News from the North(ern) Hemisphere

[Red Rum 1,833]

On 3/16/2021 at 8:45 AM, Berri said:

The Elliot photograph is nothing more than a PC bashing exercise done to promote the anti racing initiative. The horse was dead. It didn’t have feelings at that stage and horses have people sit on them on a continuous basis. What’s the real fuss. 
 

I know Katirino intimately. Owned by a great mate Robert Waley Cohen. That was a real family affair with Sam riding it. Strange rule currently stopping amateur riders (Sam is one) at this years Cheltenham. Because they aren’t either pros or Olympians, they are not classified as elite sportsman. So can’t ride due to COVID-19.

sam has ridden more winners over the Grand National than any others

Great ride on Jett , 30000 quid wasn't not too bad for 8th .

[Berri 2,131]

Talked to Sam this morning. Gave him a great ride but just ran out of puff last 600m. Gave him a hard time for going to hard up front but he said he travels like that but didn't quite stay it out. Really amazing rider of the winner. Brought Cheltenham to its knees and backed up here. With Jamie Kah doing her stuff in Aussie, maybe the goal posts have changed.

[Red Rum 1,833]

9 hours ago, Berri said:

Talked to Sam this morning. Gave him a great ride but just ran out of puff last 600m. Gave him a hard time for going to hard up front but he said he travels like that but didn't quite stay it out. Really amazing rider of the winner. Brought Cheltenham to its knees and backed up here. With Jamie Kah doing her stuff in Aussie, maybe the goal posts have changed.

I love seeing a horse running along in lead like that in National pinging the fences , he had horse in real rhythm.  Uncle Merlin I backed years back was bounding along in lead ,  full of running under Hywell Davies trained by Captain Forster , all went wrong at Beechers , iam convinced he wouldn't have run out of gas .

[stodge 1,940]

The second day of the Grand National Festival meeting continued on unchanged ground and with a continuing dry but chilly theme.

Once again, four Grade 1 races on a strong card.

The Top Novices Hurdle over 3200m was Aintree’s version of the Supreme Novices at Cheltenham but it was the County Handicap Hurdle which supplied the clues here and while THIRD TIME LUCKI ran sixth, he had a big pull in the weights with winner BELFAST BANTER. The favourite was the once-raced DUSART who made a very favourable impression on his hurdling debut at Newbury last November when he beat a horse called SOARING GLORY who went on to win a warm handicap at Newbury in February before finishing fourth in the Supreme at Cheltenham.

The fancied 4-y-o HOUX GRIS fell on the far side while ANY NEWS faded quickly from the end of the back straight. DUSART and THIRD TIME LUCKI were always prominent along with DO YOUR JOB and FOR PLEASURE at a big price, but Kevin Sexton had a quiet ride round on BELFAST BANTER and cantered in to the race from two out.

The key to this horse has been found and once Sexton brought the horse to challenge and lead at the last, that was that. DO YOUR JOB ran home for third but was a length and a quarter down at the time. DUSART kept on for third and the three were nicely clear of THIRD TIME LUCKI and FOR PLEASURE.

This was only DUSART’s second run, and he looked as though he didn’t have a clue at the business end but for all that ran creditably, and I expect he will improve a lot next season and could well be on the Champion Hurdle fringes.

This was an extraordinary performance by BELFAST BANTER who had won the County off 129, getting a stone from THIRD TIME LUCKI who he beat less than four lengths. The handicapper put up BELFAST BANTER to 135 (not unreasonably) but he now met THIRD TIME LUCKI (rated 143) on levels, but not only did he confirm the form but increased the gap over THIRD TIME LUCKI to 14 lengths.

If you assume THIRD TIME LUCKI ran 7 lbs below his best you would still have to put BELFAST BANTER up to 150 on this so off 129, he must have been a certainty for the County. I do think quicker ground has helped but they’ve also discovered how to ride this horse. Could he go on to challenge the 160+ rated contenders next season? It’s not impossible.

The Mildmay over 4800m is technically Aintree’s equivalent of the Brown Brothers at Cheltenham for the staying novice chasers but it was the intermediate novice champion CHANTRY HOUSE who went off short priced for this after his fine win in the Marsh.

In the end, it was a facile win – as I expected, the two Tizzard horses, FIDDLERONTHEHOOF and THE BIG BREAKAWAY, who were placed in the Brown Brothers, found this all happening much too fast and were never involved. SHAN BLUE raced prominently until weakening from three out and at the top of the straight it was effectively a match between CHANTRY HOUSE and pacesetter ESPOIR DE ROMAY who had jumped really well from the front.

Three out and ESPOIR DE ROMAY put in another superb leap while CHANTRY HOUSE was less fluent, and Nico de Boinville was working hard on the favourite and going nowhere. However, at the second last, ESPOIR DE ROMAY took off too early and came down too steep – to be fair, CHANTRY HOUSE did well to avoid the falling horse and jockey, but the race was over.

CHANTRY HOUSE came home by 32 lengths from SHAN BLUE – would he have won anyway? I’m far from convinced – ESPOIR DE ROMAY had only been beaten previously by ROYALE PAGAILLE who was thought good enough to run in the Gold Cup.

Winning trainer Nicky Henderson confirmed CHANTRY HOUSE would be his Gold Cup contender next year and would take the now traditional Betfair and King George route to Prestbury Park. He won this off 159 so he’s got about 12 lbs to find so there’s plenty to do yet.

Confusingly, the Marsh Chase at Aintree is run over the same trip as the Marsh at Cheltenham but while the latter is for novices, this is more akin to the Ryanair in that it is a championship race at the intermediate distance. Ryanair runner up FAKIR D’OUDAIRIES was favourite and made no mistake winning this convincingly by eleven lengths.

I’d slightly query the form as POLITOLOGUE bled again and fade tamely into fourth while MASTER TOMMYTUCKER made a horrendous mistake at the fourth and generally his jumping wasn’t good enough and he weakened tamely from three out. With NOTEBOOK also running a shocker, you could argue FAKIR D’OUDAIRIES got the softest of Grade 1 races.

We shouldn’t disparage him though – he’s placed against the very best – he was runner up in the 2020 Arkle to PUT THE KETTLE ON (this year’s Champion Chase winner) and in the Ryanair this year to ALLAHO who now looks a really good horse and is the top-rated chaser at 174. I suspect 4000m will be FAKIR D’OUDAIRIES’s trip.

It will be tempting for Willie Mullins to send ALLAHO over 4800m and if he’s off 174 ad CHANTRY HOUSE is off 159 and they meet at levels, you can see how people might view it.

The staying novice hurdlers got their chance in the Sefton over 4850m. This looked an ideal opportunity for BRAVEMANSGAME to follow up his Ballymore third but pre-race, trainer Paul Nicholls warned his charge had a hard race at Prestbury. Money came for the lightly raced GALLYHILL and the Skelton runner MIDNIGHT FLYER, but it all stayed in the bookies’ satchels as AHOY SENOR made every yard under an enterprising ride from Derek Fox at the rewarding odds of 66/1.

AHOY SENOR had won a maiden hurdle at Ayr on his previous outing but that looked a world away from Grade 1 company. BRAVEMANSGAME ran a bit in snatches and came to have every chance two out but he looks a bit slow on this quicker ground and on this flatter track for all he may improve again for a fence next season.

Star of the show on Day Two was FAKIR D’OUDAIRIES and while I can imagine CHANTRY HOUSE trying to mix it with the top Irish runners next season, the question is whether Mullins sees ALLAHO as the natural replacement for AL BOUM PHOTO and whether the former is a Gold Cup horse over the 5200m trip having looked so good at 4000m.

[stodge 1,940]

The first day of the Grand National meeting took place on an overcast, chilly dry. The ground, though officially Good to Soft, Good in places, looked to be riding plenty quick enough especially on the Mildmay track.

Four Grade 1 races on a strong opening card and the card opened with the Manifesto Chase over 4000m for the intermediate novices. Favourite was FUSIL RAFFLES and he led but clouted the ninth and was immediately in trouble pulling up two fences later – it later transpired he had burst a blood vessel.

HITMAN took up the cudgels tracked by THE SHUNTER and PROTEKTORAT and these three comminated the rest of the races and, as is often the case, jumping told the story. THE SHUNTER missed both three out and two out and HITMAN wasn’t fluent at the last which gave PROTEKTORAT his chance and in a tight finish Harry Skelton was able to prevail and led home a 1-3 for the owners with THE SHUNTER just edging out HITMAN.

Having looked very good at Cheltenham last October, PROTEKTORAT had been turned over twice at 1/2 at Wincanton and Market Rasen and connections had gone for a wind operation which, I suspect, along with better ground, worked the oracle. THE SHUNTER had won a Grade 3 handicap at Cheltenham and ran another solid race here as did HITMAN.

The Doom Bar was for the juvenile hurdlers over 3200m, and it looked a match on paper between the unbeaten MONMIRAL, who had swerved Cheltenham and ADAGIO who had run a fine race in defeat in the Triumph and approaching two out the match was on, but ADAGIO wasn’t fluent at the last and Harry Cobden quickened MONMIRAL clear to win comfortably and notch another win for the owning syndicate (which includes former Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson).

On this evidence you could argue MONMIRAL is the best juvenile in England, and I hope he and Triumph winner QUILLIXIOS will clash at Punchestown.

The Betway Bowl is Aintree’s version of the Gold Cup and quite often a Cheltenham also-ran comes on to win this. NATIVE RIVER was fourth this year, but this looked a tough ask on the ground and it was one who swerved Cheltenham, CLAN DES OBEAUX who put up a stellar performance. He’d been well held in the Betfair at Haydock and the King George at Kempton and connections tried cheek pieces here as there was a suspicion, he’d got a bit lazy.

This showed how simple head gear changes can have a big effect – this was the CLAN DES OBEAUX of old and while Cheltenham will never be a happy hunting ground, you’d fancy him back at Haydock or Kempton in the autumn and after the race trainer Paul Nicholls was musing on either a tilt at the Punchestown Gold Cup or the end of season Bet 365 Gold Cup at Sandown.

Needless to say, the owners were ecstatic as this rounded off an unbelievable start with another winner making a hat-trick on the day.

CLONDAW RIVER was thrashed 26 lengths into second while NATIVE RIVER plugged home for third and dual National winner TIGER ROLL ran about as well as could be expected in fourth beaten a colossal 92 lengths.

WAITING PATIENTLY travelled well to halfway but was soon in trouble and was among those pulled up in the straight left toiling in the winner’s wake.

Arguably, the day’s feature was the Aintree Hurdle over 4000m. This fills a rare Cheltenham gap in providing an intermediate hurdling distance championship race. It looked wide open as neither the Champion Hurdle nor Staying Hurdle principals were present. Favourite was the Irish challenger JASON THE MILITANT, but that gamble went astray half way down the far side as the horse jinked right and catapulted Rachel Blackmore out the left door.

That changed the dynamic of the race in two ways – the loose horse caused the leaders problems and in particular did former Champion Hurdle winner BUVEUR D’AIR zero favours lighting him up and getting in his way at two out.

Meanwhile, Jack Kennedy had enjoyed a quiet ride round on ABRACADABRAS and having seen how JASON THE MILITANT jinked to his right came up his inside and quickened ahead after the last. Outsiders BUZZ and MILLER’S TALE outran their odds to chase home the winner while BUVEUR D’AIR was arguably a slightly unlucky fourth. As for the others, it all happened too quickly for BREWINUPASTORM while SILVER STREAK was held up and might not have enjoyed it as he found little for pressure and came home sixth.

Second favourite MCFABULOUS never looked happy either and was seventh.

Thus, the Irish stranglehold on the championship hurdling division was confirmed and for all HONEYSUCKLE would be most people’s idea of the 2022 Champion Hurdle winner at this time, I do think ABRACADABRAS could be a potent challenger as he’s not short of speed or stamina.

It was of course good for the home team to win their own Grade 1 races for a change and in their own environment (which probably means not Cheltenham or deep ground), both MONMIRAL and CLAN DES OBEAUX are going to be serious players in the championship races next season.

[stodge 1,940]

The final day of the Grand National meeting culminated in the great race itself of which more anon. The ground remained Good to Soft with a further 6 mm of irrigation on Friday evening, but the day stayed dry, despite some heavy rain and snow showers near the course.

Three Grade 1 races took place before the big race – the first was the Mersey Hurdle for the novices over the intermediate trip of 4000m. Favourite for this was MY DROGO who had impressed plenty of observers when winning at Ascot and Kelso – connections had swerved Cheltenham and took on Supreme runner up BALLYADAM and another useful Irish challenger in DREAL DEAL.

In a season dominated by the Irish (of which more anon), this was a rare triumph for the home team and MY DROGO did this really well jumping well and staying on far too strongly to win by 10 lengths. MINELLA DRAMA had come down from the north with each way claims and ran pretty well looking a real threat two out but a poor jump there ended his chances, and he was all out to hold the late challenge of GUARD YOUR DREAMS who had been beaten a long way in the Coral Cup, a handicap at Cheltenham and this just puts a question on the form.

BALLYADAM was a rare reverse for Henry de Bromhead and Rachel Blackmore – the trainer thought afterward it had come too soon after Cheltenham and for all he has mixed it with the likes of APPRECIATE IT since winning the Royal Bond, he just hasn’t gone on.

On course, connections of MY DROGO were justifiably thrilled, and the plan is to jump fences next year – I think he’ll get 4800m and could be better suited to the staying tests and I suppose he’s a potential Gold Cup horse in 2023 but that’s a very long way off.

From a novice with potential to a proven novice champion in the Maghull Chase for the speedy novice chasers over 3200m. The dominance of SHISHKIN in this division and the absence of a serious Irish challenge (or indeed any Irish challenge) left the Arkle winner 1/8 to follow up. He duly did but this was a flat performance and let’s be fair, FUNAMBULE SIVOLA, decent though he is, is rated 20 lbs inferior and shouldn’t have been as close as four lengths down at the line.

This wasn’t the SHISHKIN we saw at Cheltenham and I suspect that’ll be the end of him for this year – the question for next year is whether he can move to open company and take on the likes of PUT THE KETTLE ON and CHACUN POUR SOI. He has plenty of speed and will always be happiest on decent ground so while I expect the plans would be to start with the Tingle Creek, they might go up a little in trip for the Haldon at Exeter or the Peterborough at Huntingdon.

The Stayers Hurdle over 4850m was what it said on the tin – the Aintree version of the World Hurdle at Cheltenham but while DIOL KER brought fair Irish form to the table, it looked on paper a contest confined to the three who had dominated the Long Walk before Christmas. PAISLEY PARK had won that day just mugging THYNE HILL close home with ROKSANA close behind in third.

For PAISLEY PARK, as I suspected, it all happened too quickly on this sharp track and decent ground and he was pulled up at the top of the straight. THYNE HILL was always prominent while ROKSANA was finessed into the race from midfield by Harry Skelton but it all went wrong at the second straight when THYNE HILL made a mistake and Skelton found himself in the lead too soon on ROKSANA. The problem was she was now a target for THYNE HILL and Tom O’Brien – riding his first Grade 1 as retained jockey for Philip Hobbs following the retirement of “Dickie” Johnson – challenged but away from the mare giving her nothing to race with and he got THYNE HILL up in the final 20m to win a neck.

The first two were four and a half lengths clear of THOMAS DARBY who ran his best race since finishing runner up in the 2019 Supreme at Cheltenham.

ROKSANA ran a fine race in defeat – she had run third in the Mares at Cheltenham over 4000m, but this is her trip on this kind of track. THYNE HILL missed Cheltenham where he had been unlucky in the 2020 Albert Bartlett and you’d think he’d be back next year to take on FLOORING PORTER in a division which isn’t perhaps as strong as some of the others.

On then to the Grand National which is worth £375,000 to the winner and a full field of 40 runners. The race has been well documented elsewhere so just a few observations – ANY SECOND NOW was badly hampered when CHRIS’S DREAM crashed out, but you’d be hard pressed to argue he’d have won given how well MINELLA TIMES went after the last.

BURROWS SAINT looked the winner to me four out but emptied suddenly between the last two and simply didn’t stay. I never thought FARCLAS would win but he travelled well down to the last and if he gets a decent weight next year, he’d be one to consider.

Let’s not forget BALKO DES FLOS won the Ryanair back in 2018 but he’s had more bad runs than good ones since, but he’s always mixed it in good company. It was a remarkable achievement for de Bromhead to saddle the 1-2 – the winner had never gone beyond 4800m but his runner up performances in very warm Leopardstown handicaps at Christmas and in February meant he came into this off 145 which looked very attractive if you thought he would get the trip.

Perhaps the most worrying statistic for British racing is nine of the first ten finishers were trained in Ireland – of the fifteen who completed, only three were trained in Britain. Eighteen of the forty runners were Irish trained and twelve of those eighteen finished.

The gap between the British and Irish jumpers, which looked huge at Cheltenham, was canyon-like here. The best of the British was BLAKLION, who had first run in this in 2017 when fourth to ONE FOR ARTHUR and had been brought down in TIGER ROLL’s first win in 2018. He is rated 138 and was actually 7 lbs “wrong” and was beaten 37 lengths by MINELLA TIMES but was still the best British trained horse.

Rachel Blackmore has of course got all the plaudits and has made history following on from her triumph at Cheltenham – Henry de Bromhead has usurped Willie Mullins and the Elliott/Foster stable to become the leading quality trainer – he has saddled the winners of the Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase, Gold Cup and Grand National in the same season and that’s unprecedented.

[stodge 1,940]

Time to catch up on bits and pieces away from the Grand National last weekend.

SKALLETI enjoyed a facile win in the Harcourt at Longchamp and it'll be interesting to see where he is campaigned next - the obvious next step is the Ganay at the beginning of next month.

At Leopardstown, overnight rain had eased the ground back to Good. I'm not sure what the Guineas Trials told us - POETIC FLARE won the colts trial and is 16/1 for Newmarket but this bare form wouldn't be good enough. With SHALE flopping, the fillies trial was won by an 80/1 outsider in KEEPER OF TIME. Perhaps of more interest was the Ballysax which has produced plenty of Derby winners down the years and this year's renewal went to BOLSHOI BALLET who was immediately cut to 8/1 for Epsom in early June.

Aidan O'Brien is often mob handed at Epsom and as last year showed, even he and Ryan Moore don't always know who their best runner is or will be.

Newmarket returned today from its winter break with the first day of the 3-day Craven meeting.

Tomorrow features the Group 3 Nell Gwyn over 1400m for the classic fillies. 10 go and it looks wide open complicated by the fact that a) we don't know how the fillies have handled this cold start to spring and b) those with form performed on much softer ground. I'm not playing (still nursing my Aintree wounds to be honest) but if I nicked ten dollars from someone, it would go on LOVE FOR YOU.

The Earl of Sefton sees GLOBAL GIANT bid to build on his emphatic Magnolia success and he should do so though SAN DONATO has claims having mixed it with the likes of MOHAATHER at Group 1 level before a couple of slightly disappointing efforts on slower ground.

Thursday has the Group 3 Craven for the 3-y-o colts over the full Guineas trip. MASTER OF THE SEAS was beaten at a short price in Meydan and now wears a hood while Aidan O'Brien runs two useful types in KHARTOUM and SANDHURST. Ryan Moore is on the former. The Abernant is the return race for July Cup winner OXTED who was well held on the Dirt at Riyadh but should find this much more to his liking.

Due to Prince Philip's funeral, Saturday's big UK cards at Ayr and Newbury have been moved to Sunday. The former hosts the Scottish Grand National while at Newbury Cheveley Park winner ALCOHOL FREE is set to run in the Fred Darling while Dewhurst flop CHINDIT looks very interesting in the Greenham. 

[Red Rum 1,833]

4 hours ago, stodge said:

Time to catch up on bits and pieces away from the Grand National last weekend.

SKALLETI enjoyed a facile win in the Harcourt at Longchamp and it'll be interesting to see where he is campaigned next - the obvious next step is the Ganay at the beginning of next month.

At Leopardstown, overnight rain had eased the ground back to Good. I'm not sure what the Guineas Trials told us - POETIC FLARE won the colts trial and is 16/1 for Newmarket but this bare form wouldn't be good enough. With SHALE flopping, the fillies trial was won by an 80/1 outsider in KEEPER OF TIME. Perhaps of more interest was the Ballysax which has produced plenty of Derby winners down the years and this year's renewal went to BOLSHOI BALLET who was immediately cut to 8/1 for Epsom in early June.

Aidan O'Brien is often mob handed at Epsom and as last year showed, even he and Ryan Moore don't always know who their best runner is or will be.

Newmarket returned today from its winter break with the first day of the 3-day Craven meeting.

Tomorrow features the Group 3 Nell Gwyn over 1400m for the classic fillies. 10 go and it looks wide open complicated by the fact that a) we don't know how the fillies have handled this cold start to spring and b) those with form performed on much softer ground. I'm not playing (still nursing my Aintree wounds to be honest) but if I nicked ten dollars from someone, it would go on LOVE FOR YOU.

The Earl of Sefton sees GLOBAL GIANT bid to build on his emphatic Magnolia success and he should do so though SAN DONATO has claims having mixed it with the likes of MOHAATHER at Group 1 level before a couple of slightly disappointing efforts on slower ground.

Thursday has the Group 3 Craven for the 3-y-o colts over the full Guineas trip. MASTER OF THE SEAS was beaten at a short price in Meydan and now wears a hood while Aidan O'Brien runs two useful types in KHARTOUM and SANDHURST. Ryan Moore is on the former. The Abernant is the return race for July Cup winner OXTED who was well held on the Dirt at Riyadh but should find this much more to his liking.

Due to Prince Philip's funeral, Saturday's big UK cards at Ayr and Newbury have been moved to Sunday. The former hosts the Scottish Grand National while at Newbury Cheveley Park winner ALCOHOL FREE is set to run in the Fred Darling while Dewhurst flop CHINDIT looks very interesting in the Greenham. 

I've had a few quid ew on Law of the Sea for Derby , liked that Leicester win last week and got 40s .Golden Horn  Half to Le Don de Vie, cheap for Godolphin as only 100k but in the Gosden yard . Sandown Classic trial I'd guess he will go .

[stodge 1,940]

18 hours ago, Red Rum said:

I've had a few quid ew on Law of the Sea for Derby , liked that Leicester win last week and got 40s .Golden Horn  Half to Le Don de Vie, cheap for Godolphin as only 100k but in the Gosden yard . Sandown Classic trial I'd guess he will go .

Unfortunately, he's at 66s in a number of places over here but there you go.

He's bred to get every inch of the 2400m trip and on the dam's side you'd think he'd go on slower ground but winning a Leicester maiden is a million miles from winning a Derby. 

Looking at the form, the runner up, GUSTAV HOLST,  from the Hannon yard, was on debut while the third, from the Crisford yard, ran off 72 but was beaten nine lengths so that would put LAW OF THE SEA with a rating in the mid-80s. 

I'd be more interested in races like the Queen's Vase at Ascot or the Leger as he looks a promising stayer.

[stodge 1,940]

Picking up on tomorrow's afternoon, Ryan Moore has stepped in for a nice "spare" on OXTED with Cieren Fallon "not 100% fit" after a fall last week.

The Craven has 10 runners and the money this afternoon has been for the Godolphin apparently "second string" LA BARROSA who won two before flopping in bottomless ground at Saint Cloud in the autumn. The Newmarket ground is near perfect and clearly a big run is expected. He's 8 lbs inferior to stable mate MASTER OF THE SEAS but the two horses are joint favs at 7/2 overnight.

Another interesting horse is ROYAL AIR FORCE, a son of Fastnet Rock out of a Galileo mare. He won at the end of June last year in a 3-hprse race at Yarmouth by seven lengths but hasn't run since.  Oisin Murphy rides and I think he could be worth a second look especially if he seems ready in the paddock.

Aidan O'Brien has entered four and Joseph O'Brien has entered six for Sunday's Alleged Stakes over 2000m at The Curragh. LOVE has been entered but I'm certain she won't run.

[Red Rum 1,833]

1 hour ago, stodge said:

Picking up on tomorrow's afternoon, Ryan Moore has stepped in for a nice "spare" on OXTED with Cieren Fallon "not 100% fit" after a fall last week.

The Craven has 10 runners and the money this afternoon has been for the Godolphin apparently "second string" LA BARROSA who won two before flopping in bottomless ground at Saint Cloud in the autumn. The Newmarket ground is near perfect and clearly a big run is expected. He's 8 lbs inferior to stable mate MASTER OF THE SEAS but the two horses are joint favs at 7/2 overnight.

Another interesting horse is ROYAL AIR FORCE, a son of Fastnet Rock out of a Galileo mare. He won at the end of June last year in a 3-hprse race at Yarmouth by seven lengths but hasn't run since.  Oisin Murphy rides and I think he could be worth a second look especially if he seems ready in the paddock.

Aidan O'Brien has entered four and Joseph O'Brien has entered six for Sunday's Alleged Stakes over 2000m at The Curragh. LOVE has been entered but I'm certain she won't run.

Yarmouth , there would be a fair old list of top liners that had an early win at seaside , great track . Nice caravan park along back straight with amusements and decent bar back in day . Saw Midway Lady run there years back , Dubai Millennium had a win there too .Cecil used to win plenty there .

[Red Rum 1,833]

2 hours ago, stodge said:

Unfortunately, he's at 66s in a number of places over here but there you go.

He's bred to get every inch of the 2400m trip and on the dam's side you'd think he'd go on slower ground but winning a Leicester maiden is a million miles from winning a Derby. 

Looking at the form, the runner up, GUSTAV HOLST,  from the Hannon yard, was on debut while the third, from the Crisford yard, ran off 72 but was beaten nine lengths so that would put LAW OF THE SEA with a rating in the mid-80s. 

I'd be more interested in races like the Queen's Vase at Ascot or the Leger as he looks a promising stayer.

Handicapper has put him at 95 on strength of second win last week , seems bit high . Like to throw a few coins on a few ante post to see how they roll through trials .

[stodge 1,940]

21 hours ago, Red Rum said:

Yarmouth , there would be a fair old list of top liners that had an early win at seaside , great track . Nice caravan park along back straight with amusements and decent bar back in day . Saw Midway Lady run there years back , Dubai Millennium had a win there too .Cecil used to win plenty there .

Indeed - its proximity to Newmarket makes it very attractive for trainers wanting to give their young horses a trip away from home without it being too onerous.

Leicester and Nottingham are other popular venues.

I went to Yarmouth a few times in the 80s and 90s and, as you say, Henry Cecil liked to run a good one there but so did the likes of Stoute, Cumani  and especially Thomson-Jones who was one of the big trainers for the late Sheikh Hamdan.

In recent times, problems with the track have blighted Yarmouth. The straight became very patchy and undulating and has needed a lot of maintenance. Even so, they lost a meeting last August due to a horse suffering a fatal injury.

The big meeting remains the Eastern Festival in mid September which is at the same time as the Western Meeting at Ayr.  

[stodge 1,940]

10 go in Saturday's Alleged at The Curragh and it'll be interesting to see if BROOME, who was fourth to ANTHONY VAN DYCK in the 2019 Derby, can continue his upward trajectory after an emphatic win over 2000m on soft ground at Navan. 

 

[Red Rum 1,833]

10 hours ago, stodge said:

Indeed - its proximity to Newmarket makes it very attractive for trainers wanting to give their young horses a trip away from home without it being too onerous.

Leicester and Nottingham are other popular venues.

I went to Yarmouth a few times in the 80s and 90s and, as you say, Henry Cecil liked to run a good one there but so did the likes of Stoute, Cumani  and especially Thomson-Jones who was one of the big trainers for the late Sheikh Hamdan.

In recent times, problems with the track have blighted Yarmouth. The straight became very patchy and undulating and has needed a lot of maintenance. Even so, they lost a meeting last August due to a horse suffering a fatal injury.

The big meeting remains the Eastern Festival in mid September which is at the same time as the Western Meeting at Ayr.  

Thomson -Jones,  always ran them in a sheepskin noseband . I recall a filly ran on same day as Midway Lady at Yarmouth on day in early 80s n a day I was at  Yarmouth called Alchaasibiyah or similar trained by Thomson-Jones , ridden by Tony Murray the stable jockey . Got a photo knocking around somewhere of her ,  by  Northern Dancer I think , cost 4 million odd as a yearling , beautiful filly .Untold ran same day who went okay later in career , Irish Oaks winner I think so a good day .

"Tom Jones " also trained the spectacular Tingle Creek when he trained over jumps and At Talaq who led a long way in a Derby before export to OZ and Melbourne Cup win . I remember he trained a horse called Sulaafah at one time , had two white eyebrows , very odd markings .Good trainer with the 2 year olds ..

[Red Rum 1,833]

14 minutes ago, Red Rum said:

Thomson -Jones,  always ran them in a sheepskin noseband . I recall a filly ran on same day as Midway Lady at Yarmouth on day in early 80s n a day I was at  Yarmouth called Alchaasibiyah or similar trained by Thomson-Jones , ridden by Tony Murray the stable jockey . Got a photo knocking around somewhere of her ,  by  Northern Dancer I think , cost 4 million odd as a yearling , beautiful filly .Untold ran same day who went okay later in career , Irish Oaks winner I think so a good day .

"Tom Jones " also trained the spectacular Tingle Creek when he trained over jumps and At Talaq who led a long way in a Derby before export to OZ and Melbourne Cup win . I remember he trained a horse called Sulaafah at one time , had two white eyebrows , very odd markings .Good trainer with the 2 year olds ..

Memory gone slightly amiss , Alchaasibiyah was by Seattle Slew not Northern Dancer , will have to dig out photo as she was a beauty . She as it turns out now I've checked was the dam of Fraar , again trained by Tom Jones then exported to Hayes stable and Fraar won the Caulfield Cup in 1993 . 

[stodge 1,940]

Harry Thomson-Jones will, for me, be always associated with the brilliant AL BAHATHRI who had the misfortune of being in the same generation as OH SO SHARP who beat her by a short head in the 1985 1000 Guineas with another excellent filly, BELLA COLORA, back in third. That was a vintage crop of fillies.

Just before that, he had trained AT TALAQ who was fourth in the Derby when SECRETO beat EL GRAN SENOR. Obviously, AT TALAQ went on to much bigger and better things in the mid-80s including a Melbourne Cup in 1986. 

Back to more recent events and we have the final declarations through for Sunday's card at Newbury which features three Group 3 races.

Nine go in the John Porter for the older horses over 2400m - it looks a weak field if I'm being honest. AL AASY looked good on a couple of occasions last summer but flopped behind MOGUL at Goodwood. A lot of these did their running on soft ground and it may be this quicker surface will change things round quite a bit. 

A big field of 17 for the Fred Darling over 1400m. ALCOHOL FREE brings the class form having won the Cheveley Park last autumn - her trainer, Andrew Balding, is convinced she'll stay another 200m and she 's the obvious place to start. UMM KULTHUM was less than a length down in third and is 12/1 - her stamina is also suspect but she looks value against the favourite. All weather winners WILD IRIS and ZAAJIRAH could be anything but come from top stables - Ryan Moore is on a big outsider in LIBERATED LADY and that might be a tip in itself at 25/1. It's one of those races which you think should be playing in but there's just too many imponderables as you don't know how the fillies have progressed mentally and physically through the winter.

12 go in the Greenham for the 3-y-o colts over 1400m and  this looks a decent race. CHINDIT is overnight favourite and if you can ignore his Dewhurst run he brings some serious form to the race. I thought he bounced off quick ground last summer and Sunday's conditions could be ideal. ALKUMAIT won the Mill Reef and was last in the Dewhurst while NANDO PERRADO was a shock winner of the Coventry before finishing second in the Morny. I wouldn't rule out THE LIR JET who won the Norfolk and mixed it with some very good juveniles ending up in the Breeders Cup Turf Juvenile where he wasn't disgraced.

I think we'll learn a lot from Sunday's action.

[Red Rum 1,833]

On 4/17/2021 at 5:29 AM, stodge said:

Harry Thomson-Jones will, for me, be always associated with the brilliant AL BAHATHRI who had the misfortune of being in the same generation as OH SO SHARP who beat her by a short head in the 1985 1000 Guineas with another excellent filly, BELLA COLORA, back in third. That was a vintage crop of fillies.

Just before that, he had trained AT TALAQ who was fourth in the Derby when SECRETO beat EL GRAN SENOR. Obviously, AT TALAQ went on to much bigger and better things in the mid-80s including a Melbourne Cup in 1986. 

Back to more recent events and we have the final declarations through for Sunday's card at Newbury which features three Group 3 races.

Nine go in the John Porter for the older horses over 2400m - it looks a weak field if I'm being honest. AL AASY looked good on a couple of occasions last summer but flopped behind MOGUL at Goodwood. A lot of these did their running on soft ground and it may be this quicker surface will change things round quite a bit. 

A big field of 17 for the Fred Darling over 1400m. ALCOHOL FREE brings the class form having won the Cheveley Park last autumn - her trainer, Andrew Balding, is convinced she'll stay another 200m and she 's the obvious place to start. UMM KULTHUM was less than a length down in third and is 12/1 - her stamina is also suspect but she looks value against the favourite. All weather winners WILD IRIS and ZAAJIRAH could be anything but come from top stables - Ryan Moore is on a big outsider in LIBERATED LADY and that might be a tip in itself at 25/1. It's one of those races which you think should be playing in but there's just too many imponderables as you don't know how the fillies have progressed mentally and physically through the winter.

12 go in the Greenham for the 3-y-o colts over 1400m and  this looks a decent race. CHINDIT is overnight favourite and if you can ignore his Dewhurst run he brings some serious form to the race. I thought he bounced off quick ground last summer and Sunday's conditions could be ideal. ALKUMAIT won the Mill Reef and was last in the Dewhurst while NANDO PERRADO was a shock winner of the Coventry before finishing second in the Morny. I wouldn't rule out THE LIR JET who won the Norfolk and mixed it with some very good juveniles ending up in the Breeders Cup Turf Juvenile where he wasn't disgraced.

I think we'll learn a lot from Sunday's action.

Just watched the Japanese 2000 Guineas , won well by Efforia , had a look at pedigree and damline a few back brought back a few memories . Katies , the top filly Terry Ramsden owned , big gambler , share dealer from 80s , lost it all as quick as he made it but had fun doing it . Owned a bit of Chelsea for a while .Thats where the wheels might have started to come off for him .

[Tauhei Notts 1,412]

I see that we have good coverage of a niller meeting at Pietermaritzburg on tonight, but nothing from Newbury featuring the John Porter, Fred Darling and Greenham Stakes.

I wonder if I am the only person who rates Newbury ahead of Scottsville, and ek praat "n bietjie taal.

[Red Rum 1,833]

Sublimis , a nice lightly raced gelding out the Fabre yard running at Longchamp tonight , stays a bit , sister won over 2600 for Fabre yesterday . Cummings gets some decent types from Fabre , being  a gelding  that stays a trip could be in OZ at some point for Spring. Couple nice runs behind some decent ones in his 8 carrier runs , within 2 lengths of a 113 rated top stayer last year pretty solid . Won fresh up on poly few weeks back .

[stodge 1,940]

A chance for me to catch up on the action of the past few days.

Newmarket's three day Craven Meeting took place on decent ground - Good for the first fays but quickening to Good to Firm for the final day.

On the opening day, Charlie Appleby and Godolphin had a convincing 1-2 in the listed Feilden over 1800m. HIGHLAND AVENUE beat SECRET PROTECTOR with the two six lengths clear of the others. HIGHLAND AVENUE is 16/1 for the 2000 Guineas but is also in the Dante and the Irish Derby. SECRET PROTECTOR is 50/1 for the Guineas.

The most impressive performance of the day came in a 1400m maiden with a six length romp by the beautifully bred MUTASAABEQ, a son of Invincible Spirit out of Ghannati who won the 1000 Guineas in 2009. 1600m should be no problem - he's not in the English 2000 Guineas but could perhaps go to Ireland at the end of May.

Onto Wednesday and in a difficult week for the Queen, her 2020 Windsor Castle winner TACTICAL won the 1400m European Free Handicap. TACTICAL was eleventh in last year's Dewhurst and that race is starting to look stronger by the day. Whether he's a viable Guineas option I'm less certain - the trainer is going to run but I just wonder if the Jersey might be the better option.

SACRED won the Group 3 Nell Gwyn over 1400m for the Haggas yard but I thought both the second, SAFFRON BEACH and the third, LOVE IS YOU, both ran strong 1000 Guineas Trials. The former is 14/1 for the 1000 Guineas and 33/1 for the Oaks and the latter looks a interesting price.

The Earl of Sefton for the older horses over 1800m saw Frankie Dettori have his first turf ride of the new season for the new John & Thady Gosden team on GLOBAL GIANT but the horse ran far too free and was last of the four runners behind MY OBERON who, despite being the outsider, did this well and earned a 6/1 quote for the Lockinge in a month for which PALACE PIER is 13/8 favourite.

The final day took place on quicker ground with a keen breeze. 

Last year's Abernant Stakes and July Cup winner OXTED turned up for this year's renewal of the former and was backed into 8/13. However, it all looked a bit laboured and he went down by a length to SUMMERGHAND who finally broke into Group company after a string of strong runs in strong handicaps including last year's Stewards Cup at Goodwood. 

The Craven for the 3-y-o colts over the 2000 Guineas course and distance saw another 1-2 for Godolphin with MASTER OF THE SEAS outgunning LA BAROSSA close home and the two were again nicely clear of the rest. The time wasn't exciting though and I'm not sure the 10/1 quote for the winner is that tempting. MASAR took a similar route and ended up winning the Derby and I'm not saying either the winner or second aren't decent animals but are they Guineas class on quick ground?

I was very taken with a 3-y-o filly called BELLOSA, a home bred for Sir Edward Loder who owned the dam, Poole Belle, who was a sprint handicapper for Henry Candy. The sire, Awtaad, is in his second season and, not to be too unkind, the first season was nothing special. This filly was on debut and she sluiced up by seven lengths. Perhaps she beat nothing - time will tell - and she has no fancy entries but it was a taking start.

Yesterday, the normal Saturday racing in the UK was curtailed for Prince Philip's funeral but it was normal service in every sense in Ireland with Ryan Moore free to travel to The Curragh and he rode a 4-timer for Aidan O'Brien who has once again started as the dominant force in Irish racing.

The winners included BROOME, who scrambled home in the Alleged from THUNDERING NIGHT,  LANCASTER HOUSE, who looked back to his best when winning the Gladness for a second occasion and two maiden winners of whom I suspect we will be hearing a lot more. The first Irish juvenile race over 1200m went to GLOUNTHAUNE, a son of Kodiac out of an unraced Nayef mare. He could be anything and I imagine the Coventry is somewhere on the radar. 

WORDSWORTH had chased home stablemate HIGH DEFINITION on his debut and sole run last year but won this 21-runner 2000m maiden well enough. He's bred to get every inch of 2400m and has a quote of 16/1 for the Derby at Epsom. I wonder if Aidan will consider Chester or Lingfield as a possible Trial race.

That's how it is at this time of year - all full of dreams and speculation.

[Red Rum 1,833]

10 hours ago, Red Rum said:

Sublimis , a nice lightly raced gelding out the Fabre yard running at Longchamp tonight , stays a bit , sister won over 2600 for Fabre yesterday . Cummings gets some decent types from Fabre , being  a gelding  that stays a trip could be in OZ at some point for Spring. Couple nice runs behind some decent ones in his 8 carrier runs , within 2 lengths of a 113 rated top stayer last year pretty solid . Won fresh up on poly few weeks back .

This Sublimis must be handy Stodge, beat hot favorite In Swoop who was Arc placed and rated 122 .Paid  around the 9/4 mark this morning . Haven't seen race but looks like from formline  he went strong to line . Goes on varying surfaces . That level of form shown today is Group 1 OZ no doubt .

[stodge 1,940]

21 hours ago, Red Rum said:

This Sublimis must be handy Stodge, beat hot favorite In Swoop who was Arc placed and rated 122 .Paid  around the 9/4 mark this morning . Haven't seen race but looks like from formline  he went strong to line . Goes on varying surfaces . That level of form shown today is Group 1 OZ no doubt .

It was a good win - to be fair, he was getting 3 lbs off the second and had the edge on fitness but IN SWOOP is a serious horse - winner of the German Derby and runner up in both the Grand Prix de Paris and the Arc and you'd think the latter would be his target this year though I'd love him to come to Ascot for the King George.

As for SUBLIMIS, that level of form would be top notch in Australia and you'd think the Cup would be ideal for him. The way French races are run isn't a million miles from the way Oz races are run whereas English horses tend to prefer a more even gallop and that can leave him at a disadvantage in Australian staying events.

Having been gelded, SUBLIMIS will be excluded from races like the Arc so there must be a temptation to head for the Flemington but I certainly wouldn't give up on IN SWOOP who I think will give LOVE a race if and when they meet later in the year.

[stodge 1,940]

I'll catch up with yesterday's racing in due time but the pace of this time of year is unrelenting.

The Epsom Classic Trial isn't what it was and the Great Metropolitan is a shadow of the eccentric but wonderful race of my youth. 

Sandown is the main focus this weekend for a meeting which has also changed a lot over the years. The Bet 365 Gold Cup was once known as the Whitbread, and produced one of the great finishes of all time in 1984 when the Queen Mother's SPECIAL CARGO got up in the last stride. If you look for the finish on YouTube, there were five in with a chance over the last.

At that time, the Whitbread was the sole jump race and the rest of the two day card was all flat racing but with the decision to mark the end of the jumps season with a suitable "climax", the jumps element was expanded and now the flat races have been shunted to Friday and Saturday is the jumps finale.

Both days are quality cards - Friday's Flat card features the Group 2 Sandown Mile which sees the return of PALACE PIER, who was arguably the top 3-y-o miler last year. He won the St James's Palace and the Marois before running a decent third to THE REVENANT in the Queen Elizabeth II on Champions Day. He's 8/13 for Friday's race and strong favourite for the Lockinge - with the ground likely to suit, he's the obvious starting point. SAFE MASTER had a wonderful 2020 winning two Group 2 races and running a close third in the Foret. That shouldn't be good enough against a proven Group 1 performer like PALACE PIER.

Saturday's jumps card features the Grade 1 Celebration Chase over 3100m. Only nine have been entered but it looks a stellar renewal. PUT THE KETTLE ON narrowly beat NUBE NEGRA in the Champion Chase at Cheltenham - GREANETEEN was fourth and SCEAU ROYAL fifth and I think the latter is a very interesting proposition back over a course on which he has often run well.

The last time this race was run, SCEAU ROYAL was runner up to ALTIOR - the latter had come on from a convincing Champion Chase win. He had a gruelling race with CYRNAME on heavy ground in November 2019 but came back to beat SCEAU ROYAL in the Game Spirit but was a late withdrawal from Cheltenham last year. On his re-appearance at Kempton last December, he was decisively outpointed by NUBE NEGRA and while this course should favour him as should the light campaign, I just have that sense he's not the horse he was.

Melbourne Cup hero TWILIGHT PAYMENT has been entered for the Group 3 Vintage Crop at Navan on Sunday which has often been used by the Irish as a springboard for a staying campaign in the UK with the Gold Cup at Ascot an obvious target.

[Red Rum 1,833]

4 hours ago, stodge said:

I'll catch up with yesterday's racing in due time but the pace of this time of year is unrelenting.

The Epsom Classic Trial isn't what it was and the Great Metropolitan is a shadow of the eccentric but wonderful race of my youth. 

Sandown is the main focus this weekend for a meeting which has also changed a lot over the years. The Bet 365 Gold Cup was once known as the Whitbread, and produced one of the great finishes of all time in 1984 when the Queen Mother's SPECIAL CARGO got up in the last stride. If you look for the finish on YouTube, there were five in with a chance over the last.

At that time, the Whitbread was the sole jump race and the rest of the two day card was all flat racing but with the decision to mark the end of the jumps season with a suitable "climax", the jumps element was expanded and now the flat races have been shunted to Friday and Saturday is the jumps finale.

Both days are quality cards - Friday's Flat card features the Group 2 Sandown Mile which sees the return of PALACE PIER, who was arguably the top 3-y-o miler last year. He won the St James's Palace and the Marois before running a decent third to THE REVENANT in the Queen Elizabeth II on Champions Day. He's 8/13 for Friday's race and strong favourite for the Lockinge - with the ground likely to suit, he's the obvious starting point. SAFE MASTER had a wonderful 2020 winning two Group 2 races and running a close third in the Foret. That shouldn't be good enough against a proven Group 1 performer like PALACE PIER.

Saturday's jumps card features the Grade 1 Celebration Chase over 3100m. Only nine have been entered but it looks a stellar renewal. PUT THE KETTLE ON narrowly beat NUBE NEGRA in the Champion Chase at Cheltenham - GREANETEEN was fourth and SCEAU ROYAL fifth and I think the latter is a very interesting proposition back over a course on which he has often run well.

The last time this race was run, SCEAU ROYAL was runner up to ALTIOR - the latter had come on from a convincing Champion Chase win. He had a gruelling race with CYRNAME on heavy ground in November 2019 but came back to beat SCEAU ROYAL in the Game Spirit but was a late withdrawal from Cheltenham last year. On his re-appearance at Kempton last December, he was decisively outpointed by NUBE NEGRA and while this course should favour him as should the light campaign, I just have that sense he's not the horse he was.

Melbourne Cup hero TWILIGHT PAYMENT has been entered for the Group 3 Vintage Crop at Navan on Sunday which has often been used by the Irish as a springboard for a staying campaign in the UK with the Gold Cup at Ascot an obvious target.