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Question for the historians. Has a horse even won the Coventry on debut ?
I have a friend of a friend who is linked to Margeson yard as a former owner. Apparently, his horse Any Guest who is yet to run is meant to be extremely useful.
Margeson has told him to back it each way for 2016 Guineas and is comfortably the best horse he has had.
Highly unlikely it can win this on debut, but this horse is the apple of his eye by all accounts.
I seem to recall Kingsgate native finishing second in one of the big two year old races at Ascot on it’s debut. Maybe it was the chesham? Then perhaps it went on to run and win later in the week? Or perhaps my memory is playing tricks.
Sir Roger Moore is an interesting runner. Ran very well at York on his debut in a hot looking maiden, and in a race where none of the favourites look exceptional to me, he could offer very good value.
With the death of his old friend Christopher Lee this week, could be a good fillip for the old boy.
Im thinking Airforce Blue…ran solid race on debut with 3rd and Second both winning since..he carried 9_5 when winning and though the time wasnt great he will improve massively…remember War Command won this a few yrs ago and he was another War Front Colt…I think Round two looks lovely but I wonder how Washington DC compares to Airforce Blue at Ballydoyle..
Log Out Island not in the race.
Stan James still go 6/1 for him in the Norfolk.Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
Maybe not it said 6/1 on oddschecker but 3/1 on site.
Sorry.Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
I wouldn’t advocate backing him at single field odds but the market would suggest the interesting horse is War Department. I thought 12/1 looked a bit skinny but now you will be lucky to beat 8/1. He looks the part and his maiden win was impressive but was there really much substance to it? Ground shouldn’t be an issue but lacking experience against several well touted rivals surely he can only drift?
I wouldn’t advocate backing him at single field odds but the market would suggest the interesting horse is War Department. I thought 12/1 looked a bit skinny but now you will be lucky to beat 8/1. He looks the part and his maiden win was impressive but was there really much substance to it? Ground shouldn’t be an issue but lacking experience against several well touted rivals surely he can only drift?
I’m not sure what relevance a lack of experience has- this is the Coventry stakes? Most of the runners lack for experience and once raced winners have a good record in the race.
Be interesting to see how Wesley Ward’s two year old’s get on as they always seem to be three year olds running against two year olds in terms of physical development.
I remember his beast from a few years back that won the Norfolk- it looked like it had been on more drugs than Ben Johnson and positively dwarfed his rivals.
Of course it’s almost impossible to gauge how good they are compared to their rivals, a complete lack of video or collateral form and so on, but sometimes it’s best to leave the brain at home and trust in wesley
Btw ol Wesley is rather partial to the odd bit of hyperbole. Here’s what he had to say about his contender in the Queen Mary stakes, Acapulco, a race that he famously won with Jealous Again:
: A $750,000 purchase at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales auction in March, this daughter of Scat Daddy finished third, beaten seven and three quarter lengths in her only start at Churchill Downs on May 8.
“I went into the race at Churchill extremely confident, didn’t think she could lose,” Ward said. “The only thing is with a two-year-old out of the sale, they don’t have as much foundation under them as when I break them myself.”
Ward deduced that Acapulco didn’t like the Churchill surface and that when he breezed her on the turf at Keeneland just seven days after that race, his jaw dropped.
“By far and away the best work I ever had of any horse I ever trained on the grass,” Ward said. “It was a sight to see. A couple of Coolmore boys were out to watch the work themselves. It was a phenomenal work.
“Since then, all her works have been lights out. If she runs anything like she’s breezed there’s no way anything I ever had would beat her.”
Beaten on her only start at odds on but apparently the best horse he’s ever trained. A morning glory horse or one that will win by half the track? You decide…
It’s hard to weigh up Finnegan at all as no horse he has come up against has another race to their name. Its a good thing that he won on turf last time.
He lost first time out though and in the last 9 years no horse has won this race after losing previously.
I cant decide between Round Two and Air Force Blue just yet, but something is nagging at me to trust in the Bolger horse.I have had a few quid EW on Eltezam. I was quite taken with its debut in what looked a decent race, whilst it was only workmanlike for its win last time out, the horse never really hits its stride until last half a furlong and won with a bit in hand imo.
i think 16/1 looks a very fair price for what the horse has achieved so far.
It is possible to watch a video of Finnegan – here it is, he’s the horse with the big white blaze starting from the outside stall:
And the horses he ran against do have subsequent form – the second from this race was a well beaten last of four in fillies graded stakes at Belmont and the third (a stable companion of Finnegan) was only 4th in a maiden at Belmont.
Oh I see, I thought RP would have had that information. That definitely puts me off this horse then.
Air force blue for me.Won nicely on debut and second and third both bolted up next time.Also will have good ground and being by war front will improve loads on his debut which was run on softish going.
I’ve whittled this down to War Department, Age of Empire and Buratino. The latter brings the best form into the race after the fav who is too short for me. The Woodcote may of been week on paper but one couldn’t help but be impressed with the manor in which Buratino dismantled the field. Age of Empire cruised through his maiden victory at York without turning a hair and still managed to quicken up nicely to pull away at the line. He looks a strong animal from what I’ve seen and I see no reason why he couldn’t come on bundles still given the hands he’s in and 16/1 seems the best value in the race. War Department put in one of the best maiden victories of the season so far at Leicester and although the form has hardly been franked, he’s a menacing individual who took to the game nicely. I read he ran to a 100+ timeform rating that day and seems a fair price at generally 8s but 9/1 is available.
Well done Buratino backers. Clearly the fact he hadn’t posted a speed figure of note was irrelevant.
Feel sick myself- backed Air Force Blue had 50 on it at 8-1, thought it was going to win just couldn’t cope with the turn of foot of the winner. Got a feeling this is going to be a long week.
Incidentally I think the second is the bigger and scopier of the two- although I certainly don’t think it will win the guineas, as it’s quite speedily bred. Could be a commonwealth cup horse for next season.
Well done Joe and TAPK.
I did him in my each/way bingo just need something to land with it.Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
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