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Five great days of great racing but the St James Palace Stakes is what I am really looking forward to hopefully all the main protagonists will show. Also hoping Vandeek can show some of his old buzz in the Commonwealth Cup a race I can normally take or leave, I always find the Saturday a bit flat.
The things I want most in life are the things that I can't win.
The st james palace, coronation cup and commonwealth cup
The group 1s for the older horses all look naff due to the lack of quality 120+ horses about
I am with Finalfurlong with the SJP and Coronation if all standing their ground they really do look mouth watering races
I’m looking forward to the bookies putting up prices for the Hampton Court and Jersey stakes
the meeting is less than 5 days away…. Cheltenham have prices up more than a year in advance for races like the mares hurdle…
Blackbeard to conquer the World
Its a long week. I was just looking at the 5 day stage for Tuesday and bloody hell its a lot of races. Far too many similar races for me which don’t need to exist. My favourite races tend to be the heritage handicaps Hunt Cup, Ascot Stakes, Wokingham etc… but you do inevitably end up with draw bias lottery on that front.
I’d be with FF, the group 1s just don’t really jump off the page. lacking those superstars at the moment. Queen Anne and Prince Of Wales are just races this year, nothing special really. The sprints are really bad. Ascot Gold Cup similar. They really need the classic generation this year to turn out alright or the flats in big trouble.
Iv not been following racing that long, probably since 2017
But this is by some considerable margin the worst bunch of group 1 older horses that iv seen
Not that long ago we had
Enable
Cracksman
Stradivarius
Roaring lion
Magical
Poets word
Crystal ocean
Battaash
Blue pointEtc etc
Since 2018 it seems like the depth of proper 125+ group 1 horses is getting worse
Hopefully this classic crop throws up some good ones that stay in training
The Prince of Wales would’ve been a good race if king of steel and passenger were running
Jeff banks was saying on the final furlong podcast that the lack of quality in the older horses is a big threat to racing. The coronation Cup was a poor renewal and unless white birch,passenger and the likes of continuous step up to be proper group one horses the cupboard will look very bare. Use to love the all aged group ones but the norm is 5 or 6 runners.
I have no problem with small fields if they are high quality runners
But low quality (by group 1 standard) and small fields makes it hard to look forward to a race
The small field Group 1s I only watch they make no appeal to me.
The things I want most in life are the things that I can't win.
They might not be vintage winners of the 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas, but hoping to see them all come together in the St James’s Palace and Coronation Stakes.
As few hard luck stories as possible.
Highbury in the queen’s vase. Looks a horse on the upgrade. Along with the breeders Cup my fav flat meeting of the year. Not a vintage season by any means but could all change next week.
I think you’re all doing horses down.
It is true some of the top quality older horses are going into this “out of form”, but there are some good reasons to believe they could come back to form.Queen Anne:
Inspiral and Big Rock are real top class at their best and good reasons for them to run badly at Newbury… And Facteur Cheval won a Group 1 at Maydaan.King Charles III:
No getting around it King Charles III and Queen Elizabeth are – on paper – disappointing. Big Evs won the Breeders Cup Juvenile and Regional won the Haydock Sprint Cup. But the Aussie Asfoora has been the best horse in a Group 1. Might sound strange to us but Aussie Group 1s are not necessarily weight for age. They’re pretty much handicaps. With the weight he carried in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate you could easily argue Asfoora was the best horse in the race and only finished 10th. And there are one or two that still might improve into good Group 1 winners; Kerdos and Believing.St James’s Palace:
This looks a great race. Notable Speech has only been racing less than 6 months and put up a really good performance in winning the 2000 Guineas. Rosallion was second there and has since won the Irish version from the Newmarket 4th… And added to that there’s the Group 1 winning two year old Henry Longfellow, who was palpably below form (as so many O’Brien horses have been)… Behind Metropolitan who is also in the race.Prince Of Wales:
We’ve got the Derby, Irish Champion and Breeders Cup winner Auguste Rodin and Tatts Gold Cup winner White Birch. The latter performance is imo at least as good as Auguste Rodin’s three. The others have a bit to prove, but that is the same as many Group 1’s.Gold Cup:
This could be a very good race. Kyprios already has form better than your median average winner. Gregory could well improve at this trip if the going is sound. Trueshan has top class Group 1 form if the going goes the other way… And Trawlerman is a Group 1 winner in all but name when beating Kyprios, with the pair a long way clearCommonwealth Cup:
This looks a better renewal than the last two runnings. Inisherrin putting up a fine performance at Haydock and Vandeek is a Group 1 winner who appeared a top class sprinter in the making before Haydock. On better ground and / or settling better Vandeek could easily come back to form. Elite Status showed at Newbury he could be a top class sprinter too. imo The 3 year old sprinters this year could be something special.Coronation Stakes:
We’ve got the Newmarket 1000 Guineas first three taking on the Irish Guineas first three. Elmalka has had only three races in her life, so although it wasn’t a vintage Guineas she won, could still improve. Porta Fortuna second there, has already won a Group 1 in the Cheveley Park. Third Ramatuelle should’ve won there – jockey error. Fallen Angel disappointed at Newmarket but has since been impressive in the Irish Guineas with a compfortable victory over the Boussac winner Opera Singer. Latter could yet improve quite a lot from her reappearance. Then there’s others like Buttons and Devoted Queen who might yet improve. I’d be disappointed if we don’t get a Coronation winner at least up to standard.Queen Elizabeth Jubilee:
Like the other older horse sprint, is a bit disappointing. but Kinross, Art Power and (if he runs) Regional are all Group 1 winners, maybe not exceptional Group 1 winners. Some still have potential though, Mitbaahy and Shartash to name but two.Looking forward to all of them, particularly the three year old Group 1’s… And the Hardwicke could be of Group 1 quality race too, depending on who runs.
Value Is EverythingWith that sort of spin you should think about going into politics.
Gold Cup no, Hardwicke no, and Queen Anne no. At least you appreciate the sprinting division isn’t great.
The Hardwicke just illustrates the problem or part of it. Why do we have a 10F G1 and a 12F G2 on the same meeting? It doesn’t happen anywhere else (thankfully) for obvious reasons.
Others I have an issue with:
Jersey Stakes – River Tiber should be either in the Commonwealth Cup or the SJP. Shouldn’t have this option.Hampton Court/King Edward – why? You could have one decent race combining the two instead of two ok races. Same problem with the Golden Gates and King George handicaps.
Palace of Holyrood House – a 3yo sprint handicap you say? Pass.
Sandringham and Kensington Palace – not 1 but 2x 8f handicaps exclusive to the females. Simple solution is the elders go Hunt Cup, youngsters go Britannia. Cancel them. Job done.
Way too many 2yo races. Should be a 5f race and a 6f race and the chesham.
Are we at 3 days yet?
TTM,
I’ve just gone through the Hardwicke looking at those who’d be just as effective at 1m2f.Al Riffa, Astro King, Crypto Force, Dubai Honour, Elegant Man, Hans Anderson, Isle Of Jura, Missed The Cut, Luxembourg, Passenger, White Birch and Emily Upjohn.
12 of the 28 runners. But I’d say only the last 4 of those 12 would be good enough to enhance the POW. Because a Group 2 tends to attract many just below top class. One of those 4 Passenger was going to run in the POW before injury forced him out. One is going to run White Birch, one might still run Luxembourg and ONE – only one – Emily Upjohn actually prefers the Hardwicke.
The vast majority of Hardwicke runners are either 12 to 14 furlong horses and / or just below Group 1 level.
So there isn’t much evidence the Group 2 Hardwicke is having much pull on the Prince Of Wales. Granted it may be different if the Hardwicke was a Group 1.
Value Is EverythingI just used to back any Stoute horse in the Hardwicke he has won it eight times in the last twenty years a 40% strike rate.
The things I want most in life are the things that I can't win.
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