A lack of sleep, poor racing, and rain soddened ground mean I came mighty close to pulling stumps this weekend and not bothering – but old habits die hard and I felt I should produce you a little something, though this week we are talking about a pretty quick read – for a change.
Firstly, a sad but fond farewell to Barney Curley, legendary trainer and gambler who passed away at the age of 81 (no age really), though I see no need to recount any tales here as they have been plastered all over the press both sport and mainstream. Suffice to say I suspect we were only ever told of the gambles Barney wanted us to know about, and I am hoping to finally get round to reading his autobiography (Giving A Little Back), but they need to re-release it in paperback or on Kindle - £69.50 for the hardback seems a touch expensive to me and could well be Barney’s last laugh at our expense.
Elsewhere, I see the BHA are looking in to whether cashing out on a bet counts as laying a horse from an owners perspective, it does as things stand and for me, long may that continue. As a writer (I should focus on fiction, and some would say my tips are exactly that), I see conspiracies at every corner, so what is to stop an owner instructing a jockey to go hell for leather from the start of a race (knowing full well he or she won’t get home), then cashing out at a much shorter price for a healthy profit. The exchange button may well be labelled cash out, but in reality all it does is lay the same horse at current prices without you needing to do the math, and that should not be allowed, regardless.
Other than that, all I can do is wish Rossa Ryan a speedy recovery after his fall at Wolverhampton Wednesday night, and Ryan Day the same after his “retirement” from the saddle at the age of 27 – we have all ended up in the wrong job at some time in our life and I am sure his new career, whatever that may be, will bring him more happiness – and less early starts.
On to the racing – what there is of it!
Saturday:
Haydock 2.20pm
A Listed sprint over five furlongs starts things off but be warned, we have had atrocious weather and I fully expect upsets throughout the card. High numbers have the edge statistically over the minimum trip and as favourite El Astronaute is drawn 12 of 12. I can see why he heads the market (as well as the fact that he took this race last season). Trained by John Quinn, the eight-year-old made all the running to score by three-quarters of a length on his return at Chester earlier in the month and is entitled to strip fitter here, and he has won in this class on similar going (at Maisons-Lafitte in 2018), though he isn’t getting any younger (who is). On the ratings alone you would have to think that Tarboosh would be a big danger and I expect him to do a lot better on his second start after a wind operation than his sixth to Jabbarockie at Musselburgh and he has each way chances, but in the end I will take a massive each way risk on rank outsider Ishvara. Only a four-year-old with room for more improvement, she is in the capable hands of sprint specialist Robert Cowell, and didn’t run badly last time out when second to Arecibo in a Class Two at Newmarket. Drawn next to the jolly there are no issues there, and in receipt of five pounds from her male rivals we may yet get a big run from a horse who has won or placed numerous times on soft or worse ground.
Haydock 2.55pm
Up in trip to a mile and a half (which will take some getting on this ground), but a miserly six runners left after the withdrawal of Alpinista who would surely have gone off at a pretty short price. Oriental Mystique should go well for David Simcock who last won this in 2013 with Moment In Time, but her best form is in far quicker ground and she doesn’t look one I would want to rely on. At least Cabaletta won on heavy ground on her debut at York in 2019, though she needs to step up on her one paced third at York on her return, beaten fifteen lengths. Trainer Roger Varian adds first-time blinkers to the daughter of Mastercraftsman and if they keep her focussed and nearer the leaders early in the race over thus more suitable trip, then she should prove pretty difficult to beat assuming she goes on the ground.
Haydock 3.30pm
One last race in a dismal weekend, and a second Group Three, though this time over the specialist distance of seven furlongs. Safe Voyage took this last time (in 2019) at odds of 5/4f with plenty in hand on heavy going and although now two years older, still looks the one to beat today. Although stone cold last on both his most recent starts, they were over a mile and in the Breeders Cup (behind Order of Australia) and the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury (behind Palace Pier), and this looks far weaker on paper anyway. His third to One Master in the Group One Prix Prix de la Foret at Longchamp on heavy ground reads well, and a repeat of that ought to see a comfortable success today. Four-year-olds do well in this contest in recent years at least and William Haggas will know where he stands on the chances of With Thanks, an improving daughter of Camacho who has won three of her five starts and come home second in the other two. All her successes have been on heavy ground including last time out at Naas in similar company, and it ought to be a straight battle between the pair of them, with the selection made purely because he may, just may,
have a slight fitness advantage.
Sean’s Suggestions:
Cabaletta 2.55pm Haydock
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