might be able to coax a bit more from him in the coming weeks.

At Haydock there were 2 decent sprints, first up was the Class 2 6f Handicap which was won by Jeremy Noseda's 3yo Summer in the City who was only having his 6th start but he took the measure of some experienced sorts here. He won by 1/2 length from the unlucky Secret Witness with last time out winner Horseradish in 3rd so the form looks as though it should stand up. As a result the son of Indian Ridge, who may always need some cut to show his best, has been raised 6lb to a mark of 93. Of those behind a couple who have been dropped by a few pounds are Valery Borzov who is now on 82, he won a Class 2 off 97 for Dandy Nicholls last season and Invincible Force who drops to 89, his last winning mark was 88 and we may see the stable using the talented claimer James Sullivan on his next run.
The following Class 2 Hanicap over 5f went the way of Cheveton who made light of his new mark to win here going away after coming with a well timed run. He is in top form at the moment and it would be hard to argue against him winning again off his new mark of 97 if he gets his ground. Hoof It showed in 2nd that his unlucky run a couple of starts back was indeed that and he too has been raised 4lb as the handicapper was impressed with his effort and he is now on a mark of 94. Behind Fol Hollow emerged from the doldrums that he has been in of late and he may be capable of picking up something before too long.