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So lets get them up nice and early for Saturday at Sandown and just the two races I am interested in here.
She is going to be a short price i am afraid, but TAMFANA in the Atalanta Stakes on Saturday Sandown 14.25 – she is around 11/10 which is buying money I think, i hate dropping short prices but she is far better than anything that is running in that race , The ground will be riding good to firm and dropping back to a mile after her 1000gns 4th where she had to come around a wall of horses and made up 10 lengths in the final 250yards, great turn of food she has printing money i think.
15.35 Sandown the Solario Stakes and its all about Newmarket prep runs for this and John Gosden’s FIELD OF GOLD won a maiden that could turn out winners, the 6th came out and won last week and the 5th was touched off last week also to a length so has improved. – SEAGULLS ELEVEN is the main danger , runner up in a Group 2 Superlative Stakes last time out when behind the unbeaten Ancient Truth to under two lengths, solid run. Both currently priced at 4/1 I would back both against the field.
Best of Luck15.00 : Benacre
15.35 : ASFOORA (NAP)
16.10 : Crown Board
16.45 : Sex On Fire
17.20 : Assailant (NB)On to day three
Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes (Group 3)
Roger Varian’s AL MUSMAK got off at the third attempt for the season when landing the Listed Henry Cecil Stakes at Newmarket, the drop back to a mile looked spot on and could not of won more convincingly, be a force if coming here and in that mood of form. Lead Artist & Socialite who finished third and fourth respectively have to be given a strong consideration especially the former who was the beaten favourite that day.
Irish contender CHICAGO CRITIC who outrun his odds wat 80/1 when finishing third in the Jersey Stakes at Ascot, the consideration is that this was a big run off the back of a 7lb Penalty so I would not be surprised of another big run once more.
King George Qatar Stakes (Group 2)
Kings Stand winner ASFOORA will more than likely be in the declaration list here, the Australian jetsetter stepped up after being beaten in the Temple Stakes, the runner up Regional has been beaten again when only managing fourth in the Hackwood Stakes, any horse that can outrun the likes of Big Eves has to be quick, my question has Big Eves depleted since his juvenile days.
Starlust has given the Commonwealth Cup form a boost when landing the Listed City Walls Stakes and would prefer slower conditions if turning up here, Jasour another that has flopped recently after finishing third in the Commonwealth Cup – so this looks a H2H between Big Eves and Asfoora, and I believe the latter is classy.
AL MUSMAK (1pt win @ 5/1) – CHICAGO CRITC (1pt each way @ 16/1)
ASFOORA (2.5pt win @ 3/1) NAPWell hopefully day two is as exciting as day one would of been i am sure.
Markel Richmond Stakes (Group 2)
My money will be on ELECTROLYTE, I am not concerned about his flop in the July Stakes on ground I think he struggled on from the minute he came out of the stalls. He would not have to improve much to be involved here if the ground comers up quicker, the Coventry second should be on the premises if the ground comes up dependant.
John Pearce Racing Gordon Stakes (Group 3)
I would like to think out of the entrants here the Derby contenders would be the strongest form, Andrew Balding saddles BELLUM JUSTUM who finished seventh at Epsom. Since then he has finished third in the Hampton Court Stakes and that form was slightly franked when the runner up King’s Bandit was just denied in the Group 2 York Stakes. just over five lengths in front that day was SAYEDATY SADATY who was one and a half lengths behind Irish Derby winner Los Angeles and again has not been seen since and will be more fresh.
Qatar Nassau Stakes (Group 1)
I am not convinced that this is the greatest of renewals, John Gosden’s Emily Upjohn has become so frustrating to follow from a winning prospective and has not got her head in-front since last June. the Pretty Polly form again is suspect, Bluestocking was beaten by a serious French raider in Goliath in the King George V1 & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, with Lumiere Rock back in fifth and Emily Upjohn runner up.
So once more we could see a French raider land another big Group 1 in SPARKLING PLENTY, she was tough when landing the Prix Diane by a head, that form has been franked by the runner up, one to beat for me.
ELECTROLYTE (1pt each way @ 12/1)
BELLUM JUSTUM (1pt win @ 5/1) – SAYEDATY SADATY (1pt win @ 5/1)
SPARKLING PLENTY (1pt each way @ 10/1)Good Afternoon
It’s been warranted couple of weeks off watching the racing more than punting, some of the horses I thought would be worth following this season have been disappointing to say the least, I must say openly I have saved a canny load of pension money and with the racing getting better now with Glorious Goodwood and York Ebor on the horizon its exciting times, so lets have a look at Glorious Goodwood.
Oak Tree Stakes (Group 3)
I watched Ascot this afternoon and the race was lost at the start for Charlie Appleby’s DEVOTED QUEEN when she spread terribly on leaving the gates, she is better than that and if turning up here I feel she has to be given the upmost respect.
Molecomb Stakes (Group 3)
I was taken with AESTERIUS win in the Dragon Stakes at Sandown at the beginning of the month, the runner up has not really given that form-line any significant boost, however it was a good performance. another is Archie Watson’s VINGEGAARD who came out of the Windsor Castle Stakes to be beaten a neck in the Super Sprint at Haydock and has to be respected.
Qipco Sussex Stakes (Group 1)
The highlight on day one and all eyes will be on Richard Hannon’s superstar Rosallion who had to dig deep to land the St James’s Palace Stakes when fending off Henry Longfellow to a neck, he reversed the defeat in the 2000 guineas to Notable Speech and has kept that level of form and improved. However i am more drawn to the one that finished third in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot in MALJOOM who was so unlucky to bump into traffic problems and had to come wide in which the race had already gone, one at a price for me.
DEVOTED QUEEN (1pt each way @ 10/1)
AESTERIUS (4pt win @ 9/4) – NAP – VINGEGAARD (1pt each way @ 13/2)
MALJOOM (1pt each way @ 16/1)Ascot – 13.50 – Tales of the Heart
Ascot – 14.25 – Sirona (NAP)
Ascot – 1500 – BillyjohCURRAGH
14.20 – California Dreamer
14.55 – Ecureuil Secret
15.30 – Stay AlertNEWMARKET
15.25 – TIBER FLOW (NAP)15.25 Newmarket – TIBER FLOW (NAP)
14.55 Curragh – Ecureuil Secret
15.30 Curragh – Stay AlertWe also have some good races at The Curragh this weekend with the Pretty Polly Stakes being the highlight and tomorrow the Irish Derby. so my theory’s below.
We start off with the Airlie Stud Stakes (14.20), and I do like the Murray entry here in CALIFONIA DREAMER who finished fifth in what could turn out to be a hot Albany at the Royal meeting, the fact he stayed on from the back, was just outpaced in the early stages. You cannot overlook an Aiden O’Brien flop and TRULY ENCHANTING bombed out in the Queen Mary at Ascot and I would not be at all surprised to see a far better run here.
The 2.55 and the International Stakes and i am just against the O’Brien hotpot here and one at a big price is Ed O’Grady’s ECUREEUIL SECRET who ran a creditable third in the Gallinule Stakes staying on well in the closing stages.
The race of the day, The Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes and extremely interesting that this has been bombarded by British trainers and the Dahlia Stakes winner STAY ALERT has had her win well documented when the runner up Running Lion ran out a good winner of the Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Ascot. She is the pay for me again.
CURRAGH
14.20 – California Dreamer (1pt win @ 11/2) 2nd – Chose the wrong one
14.55 – Ecureuil Secret (0.5pt each way @ 16/1) place money taken – but had nowhere to go on that rail
15.30 – Stay Alert (1pt each way @ 6/1)Good Morning
Can you believe we are almost 6 months into this year, where has the time gone. However still plenty of great racing to throw those pennies at and take the stress of the Euro’s performances away from your mind. Today the highlight on home soil is the Northumberland Plate in Newcastle not to far from my humble abode in the North East.
I will be attending this afternoon, great atmosphere during the day with a good night out in the toon as they say up here to round the night off. so lets have a look at the cards which will also include the Curragh and HQ.
so kicking off with a tricky Class 2 handicap at Gosforth Park and I would like to think Andrew Balding’s KINGS LYNN has the credentials to be on the premises. He does look extremely exposed and has not got his head in front for over two years when winning the Group 2 Temple Stakes. Ha slumped to a winnable mark of just 92 and even though now turning seven lets hope something still in the tank, ran well over CD two runs back finishing third.
On to the Group 3 Chipchase Stakes (14.04 Newcastle) and Kinross would be the correct selection here off the back of Group wins in the past, however this is a messy race and he would have to come over the top from stall 3 to land the spoils no easy task at Newcastle. His record on the all weather is 2 runs and 1 win which came at Kempton, was a beaten fav here at the course over a mile.
So there are alternatives, both Albasheer and Fivethousandtoone have far too much weight for me to consider them to win this contest and both bombed out in the Wokingham last time a race that has not been kind coming into this, and the fact we have only seen only one double figure price in the past eight renewals its probably a miss race and watch, but I am, going to have a small punt on Ed Walker’s POPMASTER.
His a right price around 16/1 and does bring solid all weather form to the table, you never know which one of his character is going to turn up, but if getting a good ride into the race and should get that under the new sensation Billy Loughnane i give him a squeak, would not put you off RAMAZAN also for Fahey each way.
The first visit to HQ is the 2.15 Empress Fillies Stakes and I was quite taken with Ralph Beckett’s TALES OF THE HEART who won nicely at Kempton, a race that has seen the third finish fourth to Bedtime Story in the Chesham as the did the fourth, she could be something for a yard that has won this race twice in the past four years. Karl Burke’s Teej A has landed a couple of nice handicaps and is still improving.
Back to Newcastle and the Northumberland Vase and if I was honest I would not know where t start, however if I had to put one forward it would be Tim Easterby’s MARBUZET who has only had one career run on the all weather and has had a few runner up runs to be considered.
Back to Newmarket and the Fred Archer Stakes and I am a big fan of Jim Crowley who has won on Crystal Delight on his past two runs and probably deserves a crack at this step up in class, however he might come up short against the Charlie Appleby pair and I do like the second string in KEMARI.
Despite having his first run of the season its not the hottest of renewals and I would like to see him run well again as he did last year when landing this race in good style. Back to the feature at Newcastle and the main race in the Northumberland Plate and I am in the GRAND PROVIDENCE camp here. The fact he bypassed Ascot after his solid effort in the Chester Cup when finishing fifth behind Zoffee, gets a strong pull at the weights.
Over to Newmarket for their feature the Group 3 Criterion Stakes and a tricky little race in which TIBER FLOW could follow up his John of Gaunt Stakes win and give Haggas his second win in the race and first since 2006, the horse has shown consistency and won the Chipchase Stakes last years Northumberland Plate meeting.
The final race on the ITV card comes at Newcastle a tricky handicap to decipher and I am on the fence with the top two in the weights here, GREYS MONUMENT returns to the all weather where he got his head in front at Kempton last December and the 3lb rise on that form might be tough to keep him out of the frame. Likely favourite Make Me King finished in the top ten in this years Buckingham Palace Stakes, was a winner on the all weather for Andre Fabre in France and cannot be discounted at this level.
Selections
Newcastle
13.35 – Kings Lynn (1pt each way @ 7/1) 2nd
14.04 – Popmaster (0.5pt each way @ 12/1) – Not disappointed
14.35 – Marbuzet (0.5pt each way @ 14/1) – Did not have a bet in the race in the end – Fav won well
15.10 – Grand Providence (1pt each way @ 9/1) – Disappointing
15.40 – Grey’s Monument (1pt each way @ 15/2) – finished place – chose the wrong one againNewmarket
14.15 – Tales of The Heart (1pt win @ 9/2 NB) 2nd
14.50 – Kemari (0.5pt each way @ 14/1) – It does boil my piss using last years winner as a pacemaker
15.25 – TIBER FLOW (2.5pt win @ 7/2 NAP) NRGood Afternoon all
How has your Royal Ascot been going, i decided to miss the midweek races at the meeting to just observe for the rest of the season, Kyprios proved he is a real champion, so flops i saw in Notable Speech and Diamond Rain for the boys in blue, and for me the best ride of the week surely was Ryan Moore on Fairy Godmother, i see a lot of idiotic critics on twitter giving Ryan Moore a hard time on the ride, and to say she got him out of trouble, she probably did but lets not forget who was doing the steering, he still had to get her there, masterclass ride.
I feel both Inisherin and Port Fortuna could be in for a good season, both came to conquer and did the job well, two nice horses in training, So the last day of the Royal meeting, the bookies have looked to of been battered on the main races, and have clawed some back on the handicaps, so lets see if I can steal a few pennies.
I do feel the bookies will be running for cover again after the Chesham Stakes when the formidable team up with BEDTIME STORY, her win at Leopardstown i thought was impressive and with the form boosted i like her breeding by Frankel out of the speedy mare Mecca Angel.
The Hardwick Stakes and my two against the field here is CRYPTO FORCE and ELEGANT MAN who both looked overpriced, in order they finished third and fourth respectively that day and with both the winner and runner Auguste Rodin franking the form-line, at 66/1 & 16/1 i would like to play these both each way in what looks an average looking Hardwicke renewal.
Duke of York stakes looks the key form here, Art Power, Mill Stream, Shouldbebeenaring, Mitbaahy and Washington Heights this is where i feel the winner will come from this group. ART POWER went on to run a creditable fourth to Mitbaahy in the Greenlands Stakes another race that has turned out winners of this renewal, and the form line once more really strong through the runner up Regional who only found Asfoora too good in the King Charles 111 stakes here this week.
The draw is going to be the most significant as over yesterdays sprints and infact most of the week its been between stall 5 out to stall 11, draws below…
ART POWER (7)
MILL STREAM (8)
MITBAAHY (1) X
SHOULDVEBEENARING (11)
WASHINGTON HEIGHTS (10)As you can see apart from Mitbaahy who looks really boxed out of it in stall 1 which we have not seen being achieved in 20 years. Interesting all those that were beaten in the Duke of York Stakes have done well on their next run, ART POWER had to concede 5lb to all his adversaries that day at York and I would not right off the seven year old off level weights he looks the value for me in the race and this could be another big win for northern trainers in the sprints
The Jersey Stakes we should be looking at Irish and English Guineas form, all Irish 2000 Guineas runners were beaten before coming here and this would bring us to HAATEM and RIVER TIBER into the equation. Second and third respectively, that form took a massive boost when Rosallion won the St James’s Palace Stakes this week. Richard Hannon’s will have to concede 3lb to River Tiber this time around, equivalent to around a length I still feel HAATEM is less exposed at this level and should hold that form and get his just deserve after two big runs in classics.
Oh my the Wokingham, probably one of the worst handicaps to decipher, well for me anyhow. Once more with 7 places being paid with the wonderful Skybet i will pick two against the field, my first one is LETHAL LEVI who landed a nice handicap at York last time out and FIVETHOUSANDTOONE who bombed out in the Duke of York Stakes and despite finishing midfield has to be respected with Oisin Murphy in the plate.
This will be only the fifth running of the Golden Gate Stakes, Tom Marquand notched his first Royal Ascot winner week and rides Approval who got off the mark at the fourth attempt under today’s pilot. a solid 7lb rise, however could run well again. Hand of God had to dig deep at Sandown to win by a neck, should be more suited by this step up in trip. Dambuster and Miletus both won their respective races last time but for me my money will be on Richard Hughes’s PALACE QUEEN.
He won nicely on the all weather at Kempton and handled himself well when finishing third on his handicap debut in a competitive handicap at York, his current mark of 90 on only his second handicap start i feel he has a big run in him this afternoon.
Last but not least the longest race of the week the Queen Alexandra Stakes, 22f contest we see a serious very interesting booking of Maxim Guyon on RUN FOR OSCAR, third in this last year behind Dawn Rising off level weights and will get a significant 3lb, he could of been a lot closer if not blocked in running.
SELECTIONS
14.30 : BEDTIME STORY (3pt win @ 6/4 NAP) – Wow 9.5 Lengths
15.05 : Elegant Man (0.5pt each way @ 20/1) – too much this time around
15.45 : Art Power (1pt each way @ 10/1 – 5 places) – disappointed not at least placed
16.25 : HAATEM (2pt win @ 5/1 NB) -What a race that was – under that penalty boom
17.05 : Fivethousandtoone & Lethal Levi (0.5pt each way on both @ 14/1 & 25/1 8 places) – Lethal Levi once more running creditable top 4 finish @ 28/1
17.40 : Palace Queen (1pt each way @ 10/1 – 4 places) You do not see many poor rides by Oisin Murphy but that was probably one of his worst judged rides this week, would of been a lor closer
18.15 : RUN FOR OSCAR (2pt win @ 9/4 NNB)it happens far to often, the original jockey gets shipped off Fast Tracker in Piccone and they bring in James Doyle who is a good enough Jockey, but I just feel never change a rider. The tactics front the front at Chantilly is to much and has been a negative over middle distances in the past, I just wish British jockeys study more when riding on the continent.
