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I think Le Brivido could be the best miler in Europe. Would love to see him and Winter clash.
It seems that Ulysses is not nailed on to run. By the sound of things from Sir Michael, Ulysses could run in the Irish Champion instead. One or the other, not both apparently.
My initial thought was that he’d avoid York if the ground got too soft, but on seconds I think he might just want to avoid Barney Roy.
If the ground comes up fast, I think Barney Roy is a distance bet. I wouldn’t back him at the moment, because Ballydoyle will no doubt get stuck into Churchill on the day and I can’t see BR going off too much shorter than available at the moment.
Of the others, Shutter Speed, So Mi Dar and Queen’s Trust could be interesting, were they to turn up. Shutter Speed was supposedly Gosden’s best 3yo filly at the start of the season. I can’t imagine her to have gone the other way after her 4th in France (which I suspect was as much to do with Dettori’s match fitness as anything).
I don’t think Almanzor is an Arc horse, personally. Would love for JCR to get the horse back and get him into the race match-fit, but I’d sooner have him back at Ascot.
As for Brametot, things fell apart for him today. I think he’s a brilliant horse and I can’t wait to see him in the Arc. It’s been mentioned that he will head straight there after today, but that was before the race when I’m assuming they weren’t expecting him to run as he did. I did back him at 20/1 after the race because the Arc has been the plan for him, and I can’t see them changing it after one poor run.
Looking at the others in the field, does anyone else think Idaho is a gigantic price at 33/1? I managed to get a fiver on him at 75.00 on the exchange! He’s without doubt an improved horse this year, he will go on any ground they get, and he’s one of these horses who will continue to turn up in the big G1 races over 12 furlongs and give a really solid showing – hell, I think he will win a G1 before the season is out. I can’t see why they wouldn’t send him and Highland Reel there.
Also, Frontiersman is 50/1. If he can sort his head out, he’s going to be a serious horse at some point.
I know they’ve been targeting Almanzor towards the Arc, but given how he ran today and that he is entered in this, I think they could end up not going for the Arc and coming back to Ascot. He looked today as though he’d need plenty of time and a few more races to get back to anything resembling his former self. In my opinion, I think the Arc could come a bit too quickly for him after being off for a year, and the sudden jump from 10 to 12 furlongs doesn’t make sense to me.
If they don’t retire him, I can’t see him going to Leopardstown as he doesn’t seem to be anywhere near ready. I think there’s a G3 10 furlong race (Maisons-Laffite?) in about a month. If they think they can get him back, from there to Ascot would be a logical progression to send him to stud on a high.
Do you think that with these two likely to head to the front and potentially get involved in a battle for the lead, they could go too quick and set it up for something to come from off the pace? Marsha is surely better than her recent form, and she has C&D form at York. Her current prices of 10/1 look too big, for me.
In defence of Matt Chapman , I will say this : in his sensible moments , when he isn’t trying too hard to be the wise cracking clown , he can be very insightful and does play the devil’s advocate very well, initiating and conducting , as he can , some very good and interesting debates .
Absolutely. Ask The Handicapper is brilliant and Matt Chapman is a big part of that.
I thought Luke Harvey was very good, personally. I’ve never warmed to him on ATR as he just seems to want to be a clown all the time, but yesterday I really took to him. He spotted Jacob’s losing his irons, and he answered Chamberlin’s question about blinkers clearly and concisely so that a relative newcomer such as myself understood it. I think he could turn out to be a shrewd addition.
For Coolmore to be less dominant on the flat
Similar to this, I’d like Mullins to be less dominant over jumps. I don’t actually mind Coolmore/O’Brien’s domination because I think he will support the sport and isn’t afraid to run his big-hitters against each other, as he did in the Arc and the Irish Champions Stakes. Mullins doesn’t seem to be as generous with his stars, as he’s perfectly entitled to be, but I think it would only be good for the sport if say Annie Power and Faugheen ended up in a big race together, but Mullins would never let that happen.
