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After the curragh today Johannes vermeers form looks rock solid and as he improved loads on his last run he looks a serious player now. He heads to the lagadere now where gleneagles lost out in the stewards room Last year. I would say if he wins well there could well be vying for favouritism for Guineas and Derby.Still not sure regards foundation and deauville but like many others think long term deauville is the better prospect. With shalaa likely to stick to sprinting I’d get on Air Force blue and Johannes Vermeer ante post now as their prices could well plummet in a couple of weeks. There could be a few back end maiden winners like hit the bomb today could also enter calculations. Coolmore looks a great prospect over a mile plus and finished with quite a rattle. BallyDoyle look to have a strong group of 2yos and hopefully a stronger hand for the derby than this years crop,
It can only be guesswork as to what might have happened if there had been no interference in the Irish champion and it’s all about opinions as Jamie lynch said on atr today. Emotionless,s rating reminds me of time tests inflated figure. Air Force blue is improving rapidly and will be even better next year and to me is 4 or 5 pounds ahead at the moment. Order of St George was mighty impressive and the manner of the win leaves ballydoyle with a tricky poser as he seems better than a top stayer. I hope they go for the stayers race at ascot and then look at the top 12f races next season although given his standing now they may be tempted to go for the arc or even the breeders cup. An amazing weekend for the obriens and ballydoyle with so many group one winners. I wonder if one trainer has done what he did over the weekend.
I don’t think found got to within a length of golden horn having watched it again and there was only just over a length at the line. Found came from a long way back and I really think she is a player in the 10/12f end of season races. Like to see her go to the breeders cup. I don’t know if she is being kept in training but I believe legatissamo won’t be so hopefully that means we will see found next season. Love to see gh and free eagle go head to head again as I just have that wee feeling free eagle may just beat him.
The fact that there is so many opinions on the race shows what a tough job the stewards have. As Kevin Blake said on atr it doesn’t seem right that golden horns antics meant free eagle lost any chance of winning and had free eagle finished second the stewards may well have awarded him the race. What can be done to rectify situations is anybody’s guess but it did seem a hollow victory for golden horn. Everybody also overlooked a cracking run by found and golden horn was not pulling away from her which suggests to me that over 12f it could be a close call between the two.Found each way for the arc could well be a cracking bet.
At this stage air force blue is heads and shoulders above the other 2yos and looks better than gleneagles did at this stage of his career.Considering the ground that was mighty impressive and i think he will scare most away if he goes for the dewhurst. If it is good or better at newmarket next may he will take some beating and he still seems to be progressing at a rate of knots.Dont know what to make of ballydoyle and minding but they are two very good fillies.Maybe it was the ground that beat ballydoyle but minding looks a top prospect and aiden obrien seems to as usual have some cracking horses for next seasons classics when you consider deauville as well.
AS the rule stands free eagle gets taken out and theres nothing anybody can do about it.What a ridiculous state of affairs.Had free eagle finished second he would have won the race so why is the winner not booted out as its interference cost free eagle the race.im sure dermot weld must be livid with what went on.If ever there was a case for stewards using their discretion this is it.To think gleneagles got didqualified in france for so called interference almost on the line make this decision laughable.Maybe we shouldnt be so quick to slag the french and american stewards as that was as bad as anything ive seen for a long while.
The rules are simple.Did interference take place. Yes it clearly did and did it mean the second horse was interfered to by more than the winning margin.Again clearly it was.Much as i feel sorry for ralph beckett the stewards have made the right decision.I doubt any appeal will win as the top steward pointed out all procedures had been followed.Its the consistency thats the problem. Sts should have lost the voltigeur and then this result would have not been so heatedly debated.It seems for ages the stewards only change a result if they absolutely have too and commom sense has gone out the window.
Looking at the latest weather forecast it looks like the heavy rain will miss leapordstown so the big clash might be on. I really hope it is but if it does pour down i will be on found who looked awesome in her last race in easy conditions.
What people forget is that aiden is only saying what coolmore says and i doubt very much it is his thoughts. Gleneagles is the best good ground miler around and that is what coolmore want at their stud as horses who are best at 8 to 10f is the latest fad in breeding. Im sure aiden would have liked to have kept the horse to a mile and then gone 10f in the champion stakes and then kept in training at 4 over 10f where im sure he would have excelled. Thats not the way coolmore works and its all about the stallions. Aiden is the most successful trainer in the last ten years and this is with the constraints put on him by john magnier and the boys. Id love to see him train where he has control of where the horses go like sir henry did but cant see that happening anytime soon. He does seem to be more relaxed these days so maybe hes not letting things get to him as much. As ive said before maybe he should have a racing manager who could put out the coolmore line and let aiden get on with training. Btw why cant racecourses put down covers on the course like in cricket to keep a strip of ground safe from downpours.I doubt it would cost that much and would ensure the best would turn up for the big races.Just a thought.
The best hurdler since istabraaq and one of the all time greats. His beating of Jezki and our Conor was one of the most pulsating races I’ve seen. You can make stats say anything. Mastercraftsman was only beaten a length by sea the stars in a course record time but was given a rating way below what that form suggests. He has clearly passed on his class to the likes of the grey gatsby Kingston hill and amazing Maria. The fly is a once in a generation horse and probably won’t be appreciated for a few years till we realise how great he was.
It would make total sense for both golden horn and gleneagles to go to the breeders cup. Glen Eagles would get his ground and golden horn would easily win the 12f turf race. They might try gleneagles on dirt but as galileos don’t seem to go on it that’s unlikely. Such a shame we’ve missed so many possible clashes due to the effect it has on the horses stallion prospects.
I just can’t see golden horn beating gleneagles unless he tries the same tactics as in the eclipse. In most of these group ones it’s the horse with the biggest kick that prevails. Right now over a couple of furlongs at the end of a steadily run race on good to firm going you would be mad to bet against gleneagles. Watch the guineas again and he won it so easily. Hopefully the going comes right for leapardstown. Could gleneagles end up at the breeders cup if he doesn’t run there.theres a thought.
Seamie heffernan is first choice when Joseph can’t do the weight and colm odonohue rides the next in line horse or if Joseph is riding elsewhere. Same arrangements for many years.
I think you mixing up the stories regarding Joseph looking after the jump horses next year which would give him time to get ready for his inevitable training career once he loses the battle with his weight. I’ve always said that aiden has one of the hardest job anywhere with the lads deciding where horses run I’m sure contrary sometimes to what widen wanted. Camelot in the Irish Derby and tapestry running over a mile right after beating tag rooda brilliantly in the Yorkshire oaks are two that spring to mind. I do believe aiden wanted to run gleneagles over 10 f earlier than the lads. I’m sure sir Henry wouldn’t have put up with what aiden has but he does get to train the cream of horses. I’d only think he’d leave if he was offered say a huge contract by the qataris or someone of that magnitude or to train in the USA. Family is huge to him though and I doubt he will leave. The fact so many top jockeys have body swerved the coolmore job shows how tough it is especially pat smullen who must be fed up watching Joseph or Ryan Moore sweep past him on another ballydoyle winner.
Loyalty is a huge thing with coolmore though and I’m sure once we get the likes of Australia and came lots offspring in training ai den won’t want to be anywhere else. The one thing I would say is I wish agent would get a racing manager like other outfits do as he looks knackered doing the no doubt multitude of interviews he has to do. Sorry for the length of the post but I feel aiden Is much maligned unfairly in my eyes and is a true genius with horses alongside Vincent orient,sir Henry and Noel murless.Some of the analysis and labelling of Gleneagles, on here and elsewhere, as a hype horse is bordering on hysterical nonsense and a few seem to have lost their normal faculties.
Unbeaten since his debut
Maiden then 5 wins at two
Including Tyros and Futurity
Wins two group 1s as 2yo
Including the best 2yo race in Ireland & best 2yo race in France (FPTP only)
Unbeaten at 3 including two classics and St James Place Stakes.That ladies and gentlemen is a career.
Couldn’t agree more. He is a top miler and has won every race since his debut. He has a magnificent physique and in hindsight the boys made the right decision. I believe on rattling ground he would out battle golden horn as his speed is superior to gh. Btw as regards fillies I wonder if the ballydoyle team wished they had run legatissimo. Result similar to tapestry toppling taghrooda last year. One last thing. How come Australia gets a rating 5 below golden horn when gh only beat tgg by a length more. All about opinions and I think Australia was grossly underrated due to one bad ride in the Irish champion. Huge well done to David Ellsworth and Geoff smith.
The going this morning is good to soft with 14mm of rain in the last 24 hrs. It’s meant to be warm and dry today and bright leading up to the race. Highly unlikely gleneagles will run unless it dries dramatically today.
Think ballydoyle will leave decision to as late as possible in the hope the ground dries out. Odds are gleneagles will be pulled and then we could have him going for the breeders cup or even God forbid staying in training next season. Hugely frustrating if he doesn’t run but I can fully understand if the boys pull him out.
