News from the North(ern) Hemisphere

[stodge]

16 stand in Saturday's Derby over 2400m. No surprise late scratchings at final declarations this morning.

The ground at Epsom has gone Good to Soft but there are heavy showers around London now and more forecast tomorrow so who knows?

The race revolves around whether you think CITY OF TROY is going to do what AUGUSTE RODIN did last year - flop in the Guineas and then win the Derby. Aidan O'Brien has admitted he got CITY OF TROY's preparation wrong before Newmarket but the stable are firing fitfully in Britain and you're basically relying on Aidan's genius if you play on the favourite at 11/4 or 3s.

LOS ANGELES is unbeaten having won the Derby Trial at Leopardstown last time. The full sister and brother both stayed 2400m so I expect him to but will he be good enough? 

The softer ground has seen money come for the Godolphin runner ANCIENT WISDOM who was well beaten by ECONOMIST in the Dante and placed horses from York don't have a good record at Epsom. To me, he looked a Leger type but the slower ground will be a big plus.

AMBIENTE FRIENDLY looked very good at Lingfield on quick ground and I've played at 13/2 this morning each way in the hope the rain stays away but I'm worried. The stable has said throughout he's more effective on decent ground.

DANCING GEMINI leads the next rank of runners and his second in the Poulains reads pretty well in a race with little Group 1 form to consider. On breeding the trip should be fine and I think he'll go close. 

MACDUFF was well beaten at Sandown and while Richard Hannon is doing very well with his 3-y-o colts this season, VOYAGE comes off a Newbury maiden win and that's a huge ask. 

BELLUM JUSTUM represents the strong team of Andrew Balding and former champion jockey Oisin Murphy. He won the Derby Trial at Epsom over 2000m so the track should be fine and he beat GHOSTWRITER last autumn but his form is all on decent ground and the rain is a worry.

DEIRA MILE was fourth in the Futurity last time and bolted up (as he was entitled to) in a Windsor maiden. I can't see it and none of the others make any appeal.

I've backed AMBIENTE FRIENDLY and I will back DANCING GEMINI who is now 14s (backed in from 25s) each way. The latter is my idea of the winner.

Derby: DANCING GEMINI (each way).

[Black Kirrama]

Thanks STODGE    for your insight ..

>
Enjoy your Derby Day.

It Will be 3 am alarm time for us here in the Land of Chris Waller, James McDonald birth place. The latter riding in Japan this weekend.

 

I have backed both your picks. Dancing Gemini and the unbeaten Los Angeles.

Cheers and good luck Stodge !!

 

 

[stodge]

Before starting the review of the past two days at Epsom, a word about tomorrow's card at Chantilly, one of the most beautiful racecourses. The chateau dominates the track and it's more than a hint of fairytale about the place.

The ground is reported Very Soft and 14 go in the Prix du Jockey Club over 2100m. Aidan O'Brien, fresh from today's training masterclass with CITY OF TROY, has the favourite DIEGO VELAZQUEZ who was fourth on seasonal reappearance in the Poulains. ALCANTOR was in front of him though he had race fitness on his side. FAST TRACKER, the second favourite, won the Suresnes, a trial over the course and distance, a month ago, but this is much tougher.

GHOSTWRITER was fourth in the English 2000 Guineas and was running on suggesting this step up in tip would be fine and the gound should be no problem. SUNWAY won the Criterium de Saint Cloud last autumn but he's been a beaten favourite twice this season and I'm not convinced.

LOOK DE VEGA won a little race at Longchamp in April and while I think he's a nice prospect this is a huge step up in class and for this race I'm much more interested in the Fabre runner SOSIE who has been brought along slowly by his master trainer.

SOSIE is my each way call at 14s but my idea of the winner is GHOSTWRITER for all I expect DIEGO VELAZQUEZ to go close.

The supporting Group 2 races are the Gros Chene (Big Oak) over 1000m. This looks a weak renewal and the favourite PONNTOS comes off a nice win in the St Geoges last time. He was midfield in the Abbaye last autumn but seems to have improved for a winter campaign in Meydan. Andre Fabre has three of the seven runners in the Grand Prix de Chantilly over 2400m for the older horses, JUNKO returns after his seventh in the Sheema Classic - he won the Grosser Preis von Bayern and the Hong Kong Vase last season so is clearly incredibly versatile.

Second favourite is 2023 Ranvet and Queen Elizabeth II winner DUBAI HARBOUR who was midfield in Hong Kong last time. He went well on Australian "soft" ground but he was well held in the Champion Stakes at Ascot on English soft so French soft may be deep enough for him.

[stodge]

The first day of the Epsom Derby Festival took place on a cold and cloudy afternoon with drizzle in the air. It wasn't really the best conditions for Ladies Day but on the track the turf was officially Good to Soft with most of the heavy showers which afflicted London the previous day staying away.

Two Group 1 races starting with the Coronation Cup over the iconic 2400m across the Downs. EMILY UPJOHN, last year's winner, proved a weak favourite as trainer John Gosden, who is very straight with the media, said the filly was a lazy worker and this was a "prep for her summer campaign". The money came for both LUXEMBOURG (4s to 9/4) and HAMISH (7s to 4s).

As I often say, there's no point getting older if you don't wiser and giving Ryan Moore a freebie on the front end is asking for trouble. Moore rode a superb race on LUXEMBOURG and didn't have to do too much to hold the running on HAMISH in a race where the money spoke volumes.

Let's not forget LUXEMBOURG was 2/1 favourite for the 2022 Derby after running third in the 2000 Guineas and Aidan O'Brien indicated post race 2400m would be the trip for this one with a tilt at the King George at Ascot at the end of July the next target. Could we see him in the Arc - I suspect he might end up in the Breeders Cup Turf. 

HAMISH ran a blinder - the ground probably wasn't soft enough for this type who plies his trade in Group 3 races where he has an excellent record. The true was however LUXEMBOURG had too much class.

The French raider FEED THE FLAME was held up at the back off a steady race and was beaten as soon as the pace lifted - he was six lengths behind HAMISH in third. John Gosden said post-race he thought EMILY UPJOHN had blown up 600m down and the race would bring her on a lot. He also thought the ground was slow enough - she goes next to the Hardwicke at Ascot.

They ran the 2400m in 2 minutes 42.12 seconds so nearly seven seconds off Standard - the ground was on the slow side and, unusually for Epsom, thetre was a strong headwind up the straight which can also excuse the modest time.

Following the success of LUXEMBOURG, the first Group 1 for Aidan O'Brien in England this season, the money came for YLANG YLANG in the Oaks but she was strongly opposed by EZELIYA, representing legendary trainer Dermot Weld, who last won the Oaks with BLUE WIND in 1981.

I don't need to remind anyone on this forum of the legend that is Dermot Weld. The trainer of 1993 Melbourne Cup winner, VINTAGE CROP, he may not get the numbers of the quality of Aidan O'Brien and Ballydoyle but the Aga Khan family has been a supporter for decades and there's no doubt he still knows how to handle the good ones.

EZELIYA did this well under Chris Hayes and in truth there weren't many anxious moments. Of the twelve, only six ever really got competitive. Fillies like FOREST FAIRY, SECRET SATIRE, RUBIES ARE RED and the royal runner TREASURE were all well beaten.

Hayes always looked happy on EZELIYA and she quickened well 400m down to lead and run down DANCE SEQUENCE on whom William Buick had gone down the inside route when challenging,. Buick's filly didn't look happy on the camber and I imagine connections will want her on a more conventional track like The Curragh or York next time. WAR CHIMES outran her 50/1 odds in third with Lingfield Oaks Trial winner YOU GOT TO ME beaten nine lengths in fourth in front of CAUGHT U LOOKING and favourite YLANG YLANG who was held up out the back by Moore but who failed to pick up much and for me didn't really stay. 

The winner is by Dubawi (he sired both first and second) out of Eziyra who ran third in both the Irish and Yorkshire Oaks in 2018. Clearly she likes a little bit of juice in the ground but I imagine The Curragh will be the next step - could she be an Arc contender? EZELIYA has certainly put down a marker to the 3-y-o middle distance colts.

For Weld, it was a wonderful return to Epsom - as said, he doesn't have the numbers of other yards but at 75 and with 25 classic wins in England, he remains at the top of his profession.

 

[Tauhei Notts]

That City Of Troy is much much better than I thought.  Very good.

Voyage had a lovely track gallop on the course proper with no weight on his back.  There is a Group 3 10 furlong race at ascot.  Waipiro won it last year.  I will go Voyage this year.

[stodge]

On then to Derby day at Epsom, one of the iconic events of the British racing year.

A cloudy but dry afternoon brought a huge crowd to the Downs, perhaps not the 300,000 of the 1950s but the paying spectators probably around 30,000 and many more on The Hill, the public land in the centre of the course which can be accessed for nothing.

The Derby remains hugely significant in the British and European pattern and this year was all about one horse and one trainer. CITY OF TROY had been far and away the best juvenile colt in 2023 ending a successful campaign with an impressive win in the Dewhurst but back at Newmarket for the 2000 Guineas, the wheels came off in spectacular fashion with the horse running free and beaten from halfway trailing in ninth.

Although O'Brien had worked the oracle with AUGUSTE RODIN in 2023, bringing him back from a disastrous Guineas run to triumph in the Derby, this seemed an even taller order. However, some of the main opposition had melted away through injury or connections not being keen to run on the undulations of Epsom. LOS ANGELES, the number two at Ballydoyle, was fancied as was the Lingfield Derby Trial winner AMBIENTE FRIENDLY.

Relief and redemption possibly in equal measure as CITY OF TROY put his Newmarlet failure behind him in dominant fashion winning the English Derby by nearly three lengths and clocking a time of 2 minutes 38.32 seconds - reasonable if not remarkable. Quicker than the Oaks but the ground had dried overnight.

Ryan Moore had a couple of anxious moments coming down Tattenham Hill with traffic but in the end his colt was just too good for the others. Where next? Options seem to be the Irish Derby or back to 2000m for the Eclipse but we've always known Coolmore are keen to run him on Dirt and a tilt at the Travers in Saratoga is also being considered. It wouldn't be the biggest surprise if he ended up at the Breeders Cup but in the Classic with the other top American Dirt horses.

AMBIENTE FRIENDLY was sweating in the prelims and that probably didn't help at the crucial moment. Rob Havlin got him into the race going really well but for me he found little when let down. He's an out and out 2400m and if CITY OF TROY swerves the Irish Derby, that looks an obvious target for AMBIENTE FRIENDLY.

LOS ANGELES also didn't enjoy the preliminaries and got very agitated going into the stalls - he was close to the pace throughout but again the pre-race exertions probably told late on and he was beaten with 300m to go. He finished a clear third, however, albeit six lengths off the winner.

The two horses in the Ahmad al Sheikh ownership, DEIRA MILE and SAYEDATY SADATY both outran their odds. The former had cheekpieces and that brought enough improvement to get him home in fourth with the latter running a fine race in fifth at 50s. Both could be Leger types.

My fancy, DANCING GEMINI, also got warm in the pre-race proceedings and was dropped out last by Dylan Brown McMonagle. In the straight he quickened fourth and was fourth with 200m to go. Unfortunately for my each way money, that's where his stamina gave out and he finished sixth with me swearing at the tv as my bookie paid five places. He heads for the Eclipse for which he is 16s but I can't see him getting near CITY OF TROY if they send the latter down that route.

The first six had a six length gap on the others. ANCIENT WISDOM was beaten 16 lengths in eighth - the ground had clealr ygone against him but he looked to be hating the track so back on a more conventional track and on some proper wet turf I'd expect a much better effort. 

I'm afraid the race was over after just three strides for VOYAGE who pitched forward leaving the stalls and dumped Pat Dobbs on the grass - no injury to either horse or rider. He's in the King Edward VII at Ascot but as @Tauhei Notts suggests, the Hampton Court over 2000m might be the choice for connections.

CITY OF TROY is 4/7 to follow up in the Irish Derby at the end of the month and 3s to win the Eclipse on July 6th.

 

[stodge]

Wrapping up last weekend's action with a look at the Chantilly action last Sunday.

More rain left the ground Heavy for the Jockey Club meeting.

The favourites took the two supporting Group 2 races - PONNTOS made every yard in the Gros Chene over 1000m and on this evidence you'd think he'd have a real chance in the Abbaye if it comes up the usual autumnal bog at Longchamp. In the Grand Prix de Chantilly, JUNKO just held the challenge of MARQUISAT who ran on really strongly and you'd think in the Arc both might turn up with outside chances. Andre Fabre has forgotten far more about French racing than I will ever know and I suspect he'll be putting MARQUISAT away for the autumn after this. It was a better effort from DUBAI HONOUR who was third - I'm not convinced 2400m on heavy ground works - I think 2000m is more his trip - but this was an improvement.

He's in the Prince of Wales and the Hardwicke at Ascot and the Eclipse at Sandown and if any of those were run on soft or heavy turf he'd have to come into calculations.

On then to the Jockey Club over 2100m, not the race it used to be in some respects but it's arguably the credential French form race of the year - last year ACE IMPACT went from here to Arc glory so it's a race to be taken very seriously. FAST TRACKER went off the 37/10 favourite in what looked an open field.

A typical French race and the British and Irish horses usually like to be close to the pace in these kind of events as they don't have the tactical speed of the French ones who come off the pace but in that attritional ground it was hard to make ground from the rear.

LOOK DE VEGA is a son, as you might expect, of Lope de Vega, and we know his progeny love soft and heavy ground and in the end he did this very well having raced close to the pace throughout. He's got an 8/1 quote for the Arc and I suspect connections wouldn't mind taking on CITY OF TROY (not that I think the latter would turn up) on heavy turf in Paris in October.

FIRST LOOK and SOSIE made it a 2-3 for Andre Fabre and the second paid a big compliment to DARLINGHURST who beat him in the Guiche and is now himself 8/1 for the St James's Palace at Ascot in less than a fortnight.

SOSIE may the one to take forward - this was only his fourth run - and I expect Monsieur Fabre will have this one cherry ripe come the autumn.

GHOSTWRITER, fourth in the English 2000 Guineas, was fourth here and I thought he found the ground slow enough at this trip. I'd like him on some better ground over 2000m. DIEGO VELAZQUEZ flattered as he had in the Poulains and in the end faded to eighth while FAST TRACKER never featured.

[Tauhei Notts]

Stodge; your opinion on this matter would be interesting.

The St James's Palace Stakes seems to be, nowadays, a more important race than the time honoured 2000 Guineas.

[stodge]

12 hours ago, Tauhei Notts said:

Stodge; your opinion on this matter would be interesting.

The St James's Palace Stakes seems to be, nowadays, a more important race than the time honoured 2000 Guineas.

That's a really interesting question and worthy of discussion.

From a form perspective, in terms of highlighting future winners of races down the season, the 2000 Guineas is for me the most significant race of the whole season. Those unplaced at Newmarket often go on to much better things - two examples this season so far are INISHERIN, who was sixth in the classic but has won a Group 2 since and of course CITY OF TROY who won the Derby last Saturday.

At the end of the season, the race from which the best quality future winners emerge is usually the 2000 Guineas and it provides the form lines which we see in the big Irish and French races.

That's one aspect.

There's the issue of whether you have a Guineas winner who is a miler or one who is a potential Derby horse. The Guineas is becoming more of a race for the specialist milers and for that reason I think it will be very difficult for any horse to do the Newmarket-Epsom double in the future. If you are dealing with a 3-y-o miler, it's a long season - from Newmarket to Ascot to (possibly) Goodwood, Longchamp (the Moulin) and now of course the Breeders Cup which has added a new dimension. From a bloodstock viewpoint, does winning the Irish 2000 Guineas add any real value if you've already won at Newmarket?  I suspect not but for the placed horses, I can understand trying to get the Group 1 on the record.

For Coolmore, whose horses are slow at coming to hand as we've seen (for them the real season runs from Epsom to the Breeders Cup), The Curragh can be useful to bring one forward but it's not as significant a race as it was and it's often targeted by the lesser Irish trainers.

The long season makes the 6-week break between Newmarket and Ascot worthwhile - it's an obvious target and the last opportunity for the 3-y-o milers to get that Group 1 against their own age group so you have the English, Irish and perhaps French Guineas winners in the line up along with those who weren't ready for Newmarket or Longchamp but have improved and can stake their own claim for a Group 1 prize - that's why it is the race that it is.

From there, the 3-y-o colt milers have to go into the deeper waters against the older types in races like the Sussex and later the Moulin (or the Jean Prat). Those who look to be able to go up to 2000m have the Eclipse and other options but it's no longer just your age group.

Ascot is also different to Newmarket and The Curragh in that it's a round mile which can give those who didn't quite get home on the straight tracks a chance. My heretical view is it's silly for the older mile division to have two straight course Group 1 races (the Lockinge and the Queen Anne) but the 3-y-o have the challenge of a corner and the stiff Ascot finish.

Just my two cents but it's an interesting topic and it looks like the 2024 renewal of the St James's Palace isn't going to disappoint though it seems the Poulains winner will wait for the Sussex.

[stodge]

The period between the Derby meeting and the start of Royal Ascot is the quietest of the whole season.

A couple of Group 3 races and the odd Listed is all we have across seven meetings in Britain and Ireland on Saturday and another three on Sunday. Nothing much happening in France either.

Royal Ascot starts on Tuesday 18th June.

I see the Belmont Stakes is being run at Saratoga this year over 2000m - Charlie Appleby runs NATIONS PRIDE and MEASURED TIME in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap over 2100m. The former, with Frankie Dettori onboard (it looks as though Dettori will be at Royal Ascot but it seems less likely he'll be riding) was well held in the Man O'War last time and all his American form is on wet turf. William Buick rides MEASURED TIME who won the Jebel Hatta at Meydan in January and then ran a close fourth in the Dubai Turf over 1800m. I think this trip will be ideal and he has a big chance. 

Joseph O'Brien has AL RIFFA who chased home subsequent Arc winner ACE IMPACT in the Guillaume D'Ornano at Deauville last August. On re-appearance he was fourth, beaten less than a length, in the Ganay on heavy ground. If he can act on this much quicker turf, he has a significant chance.

[Tauhei Notts]

I see where Charlie Johnston's Struth is rated in the 2.25 at Haydock (being 1.25 our time) tonight.

You Poms know how to name a horse sired by Australia.

Struth, mate!!!

[stodge]

On 6/8/2024 at 10:44 AM, Tauhei Notts said:

I see where Charlie Johnston's Struth is rated in the 2.25 at Haydock (being 1.25 our time) tonight.

You Poms know how to name a horse sired by Australia.

Struth, mate!!!

G'day, mate.

STRUTH ran okay - got a little tired and lost second close home but was a lot happier on the better ground.

Snippets today - CITY OF TROY heads for the Eclipse at Sandown on July 6th leaving the Derby second and third, AMBIENTE FRIENDLY and LOS ANGELES, to do battle in Ireland the week before.

A 1-2 for Charlie Appleby and Godolphin in the Manhattan Handicap at Saratoga on Saturday evening (UK) with MEASURED TIME putting up a decent performance to defeat NATIONS PRIDE. The winner looked happy on the firm turf and I just wonder if a tilt at the Cox Plate might be on the cards. 

Ascot starts a week tomorrow - the current going report is Good, Good to Firm in places with 2 mm falling this morning, It's another showery and unsettled week so it may well be the Royal meeting could start on almost perfect ground.

[stodge]

Ascot is now a week away and we'll get the first set of five day entries tomorrow which I will naturally preview.

The coming weekend is pretty quiet in the UK and Ireland but on Sunday we have the Prix de Diane at Chantilly over 2100m. The ground has improved to Good to Soft with a few drier days. I'll advise more on the runners in the next few days - I see Godolphin have entered the English Oaks runner up DANCE SEQUENCE.

[Ohokaman]

Maher’s Berkshire Breeze was impressive at the weekend, will now try and qualify for the Melbourne Cup.

This wasn’t an MC quality field by any stretch he beat but he looks to have plenty of upside.

https://www.racing.com/news/2024-06-11/news-contenders-banjo-then-bart-for-berkshire

[stodge]

18 hours ago, Ohokaman said:

Maher’s Berkshire Breeze was impressive at the weekend, will now try and qualify for the Melbourne Cup.

This wasn’t an MC quality field by any stretch he beat but he looks to have plenty of upside.

https://www.racing.com/news/2024-06-11/news-contenders-banjo-then-bart-for-berkshire

It'll be interesting to see if any of the Ascot staying race winners (plenty of handicaps and non-handicaps at 2400m and further next week) will be picked up by Australian interests with a trip to Flemington in mind.

[stodge]

14 stand for Sunday's Prix de Diane at Chantilly.

Oisin Murphy has bagged the ride on English 1000 Guineas fourth TAMFANA who was making eyecatching late headway and the evidence that day (and the breeding too) suggests 2100m will be ideal and she must have a big chance.

DANCE SEQUENCE was ninth at Newmarket but ran a fine second in the English Oaks over 2400m and the step back in trip looks a sound move. St Alary winner BIRTHE and fourth placed DARE TO DREAM re-oppose and there won;t be much between them again you'd think. 

Andre Fabre runs ROCK 'N' SWING who was seventh, only beaten a couple of lengths, in the Pouliches so that puts her right in this.

Chris Hayes rode the Aga Khan owned EZELIYA to win the English Oaks and he rides CANDALA for the Graffard stable in the same ownership. She won the Grotte back in mid April and missing the Pouliches and the trial races might have been a sound move. She'd be my idea of an outsider to run well but my marginal preference is for DANCE SEQUENCE. 

[stodge]

With most of Royal Ascot completed, time to get back to something nearer normal and I'll start with a recap of the Diane from Chantilly on June 16th.

Prix de Diane:

 

A typical French race with a slow early and they quickened from 400m which caused a few hard luck stories.

SPARKLING PLENTY was brought down the outside by Tony Piccone and had too much speed for these winning at 15/1. The excitement was the filly went to the Goffs London Sale the next night and was bought back by her owner for £8.1 million. The lucky (or unlucky) man is one Jean-Pierre-Joseph Dubois but soon after the hammer fell, it emerged Al Shaqab Racing had bought 50% of the filly for £5 million. She;s by Kingman out of a Frankel mare, Speralita making her a full sister to NOBLE TRUTH, who was 110 rated when racing for Godolphin in England last year.

What they'll do with SPARKLING PLENTY now she has Group 1 black type I've no clue.

Runner up was the 26/1 outsider SURVIE while English 1000 Guineas fourth, TAMFANA, raced with the pace throughout but I'm not sure she quite saw out the 2000m here and that m9ght have been the case with the favourite, AVENTURE, who led briefly 150m out but didn't quite get home.

DANCE SEQUENCE got buffeted around in the scrimmaging 450m and dropped away to finish last so that's two poor runs after her fine effort in the English 1000 Guineas.

 

[stodge]

Looking ahead to the coming weekend, the focus switches to Ireland and the Irish Derby Festival at The Curragh.

They've moved the race around over the years but the Saturday evening slot didn't work and it's back on Sunday.

It's a three day meeting and the ground is currently Good to Firm in County Kildare.

Saturday sees the Pretty Polly for the fillies and mares over 2000m and the Group 2 Airlie Stud Stakes for the juvenile fillies over 1200m.

Sunday has the Irish Derby over 2400m - the English Derby third LOS ANGELES is currently 6/4 favourite but with a number of these having run at Ascot, I think it could be quite a weak renewal.

The Group 2 Railway over 1200m for the juvenile colts and geldings. It'll be interesting to see if any of the Ascot runners come on here and obviously Aidan O'Brien will have a big entry.

The big race on Sunday in France is the Grand Prix de Saint Cloud over 2400m. 

More on all of these later in the week.

[stodge]

13 have been entered for Saturday's Pretty Polly at The Curragh and BLUESTOCKING has been put in at Evens after her hugely impressive win in the Middleton at York. EMILY UPJOHN drops back 400m and is 11/4. Aidan O'Brien has six of the 15 entries in the Group 2 Airlie Stud Stakes.

10 have been entered for Sunday's Irish Derby and to no one's surprise Epsom runner up AMBIENTE FRIENDLY has bene supplemented and he will go head-to-head with Derby third LOS ANGELES. 

Aidan O'Brien has four and Adrian Murray has three of the 10 entries for the Group 2 Railway including a few who ran at Ascot last week.

More later in the week.

 

[Ohokaman]

Australian Bloodstock have purchased SAYEDATY SADATY ( fifth behind City of Troy in the Derby ) as a potential Melbourne Cup horse.

Not sure what they saw there to influence them, looked pretty ordinary to me.

[Insider]

7 hours ago, Ohokaman said:

Australian Bloodstock have purchased SAYEDATY SADATY ( fifth behind City of Troy in the Derby ) as a potential Melbourne Cup horse.

Not sure what they saw there to influence them, looked pretty ordinary to me.

Ohokaman, they have won more Melbourne Cups than you and me LOL.

Having said that I've had a a couple of older horses with them, 5 wins, 3 wins,  met their mark so sold on - good decision and now I have a rising two year old filly  by North Park bought cheaply at the MM and going to Gerald Ryan. Well bred, I like her. I have also done business with them on Stallion Nominations that they own on this side of the Pond. Good people to deal with, is my experience, NOT that you you said they weren't..

Liz

[stodge]

12 hours ago, Ohokaman said:

Australian Bloodstock have purchased SAYEDATY SADATY ( fifth behind City of Troy in the Derby ) as a potential Melbourne Cup horse.

Not sure what they saw there to influence them, looked pretty ordinary to me.

Rated 102 after that - in the same ownership as the fourth, DEIRA MILE, and rumour is they wanted that one as well but were refused.

He ran well and the quality of the form of the race will be tested on Sunday when the second and third go in the Irish Derby and the following weekend when CITY OF TROY is due to run in the Eclipse at Sandown. 

I'd also note REKINDLING ran in the Derby before winning at Flemington and he was a lot further back - I know that loophole has been closed to some degree by the VRC.

[stodge]

Grim news yesterday at Newton Abbot with four horses killed at a single meeting for the first time since December 2018 at Musselburgh.

The BHA are investigating along with the racecourse - the ground for the jumps card was Good, Good to Firm in places. The weather was warm but not exceptionally so. Obviously, it's very sad for all involved and it could just be grotesque coincidence but it eill be thoroughly checked and reviewed.

Newton Abbot is an ideal venue for a summer jumps meeting - it's near the River Teign so there's no problem with water and the course isn't used in the winter so the grass gets plenty of time. It's also popular with holidaymakers from Torbay and South Devon - I've been to a couple of summer jumping cards. You'll never see much quality among the horses though Paul Nicholls often introduces a decent novice but it's all good fun and the viewing in the rather rickety stand is decent. One of the shortest run ins in jump racing - barely 150m from the last hurdle. 

In other news, Jamie Spencer is out of the July Meeting having copped an 8-day ban at Ascot for his ride on AIN'T NOBODY. BIlly Loughnane got two days fro his ride on SOPRANO in the Sandringham and James Doyle got four days for his ride on DARK TROOPER in the Wokingham.

[stodge]

News this afternoon King Charles III winner ASFOORA will run next at Goodwood in the King George Stakes on August 2nd followed by the Nunthorpe at York and then the Abbaye at Longchamp in early October.

It's likely she'll get decent ground at Goodwood and York but Longchamp in October can be very soft and holding. 

I'd love her to take on the American speedballs at Del Mar in November - that would be a real horse race. 

[Ohokaman]

12 hours ago, Insider said:

Ohokaman, they have won more Melbourne Cups than you and me LOL.

Having said that I've had a a couple of older horses with them, 5 wins, 3 wins,  met their mark so sold on - good decision and now I have a rising two year old filly  by North Park bought cheaply at the MM and going to Gerald Ryan. Well bred, I like her. I have also done business with them on Stallion Nominations that they own on this side of the Pond. Good people to deal with, is my experience, NOT that you you said they weren't..

Liz

I’m sure you are right Liz. His performances have not been outstanding but it was a high rating Derby. 
Maher to train so anything possible, we have shares in a couple with the stable.