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What a peculiar ride James Doyle gave the above. He was on a race fit horses running against horses that connections led you to beleive they were not cherry ripe for the event yet he seemed to give the winner and second a huge lead which unless he was on pegasus he was never going to make up and win.
The fact that he got so close was a credit to the horse as opposed to Doyle’s riding ability and pace judgement IMHOThe going was good to soft (good in places, soft in places)
Belardo to be seen at his best probably wants soft ground all over with no good in the going.
He did however have a run behind him so had match fitness on his side and Barchan was in there to insure a decent pace and he seemed to do his job which would have set the race up to Belardo’s benefit.
I’ve only seen the race the once and my eyes were Toormore for the most part so would have to see it again but with the pace and run behind him Doyle probably expected more from his mount.Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
Hestina in 3rd in the 4.05 was a similarly eyecatching performance. Jimmy won’t get done for overuse of the whip that’s for sure
It was a terrible ride from James Doyle and not the first from him, so for me he is excluded in future betting, if I believe he is on the best horse, I’ll keep out of the race. Toormoore was my pick for rider and ability but Belardo had a race in him. I had the pair in doubles
. This is limting my betting though (Tom Quelly already on the list…). I’ m not saying Belardo would have won, but he definitely never had a chance over a mile. Tricky horse or not.Best Wishes
SilkThe problem with criticising the ride is a) he was ridden exactly the same in his last three races last season and b) he’s run to exactly the same level of form as he did in his two best performances last season.
When second in the QE2, he beat Gabrial by one and half lengths and he’s increased that today by three quarters of a length. And when third in the Challenge Stakes, he finished half a length behind Breton Rock and today it was a neck.
He’s just not as good as punters seem to think.
Quite true AP he may not be as good as we think however it did not look a good ride from Doyle.
I am with Kentucky Spring, he is off my list.I also have to agree with apracing that he isn’t as good as punters seem to think and his last race wasn’t good enough to have him at such a short price. The bookies reeled the punters in again and Richard Hannon didn’t help anyone saying that Toormore might be in need of the race…but someone had a late punt on Toormore just before the off when his price tumbled from 9/2 to 7/2 it was a terrific SP for a horse who always runs his best races FTO.
JacThings turn out best for those who make the best of how things turn out...I still haven’t seen this race. I backed Belardo purely on the basis of what Richard Hannon said about Toormore needing the race. I don’t ever listen to a trainer when I can base a pure opinion on a horses previous form and Toormore is certainly at his best when fresh (A head 2nd last year in the Lockinge for latest evidence). Whether James Doyle gave Belardo a bad ride is irrelevant for me because it was a bad idea betting against Toormore and I can only hold my hands up and say what a stupid boy Pike.
Hannon trademark that one.
I know with the younger ones he has said in the past that he runs them when they tell him they are ready with their work etc and he isn’t one to protect the better ones and unleash them at the end of the season like so many trainers do.
In these top races he doesn’t have the luxury of too many options of whom to run as he/the yard use to but he tends to lean on the side of caution and normal say things like they will need the run/come on for it rather then say they are bang ready and then get beat.Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
Belardo was an accident waiting to happen.
His rating went up to 119 for winning the Dewhurst but it was on bad ground and he’s almost certainly overrated I feel. He has had numerous poor runs and was on a lengthy losing streak before winning a poor looking listed race last time.
He’s still rated 117 and he’s either doing poorly for a horse of that alleged ability or he’s simply overrated.
The Varian stable is 1/25 this past fortnight and 0/20 on turf. Punters backing at shortish odds should be considering all elements and wondering if the price is value.
People never seem to get the message though and UAE Prince was laid into at 4/5 fav for a maiden today and was thrashed by a three time all weather maiden rated 83. Earlier in the day the horse had been backed into 16/1 for The Derby, which is suicidal punting.
Horses held up at the back tend to come past weakening horses and make it look like they are finishing well but they are usually just flattering to deceive. It’s easy to blame the jockey but Belardo was tried with front running tactics and even ran in the Sprint Cup at Haydock but he’s just an awkward horse who went into the Dewhurst wearing a first time hood, so he has clearly been problematical from early days.
Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.
I was there and my immediate reaction was that it was a terrible misjudgement by Doyle. He was so far back and had no chance of making up that much ground against horses who weren’t stopping. But, on reflection, Belardo’s best run was in the QEII when he came from off a furious pace to finish 2nd to Solow. That WAS top class form and suggested the horse was on his way back – an impression seemingly confirmed when he won easily first time out this year. But for me this was a combination of the pacemaker actually not going out hard enough AND Doyle not realising it. Both Buick and Crowley were quite happy to sit just off what was only a reasonable pace and benefited from it. So for me it WAS a poor ride but not ALL Doyle’s fault.
"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"
Belardo was flattered in finishing second to Solow.
A 33/1 shot in that race, the 3rd horse was 66/1 and the 4th 20/1.
Gleneagles was disappointing that day, as were Kodi Bear and Territories. Elm Park had led them but it was clear he was running out of puff. It was a race where outsiders came past more fancied runners to chase home the favourite and something had to be second to a horse who never wins by far.
Belardo won easily at Doncaster but it was only a listed race and a poor one at that. He was odds on for that race and beat a runner up rated 100, which begs the question as to whether the 3rd, Custom Cut,ran his race?
The handicapper put Calling Out up 5lbs for his proximity to Belardo but when he ran next, in a group 3, he was beaten sixty four lengths, so good luck to him in Handicaps.
Custom Cut ran in the same race as Calling Out and this time he was 61 lengths in front of him, which begs the question as to how much below form he was when that horse was in front of him behind Belardo despite being 17lbs inferior on ratings.
The thing is with horses coming from well held up positions is that they are then finishing better in relation to those who used their energy up earlier. If you go faster to keep with the pace, the same kick isn’t left. Belardo has run with more aggressive tactics and run worse than normal to support this notion.
I would be happy to take him on again when his odds are right to do so.
Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.
Calling Out went wrong in that race Steve. I’m sure you weren’t taking that form literally were you? I agree that Belardo was possible flattered to finish so close to Solow as that horse is by some distance the best miler but he also beat Integral, Territories, Elm Park and Gleneagles that day – they can’t ALL have been having an off day can they? Whilst he sat off the pace that day he was only a couple of lengths behind Solow and right in behind the others. You may well be right that he is short of top class but that doesn’t stop my assertion that this was a poor ride. Doyle chose to sit 15 lengths off the pacemaker and his two main rivals and was beaten 2 lengths. Clearly the pacemaker didn’t go off TOO fast otherwise Toormore and DC would have paid the price. We all make mistakes – I am not a jockey basher and I have no problems with James Doyle. This just wasn’t his finest hour – in my opinion.
"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"
I thought
The pacemaker looked to be going a fair clip, has anyone got the sectionals?
If the pacemaker was going slow it would of been harder for Belardo to make the gap shorter in lengths and would have remand the 15 or so lengths behind as Toormore and DC would have finish with a kick similar to Belardo’s.Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
Calling Out went wrong in that race Steve. I’m sure you weren’t taking that form literally were you? I agree that Belardo was possible flattered to finish so close to Solow as that horse is by some distance the best miler but he also beat Integral, Territories, Elm Park and Gleneagles that day – they can’t ALL have been having an off day can they? Whilst he sat off the pace that day he was only a couple of lengths behind Solow and right in behind the others. You may well be right that he is short of top class but that doesn’t stop my assertion that this was a poor ride. Doyle chose to sit 15 lengths off the pacemaker and his two main rivals and was beaten 2 lengths. Clearly the pacemaker didn’t go off TOO fast otherwise Toormore and DC would have paid the price. We all make mistakes – I am not a jockey basher and I have no problems with James Doyle. This just wasn’t his finest hour – in my opinion.
Surely horses finishing behind a 66/1 shot haven’t run their race Joni?
Integral had a bad season last year, as did Elm Park. Territories looked to me as if this was one race too much in a season where he started in mid April and I can’t buy him having run to his best there.
Gleneagles had spent all season ducking races on account of the ground and it seemed common knowledge that this was a last gasp effort to take something from an abortive season. His subsequent run in the Breeders Cup, which was ill conceived, was a travesty and he was probably already over the top for the season just 14 days earlier behind Solow.
Sometimes lots of horses in a race under perform, particularly in the late stages of a season. I am not even sure Solow was anywhere near his best in that race, and in fairness to the horse, he started his season on the 3rd of March, so it was asking a bit to be cherry ripe in the last knockings of the season.
It was a bit of a damp squib of a race at the time and I can only repeat that Belardo is a quirky horse that I don’t trust.
Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.
typical me,i am in both camps here.I thought it was an ill judged ride at sandown,but do agree with steve that Belardo has his own mind about the game.
I really do not understand jockeys who sit that far out of their ground at sandown.People have this idea that,because of the still finish at the esher track they ‘will come back’.In my experiences of watching/punting on racing at sandown(esp flat racing) i prefer my selections to race fairly prominent.End of season form is not always reliable, I agree Steve. Despite that I still think it was a poor ride last week. No big deal and happy to leave it there. Time will tell how good/bad Belardo really is.
"this perfect mix of poetry and destruction, this glory of rhythm, power and majesty: the undisputed champion of the world!!!"
. This is limting my betting though (Tom Quelly already on the list…). I’ m not saying Belardo would have won, but he definitely never had a chance over a mile. Tricky horse or not.
Jac
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