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i"m not a fan of the all weather racing for starters.and what sort of atmosphere is there no TOTEnoBOOKIES just boiling hot weather .you can"t beat the ASCOTS-the GOODWOODS and YORK and CHESTER.need i say anymore!
I’m sitting in the air conditioned quarantine stables at Nad Al Sheba (did you know it is hot here?
) and there will certainly be plenty of atmosphere with 45,000 people crammed into the old facility with the new Meydan grandstand taking shape in behind.Obviously I fancy Curlin for the Dubai World Cup but Asiatic Boy looks terrific and I expect him to be much more competitive this time. Happy Boy is out so only Jalil from Godolphin.
The two US$ 5 Million turf races are incredibily competitive and I can pick 6 in each race. In the Sheema Classic I’d plump for the international form and Doctor Dino who will like the ground more than his outside draw. Sun Classique will run a huge race whilst Youmzain will be finishing fastest of all. He has been training with a lead horse and will be fitter than his lay off would suggest.
In the DDF I’ll go for Darjina to put her unlucky Hong Kong run behind her. Literato should run well whilst I’m keeping an eye on Archipenko because he could end up being a star in England this Summer.
I take Diabolical to overcome the American domination in the Golden Shaheen after his last course and distance win. Benny The Bull could be the best of the Americans along with Idiot Proof.
Godolphin field a strong trio in the UAE Derby but I’m suggesting a de Kock 1-2 with Royal Vintage narrowly favoured over Honour Devil off level weights.
The Godolphin Mile is the weakest TB race and I hope Frankie has picked the right one with Blackat Blackitten. Diamond Stripes should make the frame.
I’ll go for the obvious favourite in Madjani to kick us off in the Kahayla Classic.
Anyway I’m off to the Bubble Lounge for a sharpener – it’s a tough life out here….
i"m not a fan of the all weather racing for starters.and what sort of atmosphere is there no TOTEnoBOOKIES just boiling hot weather .you can"t beat the ASCOTS-the GOODWOODS and YORK and CHESTER.need i say anymore!
Blackkat Blackitten, Elusive Warning, Finsceal Beo, Vodka, Darjina, Literato, Creachadoir, Archipenko, Youmzain, Doctor Dino, Curlin, Jalil, Asiatic Boy, 45000 spectators, sunshine, betting…need I say more.
Anyway I’m off to the Bubble Lounge for a sharpener – it’s a tough life out here….
That’s just disgraceful.
How can you go to the Bubble Lounge when the Cantina Bar in the Village is selling the coldest margaritas in town?
give me grass racing any day.nice and green.the cows love eating it. we get our milk from it cant say that about the all weather tracks can you .maybe we can all talk about this again when ascot is on.he he
Flash your ignorant arrogant attitude beggar’s belief. Could not take it sitting silently anymore.
Here a few pearls from your recent posts:
Dirt horses, dirt race. That isn’t proper racing in my book. The turf is what I call proper racing.
Hmm. So what you are you saying is that all the American greats‘ aren’t proper race horses. So what would you call the likes of Secretariat, Affirmed, Seattle Slew, Spectaclar Bid, Forego, John Henry or further back to my father’s days Citation, Native Dancer, Round Table who in a four year career ran an astonishing 66 times and won 43 of those,only to become one of the outstanding sires of his time, or even further back in time to Man O War he of 21 of 20 wins and beaten a length in the other, becoming racing’s first equine superstar of the 21st century. Finally what does that make arguably the greatest stallion of the last century Northern Dancer. DUH!!
What I despise is the Godolphin organisation and their constant buying up of top two year olds in an attempt to ensure their own success. Buying unknown youngsters like Denman, Master Minded is one thing but buying top class two year olds in an attempt to buy success I hate with a passion.
Just an example of a number of posts relating to Sheikh Mohammed and Godolphin. This being a particular mean spirited one with despise and hate used in conjunction with how Godolphin go about there business. Not for the first time I might add have you been this vitriolic when it comes to the Sheikh Mo. I’ll leave people to make their own judgements on that particular rant, mine are clearly destilled. I’ll just say that a guy like Sheikh Mohammed is infinitely more desirable for the sport then say the Ballydoyle supremos (excluding O’Brien, as I would not want the Ballydoyle Gestapo on my case) who are in it almost exclusively for the money. To them it is what it is a business plain and simple. Ask Jim Bolger or a multitude of other owners that have sold to the Sheikh, whether he is bad for the sport. Sheikh Mo has a profound love for the thoroughbred and is in the enviable position where money is no object and his generosity at times knows no bounds. A man of his wealth and stature does not need to attempt to buy success. He is successful simply by his overall accomplishments alone, which far transcend the rather insignificant world of horse racing.
The Dubai World Cup isn’t a world cup though is it its just a name given to it its just basically a Godolphin initiated meeting that the odd decent horse will attend. It will never be a world cup the nearest flat racing has to a world cup is the Breeders Cup
Let’s examine that one for a moment or two. There are 6 races with 86 runners. Of those 11 are Godolphin runners. Furthermore there are 14 US, 4 Hong Kong, 16 Europeans from the UK, France Germany ,Ireland and Denmark, add to that a powerful South African contingent, some formidable high class runners from Japan, Australia and New Zealand, a few South American runners and the oddity from India I believe, hope I did not forget anybody, and you have what could be quite rightly described as a World Cup. 13% of the runners are from Godolphin the rest from all other major and lesser racing jurisditions. Contrast that percentage with the percentage of American runners at the BC and you might see the difference .The BC is no more a World Cup than is Royal Ascot or the Arc weekend. So your take on this being a Godolphin benefit is about as far off the mark as can be. Hong Kong in Dec. would come closest when comparing international star appeal but does not match up either. I challenge anybody on here to show me a more international day of quality racing.
I could go on and on but the more discerning reader will get the picture
For someone who purports to have been around this wonderful sport of ours for 30 years or so, the sheer volume of your posts repeatedly bore with blandness at best and startle with mal ignorance at worst. Engaging your brain well in advance of actually posting something on here might work to your advantage in the future. I wont hold my breath on that one though.
I don’t see how people can dislike the Godolphin operation. People want to see top class horses – and Godolphin are almost the pace-setters in terms of keeping older horses in training.
What I don’t like is a horse who proves he’s top class in a Guineas or Derby – and then is never seen on a racecourse again! Obviously I understand the business decisions, but the racing fan in me just wants to see the best horses run more often, I don’t care who owns or trains them. If Godolphin buying a horse means that it’s more likely to extend its racing career, great – buy more please!A fantastic card at Nad Al Sheba, and shame on C4 for not covering all the races that fall within their 2pm to 4pm time slot.
What on earth can they be "thinking"?
Anyway, I’ve gone for Idiot Proof in the Shaheen even though his draw may not be ideal, and two fit and in-form horses in the Duty Free and the Sheema Classic in the shape of Admire Aura and Sun Classique.
Although Curlin looks a worthy favourite in the World Cup, and is a magnificent-looking specimen, I’ve had a little on Vermilion, who hasn’t done too much wrong and is better drawn than Curlin.
It is a world cup if you own/train the horse that nets the first prize of 1.8m sterling in the DWC.
JohnJ
Its laughable how a difference of opinion encourages insults of "lack of intelligence" etc.
You know what guys differing views are what makes the world go round and everyone is entitled to their own. Some posters on this forum display quite an arrogance.
I did think about counter arguing some of the points thrown back at me but I decided against it. For those of you with self proclaimed greater intelligence than I you do yourselves no favours by making presumptions, creating inaccurate comparrisons and some of the time completely missing my point.
However, if you wish to remain in your private world of self indulgence and alleged superior intelligence that is absolutely fine. People always ridicule something they dont agree with, weaker characters may crumble under a feeling of intimidation but allas fellas not I. I have skin thicker than what some of you allege my head to be.
Quite a frightening thought eh?
Some posters on this forum display quite an arrogance.
Pot? Kettle? Black?
I express and opinion DJ I don’t question peoples intelligence and get personal, (above post excepted). Of course if you can find evidence to the contrary feel free.
My main problem with Godolphin is that both the BBC and Channel 4 never seem to critiscize them in any way; always give praise where praise is due, but we must be free to critiscize when neccessary, and I still havn’t forgotten what they did to Henry Cecil…however, I am thankful that they saved Channel 4 racing for me, because I really can’t afford £25.99 a month, even though I love my racing with a passion and have done so for half a century! I also can’t get excited about horses racing on dirt; to me it’s the diversity of our racing that I enjoy; different ground conditions, uphills, downhills and going right handed as well as left handed.It was, however, great to see a horse like Curlin win the way that he did [how two faced am I?].
Tremendous display from Curlin ; who, I have noticed, bears a strong physical resemblance to another wonder horse – Sea Bird II !
Chestnut, white blaze, two white hind socks. Uncanny.
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
I liked Frankie’s description of him .. the make up of a 3 mile chaser with the backside of a sprinter.
Sea-Bird was nothing like as imposingly built as Curlin, but, yes, same colour and similar markings.
) and there will certainly be plenty of atmosphere with 45,000 people crammed into the old facility with the new Meydan grandstand taking shape in behind.
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