A mad rush to put my article together this week after a “short” trip to sort out a car for my youngest son ended up as the ten labours of Hercules from form to proof of ID to tax to insurance to eventually get home about eight hours after we started our epic journey.
Excuses out the way and Ferdy Murphy has to be the first subject of our racing chat this week after the trainer sadly passed away on Tuesday at the age of just 70. Described by all who knew him as an absolute gentleman his record speaks for itself with twelve Cheltenham, Festival winners to his name and as someone heading toward old age myself I get the feeling that his like will not be seen in the years ahead where money is God and manners seem to mean less and less year on year.
The other big news this week didn’t exactly have me falling off of my chair when Irish trainer Gordon Elliott confirmed Tiger Roll will be aimed at a third consecutive Grand National win next April. Why other media outlets feel obliged to add exclamation marks to the story is beyond me to be honest as both the trip and track clearly suit the Authorized gelding while I wonder if the £1,000,000 prize on offer may also have something to do with their decisions and I wish him the best of luck, though whether it is a news story is a moot point.
On to the weekend and what do we make of the reduced field in the Betfair Sprint Cup Sakes from Haydock at 4.10pm? No Advertise and no Ten Sovereigns has taken a bit of gloss off the Group one event, but it still looks interesting and a race worth watching. I am absolutely convinced that Aidan O’Brien’s Fairyland has a big race in her when everything falls her way but hopefully that won’t be Saturday as my cash will be on favourite Khaadem who has decent form on Good to Soft, suggesting he should handle the underfoot conditions here. A rapidly improving son of Dark Angel who should stay further than the six furlongs here and one a three-year-old top boot, his last win at Goodwood suggested there was more to come though he does need to do more in this exalted company.
At Kempton I do feel the value may lie with Royal Line ahead of the Group Three September Stakes over a mile and a half on the all-weather at 2.05pm with fitness doubts over market leader Best Solution who hasn’t been seen since the Melbourne Cup in November last year. Prior to that he has taken four decent races in a row, three of the Group Ones, but after 305 days off course, surely he will come on for his return to action. My selection doers admittedly have ten pounds to find with the jolly, but he will have improved for his fourth at Sandown over an inadequate ten furlongs and at 5/1 or so looks worthy of the risk this afternoon if nothing else for trainer John Gosden.
Bucking the trend, we will have a third suggestion for the weekend for a change when Dakota Gold heads to York on Sunday afternoon for the Listed Garrowby Stakes looking to land his four-timer. Already successful twice here at York with Ripon the meat in the sandwich, the five-year-old looked to have a bit up his sleeve last time out in a Class Two handicap and deserves a first ever run in this grade on his twenty-seventh start though whether he can win for us only time will tell as always.
Horses To Follow:
Festival Day. There is a pattern emerging here of horses I have lost money on and Mark Johnston’s once raced two-year-old is another of an ever expanding list. Backed as if defeat was not a possibility at Goodwood on Tuesday (I took 5/2, she was sent off the 6/4 favourite), James Doyle got a little trapped behind horses at a crucial stage of the seven furlong novice stakes before flying at the death to go under by a short head, and with that experience to call upon, she should go one better next time out.
Sean’s Suggestions:
Khaadem 4.10pm Haydock Saturday
Royal Line 2.05pm Kempton Saturday
Dakota Gold 2.55pm York Sunday
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