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"The mile at Santa Anita is awful close to the bend"
(…. his comment in suggesting the mile may not be the best race for Raven’s Pass.)
Not on the Turf course it isn’t, John. The turf course is 7f round (as opposed to the dirt course which is a mile round), which means horses have a decent run to the first bend in the mile and can get a position even from a high draw. If you don’t believe me, watch the rerun of Jerry Bailey’s excellent ride on Six Perfections to win the Breeders Cup Mile in 2003 from a high draw.
Can someone please tell Mr Gosden this before he runs Raven’s Pass (who incidentally would be a good thing in the mile) in completely the wrong race.
He ran Oasis Dream in the same race, so he shouldn’t really need reminding.
Oddly enough, I’m sure he said that the exact same thing after Oasis Dream won the Nunthorpe that year, when debating the merits of the Sprint against the Mile. Just goes to show it’s always worth checking "facts", even when someone has spent years training in the States and had a winner at the first Breeders’ Cup.
Yes he did indeed Mr Frisk. Oasis Dream was another example of running the right horse in the wrong race at the Breeders Cup….
Fully agree TDK as I said on TH. Real poor placement if this horse that the trainer was talking up for July Cups after the Guineas is now aimed at one of the most punishing 10f races in the international calendar.
I didn’t realise that RP had been bought by Princess Haya (Sheikh Mohammed) but it would not be a surprise to see him go for the classic a) because he wants to be successful in the US and b) to get one over on the coolmore boys.
Either way they have it all to do to beat Curlin.
I thought Curlin had a desperately hard race the other day and I wouldnt fancy him much at all on the "Pro-Ride" surface against fresher horses. That said, I wouldn’t fancy Raven’s Pass much either….
He used to train in California for several years. So he probably knows what he’s talking about.
He used to train in California for several years. So he probably knows what he’s talking about.
That line was trotted out when he tried to be smart arse with Oasis Dream.
He used to train in California for several years. So he probably knows what he’s talking about.
But quite clearly not in this case, Zorro?
Obviously I disagree, I’d like to see him have a stab. Back when he went down by a head to Twice Over when everyone was saying that he was a sprimnter in the making, I said on here even then that I thought it was the way that he was actioned that got him beaten on that ground and that on a fast surface I’d fancy him to stay probably 1m2f.
Since then, he’s proved the sprint theory people well and truly wrong, and he pulled clear of henry at he end of a fast paced 1 mile race. In three runs over 1mile on a fast surface hes proved A) that hes absolutely top class at 1mile and B) he doesnt have to be ridden from the back suggesting that he easily gets the trip.
The people who thought early on this season that he was a sprinter, now think that he only just about gets a mile, I never thought he looked like a sprinter and I think that on what he’s done this season he at least deserves to take a chance in the Breeders Cup Classic. He’s obviously shown Gosden something at home to suggest that he’ll get the trip (probably the same thing which led Gosden to call for him to be ridden more prominently at 1mile, which in gosdens eyes has worked excellently).
Obviously no-one knows how well he’ll get the trip until he goes but I definitely think if he doesnt go for it there will always be a question over whether he could have done it, especially with the form he’s in at the minute.
Aragorn – didn’t Sheikh Mohammed buy the entire Stonerside Stable?
Maybe Gosden was thinking of the synthetic surface instead?
I was amazed that the write up of the QEII credited Gosden with great tactical nous in deciding to have Raven’s Pass ridden aggressively; surely the opposite is true in that any fool knew how the horse should be ridden and it took Gosden three tries before he caught on. Gosden’s openness and ability to communicate effectively make him very likeable as a man, but he’s no genius when it comes to campaigning his better horses effectively. I note that his previous runners in the Breeders Cup Mile at Santa Anita (Oasis Dream, Wolfhound and Catrail) were all top class sprinters and all were stuffed out of sight.
Both Wolfhound and Catrail were knocked out of the race vitually when Barathea blew the bend. And Catrail was being a right B******ks training on the track before the race (somewhere I have photos as I was there for the week). But Gosden did train from both Hollywood Park & Santa Anita back in the 80s so he should know the tracks inside out over there.
Mysles/Love divine,
He did and I posted it on the bloodstock board but Sal didn’t have details of the horses included in that sale only that all the mares were included. No matter what is obviously a very good Broodmare – Ravens Pass obviously came with the deal as well.
I can’t remember where I saw it other than maybe Pacemaker, but I am sure I have seen in print from more than one source that all the current racing stock was also included in the sale.
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