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I’ll be there tonight for the Brigadier Gerard meeting, went last year too and it’s a really cracking card for a Thursday night.
At 6.35 we have the National Stakes, Global Applause was talked pretty highly of after his debut win around 4 weeks back over 5f but was duly put in his place by the Hannon (who won this last year with King of Rooks) trained Mehmas over 6f, the pair take each other on again tonight but this time over 5f on the sketchy-as-anything Sandown 5f sprint track where draw is often key. Global is in 2 while Mehmas gets stall 6. Don’t count the others out though, Balding has a horse in stall 1 and improvement is expected from his runner but more interestingly there’s Chipalla who piiiiiised up on debut with a bunch of future winners behind him and that was around 2-3months ago so the horse may well have come on a bundle since then, he’s trained by Johnston and ridden by Buick. Copper Knight is also a potential threat despite being out wide in 7, this seasons ‘it’ man Hugo Palmer trains this Chester winner and interestingly Pat Smullen is making the trip to Esher for this ride and one other (8.05)
At 7.05 we have the 2m Henry II Stakes, won last year by Vent De Force, annoyingly I backed Trip to Paris in this last year who got no sort of run before powering home to finish strongly, he obviously went on to win the Gold Cup after that so I was left thinking what could have been……but that’s racing! Bit of a sketchy field this time round with Mullins training the favourite Max Dynamite who comes here after finishing second in the Melbourne Cup, no idea how fit the horse will be, could well be a prep race. The most interesting runner I think is Frosty Berry at the prices, 40/1 and improving, it’s just whether the ground will be too quick out there today for Frosty (it’s been sunny all day and likewise the last few days here).
7.40 brings us the big one, the Brigadier Gerard. I got done in this race last year for a grand, backed Arab Spring who just got pipped close to home by Western Hymn who comes here again looking to defend his crown for John Gosden with our old pal Frankie onboard, to me this horse is the value of the race at between 7/2 and 4/1. There may be a problem for the religious one though as Roger Varian has one of his potential superstars of this season in Intilaaq. This horse looked impressive in defeating Consort and Master Carpenter back-to-back last season and will no doubt have improved a bundle over the winter. He didn’t really get involved at Meydan in March but that’s ok, just means the horse should be that bit sharper. The ground will suit this horse and with Hannagan on board I think this is the winner, not that you’ll thank me for giving ya’ll a 6/4 favourite winner though despite thinking Western is the value
. Then comes Time Test, not going to say much about this one as I don’t think he’ll be geared up for it and Charlton said the trip to Ireland and back just a few days back wasn’t exactly the ideal prep.8.15 is another interesting race, often on by a good’n the favourite this year is Forge for Stoute who’s won this too many times for his own good, he gets Pat Smullen today which he won’t complain about and this horse has apparently been looking incredibly impressive on the gallops, at 2/1 he’s backable if you ask me! Problems though, Zonderland who finished a respectable 6th in this years 2000 Guineas is 5/2 and could demolish this lot if the other protagonists aren’t all they’re cracked up to be, the other of which is Royal Artillery for Gosden, Ryan Moore takes this ride after the horse easily won it’s only race last season and is making its reappearance today.
Good luck to anyone having a bet
Nice write-up.
I’ve been attending this meeting for many years (I remember watching Ardross hack up in the Henry II when it was run on a Tuesday evening) and will be there once again tonight. I fancy Jacob Black to repeat last year’s victory in the last race, although there will more interesting events(with an eye to the future) before then.
I don’t like the look of a tongue tie on Royal Artillery tonight.
He didn’t need it last year, so why does he need it now?
This was a big question mark for me with Air Force Blue in the 2000 Guineas this year and alarm bells went off when I heard the news.
Royal Artillery is also by War Front and with Air Force Blue a total flop next time as well, it is concerning for me.
Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.
A cracking card indeed.
Looking forward to Mehmas, I’m fairly hopeful he’ll win but haven’t bet at the odds was hoping for 6/4 minimum, if it was a 6f race I would of backed him whatever the odds.
The Johnston filly looked good and I think 6f at Ascot in the Albany will be where she goes next but showed plenty of speed. Copper Knight has experience and should be shorter but I’ll be disappointed if Mehmas doesn’t win.
Time Test is having a public schooling and having backed him for the Prince of Wales hope everything goes smoothly and gets him spot on for Ascot. Charlton has said the horse is best at 10f yet he still holds the Queen Anne entry I suppose that race could end up winnable with Solow out so they have options.
In the Heron Stakes I’m hoping Atlantic Sun can put up a good run, ran well on his reappearance this season just getting beat by Tabarrak who had already had a run. The small field could come into his favour aswell.Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
I am a little wary of Chupalla because she has been off for two months. I would have expected to see her before now.
The filly she beat came out and won twice at well odds on but flopped when raised in class the next time. I feel that Mehmas will be tough for her to beat.
Copper Knight seems like poison here, I know Triptych felt he was big at 10/1 but he’s friendless and out to 16/1 here, which is like they have just discovered that he has lost a leg. That seems a big worry to me.
Vona, who was fourth to Mehmas at Chester went on to land a Listed race at York, and that’s a handy boost to the form.
I see a bit of 6/4 for Mehmas today and I think he will win this tonight.
Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.
Heard this meeting being discussed on RUK a few days ago and it was stated the executive were thinking of moving it to a Saturday (the ‘cure’ for all ills, apparently) which would be a real shame.
The reason given was falling attendances which isn’t really supported by the figures. Whilst the 5000 attendees in 2014 had fallen to 4500 last year, the three previous years has showed numbers in the mid-3000s.
Mike
Well, I think Frankie was outclassed by Ryan Moore in the National Stakes.
Dropped down to 5f from 6f I was amazed to see Frankie holding up Mehmas near the back. Meanwhile, Ryan was putting the race to bed out in front and Mehmas was never going to catch him.
It’s always disappointing when you pick holes in the main danger, are proved correct, and then end up getting beaten by a horse who was cosily held the previous time the horses clashed.
I suspect that’s the last time we will see Mehmas at 5f but even allowing for that and the less than inspired ride, Mehmas hardly looked like a horse who was 3/1 Fav for the Coventry at Royal Ascot and, indeed, he was pushed out to 8/1 after this race, with Caravaggio the new 5/1 Fav for the Coventry, which was a heart shaking moment for me, having done him for the Norfolk stakes at 10/1
I had a bad feeling about Chupalla tonight and she wasn’t much cop. As I said before the race, her 61 day absence looked odd to me for a speedy filly who should have been making hay early doors before others catch up.
Intillaq is a horse I never warmed to personally. Pitched into the Guineas after a maiden win looked too much too soon and so it proved. He got back on track with a couple of wins but the Group 3 he won from Master Carpenter at odds of 1/3 looked one of the worst I can recall and the runner up has been generally abysmal since. 5/4 for Intillaq was mighty skinny and he ran like a drain.
A decent show from Time Test first time up conceding weight but he looked more like a horse who needs 10f than a mile and confidence in the form is tempered by Western Hymn in second, a horse who has looked below par this year. With Intillaq just as well staying at home in his box and Scottish having been labelled a poor buy by Godolphin given his initial talent level, it makes you wonder how good this mob were. Time Test was the only one you would want to be taking out of this really but it hardly looked a group 1 horse at work this evening.
I didn’t like the tongue tie on Royal Artillery and he never got competitive tonight. He looked seriously short of pace and came under pressure a long way from home. If he stayed on to any effect at all, it was minimal as he just squeezed past weaking team mate Cymric, who had tried to make the running. Not sure where Royal Artillery goes next but the fancy entries look ambitious on this evidence.
Cymric is a horse I had concerns about this year because he took in the Breeders Cup last year. He took a big hike in the ratings for running Ultra close in France before finishing 8th to Hit It A Bomb in the Juvenile Turf. The winners of that race have been awful the following season for the past several years and, indeed, we have not seen Aidan O’Brien’s winner since, despite him holding several Guineas entries.
I just feel it’s been a race that seems to ruin young horses and I wouldn’t send my horse there unless I felt he was unlikely to train on at 3yo anyway. Prize money is one thing but these horses are just looking a shell of what they were when racing at 3yo.
Max Dynamite was another damp squib for favourite backers and he was bitterly disappointing. At least Zonderland kept the Guineas form up in another race where punters were beguiled by the lightly raced Stoute horse who was well behind on the ratings coming in. Ulysses anyone?
Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.
Disappointed that Mehmas got beat but I think he ran ok. Was taken wide at the start by the Johnston filly which cost him a few lengths and why he was deeper than ideal. 6f will be his trip and although Hannon would have not wanted to see him lose he did say he was running him to gain extra experience which he has. He did make ground late on and the bookies pushed him out to a best price 8’s for the Coventry which is now 6’s, I still favour him over anything else for that at this stage with the clock ticking although if Caravaggio turns up in this one it would make a decent clash.
Delighted with Time Test and it will be all systems go now for Ascot. I didn’t back him tonight typically going off at 3’s with Charlton telling Ryan to go easy on him, the Japanese horse will give him a lovely lead into the final furlong in the Prince of Wales and Ryan under Charlton’s orders will open up a can of whoop-ass.Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
Looks like Global applause will go for the Norfolk based on that display.
Great big type of a two year old who looks like a three year old already. I think he’ll be tough to beat at Royal ascot
Thought time test was very impressive. We already know he’s won at the royal meeting. Even with the Japanese superstar in the field I think he’ll have an outstanding chance in the prince of wales
Cymric is a horse I had concerns about this year because he took in the Breeders Cup last year. He took a big hike in the ratings for running Ultra close in France before finishing 8th to Hit It A Bomb in the Juvenile Turf. The winners of that race have been awful the following season for the past several years and, indeed, we have not seen Aidan O’Brien’s winner since, despite him holding several Guineas entries.
This was written by stevecaution, sorry I’m not sure how to quote things!
Steve, I’ve only just read this and it is something I’d not really thought too much about. I backed Cymric the other day and I have backed Waterloo Bridge today who also ran in the Breeders Cup. I generally tend not to pay too much attention to American form over here and forgive 2 or 3 runs after but do you feel that generally there should be question marks for the whole following season for all horses who have been over there? I’d be interested to hear your thoughts (or anyones!) if you could help? Cheers
. Then comes Time Test, not going to say much about this one as I don’t think he’ll be geared up for it and Charlton said the trip to Ireland and back just a few days back wasn’t exactly the ideal prep.
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