First two races…. So so slow…. Watch the first 200m… go make scones and two cups of tea….. come back and watch the final 300m….

Is the EPL winner Liverpool? if so Insider you got a win.

It's Friday night and I have had one too many beers to understand that! See my posting from three years ago, but only four above for something easier to understand. 😊

Friday What can you say about Wootton Bassett that hasn’t already been said? Well, if recent evidence is anything to go by, quite a lot as it happens.    Plenty was expected of his first Irish-bred crop following a big-money transfer to Coolmore for season 2021. And rightly so given that the move also saw his stud fee leap from €40,000 to €100,000.    That punchy increase may well have raised a few eyebrows at the time, particularly considering that only a few years earlier he had stood for a mere €4,000.    However, that initial six-figure fee now looks like money well spent. Not only because Wootton Bassett currently stands at €300,000, but because this upward trajectory has been underpinned by sustained high-level success.    That debut Coolmore-conceived crop yielded a record-breaking ten Group race-winning two-year-olds. This double figure tally surpassed the previous benchmark of seven, which was shared between Danehill and Galileo. Not bad company to be keeping, then.    Moreover, four of those ten did not just win any old Pattern race, they struck in Group/Grade 1 company. The top-tier quartet were Camille Pissarro (Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere), Henri Matisse (Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf), Tennessee Stud (Criterium de Saint-Cloud) and Twain (Criterium International).    And the early indications are that those exploits are just the beginning of something much more significant.    That record-breaking juvenile cohort has picked up at three more or less where it left off at two. The crop contains at least one European Classic winner after Henri Matisse showed an irresistible turn of foot to strike in Sunday’s Poule d'Essai des Poulains.    Just to emphasise the point, Wootton Bassett also sired the third home in that race too. Camille Pissarro’s fast finish suggests he has every chance of landing further Group 1 laurels in the not too distant future as well.    Henri Matisse is one of four Group-winning three-year-olds Wootton Bassett has already come up with this season.    The most recent of those arrived on Wednesday when Whirl, a Group 3 scorer last year in the Staffordstown Stud Stakes, ran out a near five-length winner of the Musidora at York.    Although connections expressed some uncertainty over her intended target, that effort saw the filly trimmed into second favourite for the Oaks and the French equivalent, the Prix de Diane. She is as short as 7-1 for the former and around 4-1 for the latter.    The promising Maranoa Charlie, a commanding winner of last year’s Prix Thomas Bryon, notched his second Group 3 success in the Prix Djebel last month. Having bypassed the Poule d'Essai des Poulains, connections will test his top-level sprinting credentials in today’s Prix Texanita at Chantilly.    Swagman may not have won a black type event at two, albeit he was runner-up to Hotazhell in the Tyros Stakes, but he wasted no time righting that wrong by landing Sandown’s Group 3 Classic Trial on his seasonal reappearance. Bigger things surely await.    And, truth be told, these sorts of results are no great surprise. While Wootton Bassett was far superior at two than three himself, his stock have rarely had that issue.    His roll of honour is headed by 14 Group/Grade 1 winners, including the likes of Almanzor, Al Riffa, Audarya, Incarville and King Of Steel, all of whom benefitted from a bit of time and/or distance.    And if that was the case with Wootton Bassett’s French-bred stock, the more Classical influences running through his books of mares bred at Coolmore seem certain to sustain that trend.    His debut Irish book contained 234 mares. There was an abundance of quality to underpin the quantity as 125 (53 per cent) of those have black type to their name, and 55 (24 per cent) won in Group company.    Access to this sort of mare power is on another level to the opportunities Wootton Bassett had in France, even in his later years at Haras D’Etreham once he was proven as a precious upgrader of stock.    It has taken only a few months of the three-year-old season for his first Irish-bred crop to become his most successful in terms of stakes winners, despite his older French-conceived generations having much more time on their side.    From 140 starters, the class of 2022 has yielded 23 black type runners (16 per cent strike rate) and 14 stakes winners (ten per cent). His previous best was the 2017 crop that yielded 13 stakes winners. Given recent form, it is not hard to imagine the class of 2022 will be adding to these figures in the not too distant future.    And this year’s two-year-old crop, his second bred in Ireland, is already up and running with four early winners on the board. Two of the quartet are currently ante post favourites for Royal Ascot juvenile contests.    Coolmore homebred Albert Einstein was propelled into favouritism for the Coventry Stakes after a striking winning debut at Naas over the weekend. Over at Ascot on the same afternoon, Godolphin’s Military Code took his record to two from two and now sits at the head of the Norfolk Stakes market.    And there should be lots more where that pair came from, too. Wootton Bassett’s current juvenile crop is from a book that, on paper at least, promises even more than his first Irish crop.  This year’s two-year-olds result from Wootton Bassett covering 245 mares in 2022. Of those, 129 have black type (four more than the previous year, 53 per cent) and 58 (three more, 24 per cent) won at Group level.    While these stats paint a picture of uncommon strength in depth, what really hammers things home are the pedigrees behind those numbers. Classic aptitude is a running theme throughout.    According to Weatherbys data, 16 members of Wootton Bassett’s current juvenile cohort are out of a Group 1-winning dam. This includes fillies out of Awesome Maria, Channel (named Dawn Eclipse), Fairyland, Happily, Peeping Fawn (Astir Beach), Qemah, Roly Poly (Garden Party) and Skitter Scatter (Splish Splash), while there are colts out of Chicquita (Claret), Hydrangea (Hawk Mountain), Marvellous (Regents Park), Miss Yoda, Nickname, Precieuse (Beverly Wiltshire) and Shale.    There are also siblings to ten Group 1 winners, including half-sisters to Alson, Continuous (Musical Chimes), Hong Kong hero Waikuku, Tiger Tanaka (Philly Bassett), Onesto (Lalagoula), Raging Bull (Mombasa Vase) and a sister to Zellie, along with half-brothers to Pretty Gorgeous (Listentodwindblow) and Cloth Of Stars (Extravagant).    There is also the auspiciously named Simply Astounding, who is out of a Group 1 winner in Minding and a half-sister to another in Henry Longfellow.    This is, of course, merely the tip of the iceberg. Among the other noteworthy members of this crop that don’t feature above is the youngster out of Park Bloom who became the most expensive yearling colt sold in European sales history when knocked down to Amo Racing at 4,300,000gns at Book 1 last year. The colt has been named Poker and is in training with Karl Burke.    It is a similar story in Wootton Bassett’s more recent books, too.    His yearling crop is from a book of 218 mares, 98 (45 per cent) of which have black type, including 41 Group winners (19 per cent). Eleven of those are out of a Group 1 winner, and the same number boast a Group 1-winning sibling. Two youngsters fall into both categories, namely the half-brother to Ghaiyyath and the half-sister to Found.    His current foal crop, meanwhile, is the result of covering 223 mares in 2024, including 118 black type performers (53 per cent) and 53 Group winners (24 per cent).    All told, since Wootton Bassett made the move to Ireland, the Return of Mares lists the son of Iffraaj as having covered a combined 920 mares between 2021 and 2024. A whopping 36 per cent (332) of those matings were with black type winners. Make no mistake, this gives Wootton Bassett a serious amount of ammunition for the coming seasons.   And only time will tell how strong this year’s book of mares will prove. Given the matings were made in the afterglow of last year’s record-breaking season, both on the track and in the sales ring, it would be a shock if the standard was not at least on a par with recent times.    It is not only in the northern hemisphere that Wootton Bassett is on the charge. Despite only having one southern hemisphere-bred crop of racing age on the ground, the Coolmore resident is due to stand the upcoming breeding season for an Australian record fee A$385,000 (£185,991/€220,528).    While his unprecedented European results might have been enough to tempt breeders to part with such a lumpy service fee, he has also sired eight winners (36 per cent strike rate) and six stakes horses, including Golden Slipper runner-up Wodeton, in his initial Australian-bred crop of two-year-olds.    He has had a relatively limited number of older European imports run in Australia, but he has come up with a Group 1 winner nonetheless as Royal Patronage won the Canterbury Stakes for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott earlier this year. Six seven-figure yearlings this southern hemisphere sales season certainly can’t hurt his chances, either.    Having once been a largely unconsidered commercial option, we could soon be saying it is Wootton Bassett’s world and we are merely living in it. As his biggest and best-bred crops continue to come online, this story looks sure to run and run. 

J Dunn on tonight…. Punted….. why does he not always drive….when he trains them…. 

1. Doomben R3    2, 14 2. Doomben R4    2, 7 3. Doomben R5    7, 13 4. Scone R7          5, 6 5. Doomben R6    3, 6 6. Flemington R6  1, 11 BB 7. Scone R8           1, 2        8. Doomben R7     3, 7 9. Flemington R7  5, 14 10. Scone R9         1, 5 11. Doomben R8   2, 14 BB 12. Doomben R9   4, 6 Thank you Leigh and John Never in the history of the comps, have I performed so badly, that Iv'e now lost all confidence. Maybe tomorrow will be a turnaround 🤨  

I hope so Janitor . If I was having a bet in the race would put $100 to win on Betters Anvil and Got the Chocolates and hope he gets bad luck

Wrong place mate.  

1. Doomben R3 - 1, 2 2. Doomben R4 - 5, 7 3. Doomben R5 - 8  BB 4. Scone R7 - 6 5. Doomben R6 - 5, 9 6. Flemington R6 - 11  BB 7. Scone R8 - 6 8. Doomben R7 - 2, 3 9. Flemington R7 - 12, 18 10. Scone R9 - 15 11. Doomben R8 - 10, 12 12. Doomben R9 - 1, 12 Thank you

As a follow up to the original post, the filly I have a share in  had her 2nd start and first on the synthetic, she handled it well and ran a good second,  with no ill effects.

Yes some good judges have bought her previously....interested to see where she ends up.

Good point. She will leave a good type though.

That would be the top end I think...Aussie form is weak...NZ form is discounted there.It will be way less than the huge money they bought her for thats for sure.

1. Doomben R3    2x5 2. Doomben R4    4x9 3. Doomben R5    2x8  4. Scone R7          6x12 5. Doomben R6    1x3 bb 6. Flemington R6  3x11 7. Scone R8           1x6 8. Doomben R7     2x3 9. Flemington R7  3x14 10. Scone R9         5x11 11. Doomben R8   12x14 bb 12. Doomben R9   1x2 Thank you Scooby and John. Hopefully I say alive.

I'll have a guess and say $300,000 Australian.

"... or the trainer for failing to work out the horse was ineligible" - rubbish statement given the conditions were changed allowing his horse's entry ....

Starting to wonder if the first two of your three picks were the whistle blowers

Has he produced the whistleblower for the Russia Russia Russia hoax  I bet Hokey Bloke and Mitey Idolize this pos, without a doubt the greatest liar is USA.

Ah hang on DeepSooth, I can't see where JJ has taken aim at anyone 🤔 just asks a question....and Janitor mate, did I miss summit in the readin of the above, the hilarity surrounds???    Cheers Iraklis

So if this Group 1 winning mare only sells for 480K NZ what will Wolverine sell for..... Widden Stud secures Bonny Lass By  NZ Racing Desk  -  May 16, 2025 Bonny Lass Photos Angelique Bridson. Group One-winning mare Bonny Lass (NZ) (Super Easy) will head across the Tasman after being bought by Widden Stud for $480,000 on Gavelhouse Plus on Thursday. Bonny Lass was a Group winner as a two, three, four, five and six-year-old for owner-breeder Sandy Moore, co-owners Brent and Wendy Cooper and the Social Racing Starting Gates Syndicate. From the stable of Matamata trainers Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall, her 26-race career produced eight wins, eight placings and $774,950 in stakes. Widden Stud principal Antony Thompson was thrilled to secure another quality mare with Group One racetrack credentials like Bonny Lass. “Her two and three-year-old form was what really drew us to her,” Thompson said. “She raced on as an older horse and continued to perform well while being reasonably lightly raced, but when you delve into her two-year-old form, she won her first couple of starts very impressively including a Group Two. She followed that up with two very solid Group One placings against some high-quality opposition, like I Wish I Win (NZ) (Savabeel) and Sword Of State (Snitzel). “Her ability to compete against the boys in some of those top-level sprints showed that she’s a mare with plenty of class. “We weren’t able to inspect her physically ourselves, but we benefited from some high-quality photos and videos. I’m also a friend of the Bakers at Hallmark Stud, and I could rely on Mark’s feedback. He was very forthcoming in his description of the mare and really gave me the confidence to bid on her.” Bonny Lass is set to be a high-quality addition to the first book of mares for Southport Tycoon, who will stand at Widden Victoria next spring for an introductory service fee of A$38,500. The son of Written Tycoon won four races including the Group One Australian Guineas (1600m) and Manikato Stakes (1200m). “I bought Bonny Lass with Southport Tycoon in mind,” Thompson said. “I thought she’d be a lovely sort of mare for his first book. He’s a Group One-winning sprinter and Guineas winner. She seems like a good fit. “There’s a bit to work with on the pedigree side of things too, with Bonny Lass having Darci Brahma and Danehill along the top line, along with Centaine. For a young horse at stud, she appeals as a nice mare to help him get started.” Entries are now open on Gavelhouse Plus for the National Online Breeding Stock Sale to be held from 27th June to 9th July and are also open for gavelhouse.com’s next fortnightly mixed bloodstock sale.