A chance and a strong chance at that of history being made this weekend as the amazing wonder mare Enable looks to make it three Arcs in a row in Paris on Sunday afternoon and at best odds of 4/5 it seems the great betting public have already decided she is home and hosed. She is looking for her thirteenth consecutive victory at 3.05pm in Longchamp and will prove very hard to beat though whether anyone sees that price as value is a different question. I do get the feeling that Kiseki could run a huge race for Japan and may even sniff out a place on a good day, while Godolphin’s Ghaiyyath seems to improving at a rate of knots and is hard to ignore, though nothing in the field has anything like the form of the John Gosden mare, and if she remains at her peak she should come home in front.
Quite frankly there is so much top class racing this weekend that the news has been given a swerve this weekend as I hope to head off to Newmarket Saturday afternoon, weather permitting of course with the recent rains seeing far too many meetings abandoned. Soft ground is fully expected, perhaps at best, and that may well see plenty of upsets which is a real shame as on decent good ground I would be far more confident of my Godolphin double.
First up for me will be the highly regarded White Moonlight as the once raced son of Medaglia d’Oro looks to build on his narrow debut success over seven furlongs on the all-weather at Kempton. Slowly away at the start that day and very weak in the on-course market he was brought with a wet sail by Oisin Murphy (who rides him again here), and ought to appreciate the extra furlong this afternoon as well as that experience.
I really want to see Laurens win the Sun Chariot Stakes at 3.25pm in what will probably be her last ever racecourse appearance but she does have a bit to find on her recent form and I have to let her run unbacked on this going but I will be going in to smaller stakes on Raaeb in the 4.00pm at the same track. Another to carry the blue of Godolphin, and another to be ridden by Oisin Murphy, he also scored at the first attempt when coming home a length and a quarter clear at Doncaster, though that was on far faster ground. I have heard whispers that some in the Saeed Bin Suroor yard have taken some huge prices for the 2000 Guineas next year and if that has any truth to it, then he ought to win this with ease regardless of the ground.
Ascot and Longchamp both put on some amazing racing on Saturday afternoon as well, but we can’t cover everything (or afford for them all to lose either), so we will move on to Sunday and what can we find away from the Arc itself. Plenty is the honest answer, starting with Savarin in the Prix Marcel Boussac at 1.15pm who may yet be the latest star to roll off the Andre Fabre production line. A clever winner of a lesser contest last time out over course and distance after a maiden success at Deauville he needs to add to that to lead them home here but he certainly has a change of gear when needed and if he gets a clear run we can expect him to arrive on the scene at the very last second.
After ITV go off air (shame on you) we can expect Battaash to take the Prix de l’Abbaye for Charlie Hills but at a prohibitive price, so I will end my weekend with a little each way on Wasmya in the Prix De La Foret over seven furlongs at 5.05pm. The Toronado filly is getting better with every race and the Graffard yard would not send her here were she not up to the challenge, and with three wins from four starts the fact is we still don’t know just how good she could be, and at 16/1 or so I am willing to take the risk to small stakes just in case she can lead this quality field home.
Horses To Follow:
Anyone who has been around this sport for a while will be fully aware that trainer Roger Charlton is well known for his patience with his horses when necessary. Total Commitment needed three starts to get off the mark and has been seen in an even better light since being gelded over the winter and he looked to have taken to the all-weather better than most when coasting home at Kempton on Tuesday evening. I doubt he ever makes it as far as Listed class (sorry Roger), but he hasn’t stopped winning yet, and it will be interesting to see where he heads next once the dreaded handicapper has added a few more pounds to his back.
Sean’s Suggestions:
White Moonlight 2.50pm Newmarket Saturday
Raaeb 4.00pm Newmarket Saturday
Savarin 1.15pm Longchamp Sunday
Wasmya Each Way 5.05pm Longchamp Sunday
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