The Special Ones(c)

1 50 Lingfield

win – BOMBASTIC 13/2
ew – MR MAC 22/1

The Prescott fav SCHEME looks highly vulnerable here. Outpaced over 1m 4 1/2f but and 1m 1 1/2f the last 3 runs she drops down to a mile on a track where turn of foot is essential. Surely cant win?

Theres a lot of pace in this race and its highly likely to set the race up for a closer. A lot will change in the final half furlong I think.

MR MAC loves it here and the race will be set up perfectly for him. He has won fresh before and Tom can get him relaxed on the rail out the back and set him up for a grandstand finish switch him wide and finish fast and late. Needs a career best but potentially more to come so is a player. At 22/1 its just to big to leave alone on the Lingfueld specialist.

The likliest winner by a mile is BOMBASTIC however. He won a class 4 hcap off 81 at haydock over a mile last year. Went up to 85 after that. Was unplaced in his following 9 runs.
As such he dropped down to 69 and showed signs of returning to life last time at Epsom. Will be held up under Pat Cosgrave today in a class 5 race run to suit. This is his trip and he is very well handicapped now returning to form. As the race starts to fall apart Patty Cosgrave should be cutting through this field like a knife through butter. The class act in the field (ran respectably im class 2 hcap) with conditions pin perfect and the race set up for him.
The sire Ravens Pass was a breeders cup classic winner and his offspring are 5 wins, 10 places and 10 unplaced over 1m at Lingfield polytrack over 1 mile.
Ed De Giles won this race 2 years ago and it would certainly surprise the team were he not to win it in once again in 2019.

2 45 Warwick

ew TWASNT THE PLAN 8/1

Have to throw this in. Presenting gelding likely to improve for fences and he is the one horse who looks like a 2 miler. The others mostly look to be stayers long term. Consistemt and Tim Vaugham does well with chasers here. Has to go close in a race where the rivals all want further.
Opening mark of 112 could prove very kind.

6 00 Chelmsford

ew AFRICAN ROSE 14/1

Nice filly, they had a look at her on hcap debut last time at Kempton. switched to Chelmsford this will suit her better and she will have plenty more to come. Its quite an open race but this horse should not be anywhere near those odds and has a strong chance this evening under Franny Norton to dominate the field. If she gets to the front she will be hard to peg back.

2 40 Perth

ew THEPENSIONFUND 25/1 bet365

Double Court has been beaten in all 3 perth runs all at single figure odds. Top weight and mark of 110 is probably too much today back over fences.

LUCKY ROBIN is a deserving favourite and the likliest winner. Trainer has a strong perth record and hughes is 9/41 on his chasers. Ellison only 1/26 over the last 2 weeks and the Robins luck may just run out today though zero surpise if he wins.

GO WEST YOUNG MAN is interesting and has an outside chance on best form but turns 12 in a few months time and wins very rarely so is best to take on under the inexperienced jockey.

INSTINGTIVE could bounce on 2nd run back and doesnt appeal today.

HIGH FIVE is the apparent stable 1st string but wasnt at his best when last seen in the Spring and is likely to need this.

THEPENSIONFUND requires a leap of faith to back but at these odds the faith may be rewarded. Almost certainly much better than he has shown so far. Sent off just 8/1 for chase debut they were using the run to give him needed jumping experience. His jumping was iffy for first 3 and then he rrally warmed up amd was actually jumping well through the race. Although he fell at the last that was clearly a tiredness fall as he had almost come to a stop before jumping it. This was over 2m 4f that stretched him on heavy ground. He actually travelled through most of the race quite nicely.

Now down to 90 and 7lb claimer who is 3/15 on the trainers chasers takes over which takes him down to a mark of 83 (initial hurdles mark was 102)and racing off a nice low weight here.
Has shown ability over hurdles once and today could be a good opportunity for him back down to 2miles having had a nice look at the fences last time.

I just have a feeling that this will go well today and at the odds im going with it.

1 50 Newmarket

win DISCOVERY ISLAND 5/2

DISCOVERY ISLAND was 1 1/2 lengths behind todays favourite last time. at Sandown. DI was 2/1 and MASCAT was 33/1.

The form is not to be taken at fave value because once John Gosdens Dettori ridden fav flew past DICSCOVERY ISLAND it was clear that Buick was not going to be capable of pulling that runner back and he basically didnt move a muscle thereafter and Discovery Island came home in his own time allowing Muscat to pass close home. I would be very confident that on this occasion MUSCAT wont get close to Discovery Island.

The derby entry THAI POWER is probably the main danger though I doubt he can handle the Godolphin good thing on this occasion.

Moore is 0/12 riding for Hughes and although KARIBANA showed fair form at kempton I cant see him troubling the boy in blue here.

Outsider stands no chance.

Had Buick ridden this horse in the final furlong at Sandown he would have beaten MUSCAT and would be odds on fav in this field. Therefor 5/2 on the Godolphin Blue looks a superb price. I expect him to win comfortably here.

The three fillies all have one thing in common. They have no chance of winning today. Its ultimately a 3 horse race.

Its Faheys gelding who is a shade of odds on AMAYSMONT. It was a very weak race at Carlisle over 6f that he won on debut though he did it well. Fahey has his 2yos spot on 1st time up as a rule and as such they show little improvement from 1st to 2nd run generally though are usually massively underpriced.
Mayson offspring generally are best at 5/6f and are just 3 from 59 over 7f as 2yos on the turf.
Obviously Carlisles 6f is a testing 6f but an extra furlong today even on a flat track against 2 much more high quality rivals should prove too much especially carrying a 7lb penalty and he is unlikely to improve much from last time. The gelding should have no answer to the 2 colts here and should not be favourite. I dont think the track or small field will suit either.

Haggas has been super select with his 2yos here im recent times and all 3 he sent here in the last 5 years won. On that basis you have to highly respect the haggas colt and Haggas is in good form with 5 wins from his last 22 runners.
It was probably a decent race at Newmarket where he was 4th on debut and he won last time at Lingfield over 7.5f. That was a weak race and he actually showed next to no improvement from 1st to 2nd run despite winning.
His mother has had 2 other offspring race , WHYWEDREAM has had 9 races but he peaked on his 2nd run and regressed their after. SANDLARK has only raced twoce but regressed from 1st to 2nd run. With next to no improvement from JOHAN on 1st to 2nd run then he may have picked up the regressive gene and wont go on. Drop to 7f may be a negative also as JOHAN looked like he wanted further.
The sire ZOFFANYs offspring have a record of 1 win from 28 runs at this track all ages and are 0/8 with 2yos here.
The 7lb penalty will also weigh him down. Although Haggas overall form is strong at the moment his 2yos are just 1 from 20 this month and the 2yos arent firing like the older horses for the yard.
A top trainer who is 3/3 at this track should never be ruled out and Haggas could easily mug me off today but I have to take this thing on regardless.

This is what Middleham Park have to say about this wonderful 2yo from there website. They will surely be disappointed if he cant win this race getting weight today.

MARIE’S GEM
TRAINER:
MARK JOHNSTON
RACE TYPE:
FLAT
AGE:
2 YR OLD
DESCRIPTION:
BAY COLT
DOWNLOAD PEDIGREE
VIEW RACING POST FORM
RACE ENTRIES
SUNDAY
29 SEP
2:10 PM
MARIE’S GEM
MUSSELBURGH
FLAT
DECLARED
PJ MCDONALD
Year in, year out SHOWCASING churns out both winners and top class winners at that. Take the last 3 years; he’s produced Advertise, De Bruyne Horse and Quiet Reflection. The most expensive of those horses cost £60,000. He’s a fabulous sire who is becoming more and more popular so we were delighted to secure this colt’s services for Mark Johnston to train on our behalf in 2019. Read about his sire here: https://www.whitsburymanorstud.co.uk/showcasemain.html

Mark has done really well for us since we sent him our first 2yo in 2017; Ventura Knight has won 7 races for us and is rated over 100 and Marie’s Diamond is rated 108 having won 3 races in 2018, including at Group level. Mark became British racing’s most successful ever trainer after a 4,194th career win on August 23rd, so we are delighted to have placed another yearling with Mark.

Our colt has the perfect blend of pedigree (his sire and dam are already proven in producing Listed and Group performers) and physique; he’s a lovely strong, yet athletic individual who moves beautifully when he walks. There’s usually a correlation between how a horse moves in its slower paces and its faster paces; or at least we find that the case. Out of a Cadeaux Genereux mare, the cross is 4 winners from 4 runners and includes TASLEET (highest OR 116-a Group 2 winner and 2nd in a Group 1 three times.)

From a sale that has afforded us both Clem Fandango and Raymond Tusk from a small cohort of purchases, the Arqana August Yearling Sale offers fabulous individuals with very strong pedigrees and it’s no surprise that both French Guineas winners in 2018 were purchased at the Deauville Sales complex. The complex has been a very happy hunting ground for many, not just ourselves. 

We were pleasantly surprised to secure this colt’s services for €80,000, he was our favourite horse of the Sunday cohort available for sale; we’d feared he would fall outside our price range, but the Arqana market this year was not quite as strong as it has been in previous years; prices were down around 18% statistically. Suffice to say we were thrilled when the hammer dropped in our favour. 

Pedigree update: Whitsbury Manor Stud has upped the fee for Showcasing to £55,000 for the 2019 breeding season. The Racing Post reported: “The son of Oasis Dream, who stood for £35,000 during the latest covering season, has enjoyed another fine year on the track, particularly with his juveniles. He added a new Group 1 winner to his CV when Advertise landed the Phoenix Stakes, while Soldier’s Call took out the Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes and Mohaather claimed the Group 3 Horris Hill Stakes.” Read the story here: https://www.racingpost.com/bloodstock/bloodstock-latest/fee-hike-for-high-flying-showcasing-as-whitsbury-manor-unveils-2019-prices/352932

SYNDICATE COMPLETE
See other horses currently in training with Mark Johnston.

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YEARLING: SHOWCASING EX LES ALIZES COLT
20 Aug’18

No problems at all with the softening ground, this scenario was checked beforehamd and it doesnt alter the outstanding chance of MARIES GEM here.

The damsire Cadeau Generauxs record with 2yos on soft is 19 wins from 113 runs.

Showcasing has produced many soft ground horses notably QUIET REFLECTION and TASLEET who won group races on soft. The ground wont have come as any surprise to connections.

Full steam ahead to the winners enclosure with THE MAGNIFICENT ONE