As far as the European challenge was concerned (with one notable exception), the Breeders Cup was a damp squib more than a firework display and I wondered why I bothered waiting until the early hours to watch horse after horse disappoint as the home team took full advantage of a frankly lacklustre entry list from our continent.
Naturally, that got me reminiscing for the “good old days” and in all honestly, a chance to realise just how lucky I am. We all have our favourite horses, and we could discuss or argue for hours the merits of Secretariat v Man O War or Sea The Stars v Lammtarra, but the fact is I have, in my own very personal opinion, seen some of the very best in person. In no particular order I have been at the racetrack for Denman and Kauto Star, Desert Orchid and Best Mate, Istabraq and Big Buck’s, Sprinter Sacre and Altior, Dancing Brave and Frankel, American Phoenix and Justify, even Arazi and Zenyatta.
I do genuinely see that as a very blessed life despite not having the full set (I never did see Red Rum, for example), and now I am hopefully going to Almond Eye to the list after the 2018 Japan Cup winner was confirmed for the Hong Kong Cup next month. Already the winner of the fillies’ Triple Crown last season she is absolutely top class (never underestimate the Japanese form), and I can only hope things go according to plan and I get to see her in the flesh before what I hope will be yet another success for her CV.
On to the weekly news and congratulations to Doug Watson for six out of six at Meydan in Dubai on Thursday evening. Anything that hasn’t been done before is worthy of a mention but more importantly, Doug is a decent bloke who deserves every success that comes his way and I can say it genuinely couldn’t happen to a better guy. Picking one from the six seems a little harsh on the others but Rio Angie looks a horse to remember for future reference and it will be interesting to see if she sticks to Dubai as is the current plan or is given a campaign with loftier aspirations either this season or next.
With horse welfare a growing concern both here and around the racing World (see Australia and the United States for examples), I was pleased to see the BHA acting swiftly to punish those using modified whips to encourage their mounts, occasionally marking them in the process. It is a rarity whatever those may claim but once is once too often in my book and on the same week as a 2011 Guardian article by my good friend Greg Wood that confirmed the modern (unaltered) whip is all noise and no pain reappeared on my Facebook feed.
On to the racing this weekend and Doncaster have already abandoned thanks to some ridiculously high rainfall leaving us with very little to talk about and less losers to predict (we live in hope).
This is never an easy time to get financially involved over the jumps with unknown fitness levels and very different long-term targets, so I have tried to profile the Badger Beers Silver Trophy Handicap Chase from Wincanton in case that gave us any words of wisdom. As I expected the betting tells us very little historically, though we can (in theory) discount any horse who has raced in the last seven days which cuts the field from fourteen to only thirteen – but it’s a start (bye bye Cobra De Mai). Nothing rated above 145 has taken this in the last 22 years so that takes out Whisper, Rock The Casbah, Present Man and Royal Vacation, and nothing outside of the front nine in the market either (no go for Soupy Soups and Wicked Willy), so now we are down to “only” the seven contenders (on paper).
Age doesn’t help us sadly, and nor does the weights which seem fairly evenly split, so where do we go to make out final decision – trainer form, where else. Favourite White Moon is trained by Colin Tizzard whose strike rate sits at just 5% in the last two weeks which is far from encouraging (though others are even worse), and I will be backing three to very small stakes (plus silly forecasts and a tricast just in case) with Beau Du Brizais first choice, from Give Me A Copper and Sumkindofking, if only because all three trainers are at a 20% strike rate or more.
That was possibly just fun (we won’t know for sure until the results are in), but I do have a slightly stronger fancy for one race elsewhere though you need to be up bright and early to catch the 7.20am from Sha Tin in Hong Kong. Champion’s Way looks a class act and is getting better with experience if his recent trials are anything to go by. Top-weight won’t be easy to carry to success in the Panasonic Cup over the seven furlongs but the four-year-old arrives with a six out of seven win record (and was mugged close home in his one defeat), suggesting the £160,000 first prize can go to trainer John Size and jockey Joao Moreira assuming he is fit enough to do himself justice after over five months off the track.
Horses To Follow:
Rio Angie took her maiden with precious little fuss at Meydan, scoring by over four lengths at a fraction of odds on for trainer Doug Watson and jockey Pat Dobbs. She clearly looked the part at the sales, costing connections $320,000 but that may yet prove to be money well spent if she improves for this as expected.
There were some well-regarded sorts in behind suggesting this was getter than your average maiden, and with a mile or more a possibility on her pedigree (by Honor Code out of Quanah County), it will be interesting to see just how highly connections aim her over the months ahead.
Sean’s Suggestions:
Champion’s Way 7.20am Sha Tin (Hong Kong) Saturday (NAP)
Beau Du Brizais, Give Me Copper, and Sumkindofking, all each way to very small (fun) stakes, plus forecasts and a tricast to pennies – 3.35pm Wincanton Saturday.
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