All that work last week and plenty of it wasted as the rains fell in torrents and Ascot were forced to abandon – welcome to the winter though it seems a bit early this year!
Racing continues behind closed doors for now though mixed messages from our government seem to be sowing the seeds of despair with cinemas (indoors) seemingly encouraged and racing (outdoors) apparently frowned upon. Now at my age I freely admit to suffering from “covid cowardice” and I am avoiding all crowds for the sake of it, but I do stand up for the rights of others and cannot imagine why they seem to be supporting some industries while effectively letting others potentially collapse including ours. Smaller crowds in the wide spaces of our racecourses are surely feasible, and if we can get back to the track, even I might be tempted to step outdoors once again and in to the public eye!
On to the racing and here’s hoping the weather allows all or most of these to at least have a run for our money.
Saturday
1.00pm York Bengough Stakes
As mentioned in last week’s preview for this contest, I won’t be having a bet though my old pal The Tin Man has as good a chance as any though it does look closely matched when you run through the official ratings. Now an eight year old with no less than 29 career starts and nine successes he feels like part of the family these days which may well be swaying my opinion, though I am fearful of both Summerghand (who is having a very consistent season), and Dakota Gold (the only course and distance winner in the field), though the ground just makes me vote for the James Fanshawe veteran. On the downside he hasn’t placed here at York from two attempts and may have done better at Ascot, and if I had been tempted, it would have been to pennies and not pounds.
1.45pm Newmarket Zetland Stakes
Soft ground and a mile and a quarter suggests these juveniles will need plenty of stamina to get home in the prevailing conditions though with a field of a maximum of eight we hopefully won’t see a suicidal early pace to worry about. Two of the eight arrive unbeaten after one start while five others won last time out, but something obviously has to give, and we can only have one winner. At first glance the Mark Johnston trained Roseabad looked interesting after she ran on strongly to open her account at Bath, but as a daughter of Awtaad the going has to be of some concern and she is reluctantly passed over even as an each way option. Mystery Angel should handle the ground but not necessarily the extended trip after winning twice over seven furlongs while Fabilis may well be the one to tow them along though it can get pretty lonely in front at Newmarket and something may pick him off close home. Hopefully that horse is Kyprios, Aidan O’Brien’s son of Galileo who is owned by Moyglare Stud Farm/Mrs Magnier & Michael Tabor. Currently priced at 50/1 for next year’s Epsom Derby, he won first time out at Galway by three-quarters of a length when looking as green as grass, but he did run on strongly over the mile plus that day when the penny dropped and more importantly, handled the heavy ground. He certainly needs to improve to take this but his supports can clearly expect more, and with the stable taking this twice in the last three tears, he will do for me.
2.00pm York Rockingham Stakes
Anyone who has read my past work or listened to the podcast will take one look at this race and know exactly who I will be going for. Word came out of Newmarket that Legal Attack was well above average ahead of his debut here on the July course, and despite a few anxious moments, he quickened up nicely in the end to win going away close home over this trip. Upped in class at Chantilly next time out he failed to land the odds when a five length second to Plainchant after swerving at the start and being left with too much to do, but in theory he ought to find this that little bit easier. He won’t have things all his own way and will need a far snappier start to take home this Listed prize and I am concerned about Ben Macdui who could make the suggestion pull out all the stops if he gets this sixth furlong. As a son of Kodiac the ground ought to be ideal and I doubt he has any issues getting home, so fingers crossed the Crisford colt has that little bit more class about him.
2.20pm Newmarket Autumn Stakes
This looks a really strong Group Three on paper at least and whoever wins is well worth taking note of for future reference, albeit next season. Both Godolphin and Hamdan Al Maktoum are double handed here, while Aidan O’Brien relies on the group placed Van Gogh which may yet tell its own story. It really is a tough one to call when you add in horses trained by John Gosden, Mark Johnston, Ralph Beckett, and Sir Michael Stoute and others and my head starts spinning, yet decisions have to be made. One Ruler may be the best of the Godolphin pair though I am not even sure about that, and I will take the risk on Akmaam each way at 9/1 or thereabouts. It is no secret that the Brian Meehan debutants invariably improve considerably for their first visit to the track, yet this son of Wootton Bassett scooted up over a furlong further at Ascot by an easy four lengths after making the running. His SP of 12/1 only reinforces the likelihood there is a lot more to come, and if that is the case, we should see a big run here as well as long as we don’t end up racing on heavy ground.
2.55pm Newmarket Dewhurst Stakes
Frankel, Dawn Approach, Churchill, Too Darn Hot, and Pinatubo have won this in the last decade, so we immediately know as fact that the top trainers are happy to target their star charges here. Early betting has seen plenty of confusion with Joseph O’Brien’s Thunder Moon on the drift and Richard Hannon’s Chindit perhaps the best supported. Both arrive here unbeaten (as do two others in Etonian and Poetic Flare), and as things stand, I would take a guess that Chindit will go off at the head of the market. Alkumait is another to include in calculations and appears the pick of Jim Crowley and should go well but if push comes to shove, I was most taken by Thunder Moon who won despite being hampered not once but twice and still quickening up enough to take the Group One National Stakes at The Curragh last month. Both Wembley and St Mark’s Basilica were in behind that day and re-oppose today, but I see no reason that form should be reversed and am happy enough with my selection.
4.50pm Newmarket Darley Stakes
This looks super tight on paper and although I have no tissue prices to work with, I am hoping the favourite will go off at 7/2 or bigger, if not then the bookies are at it yet again! I may have it all wrong (nothing new there) but I think it may be between a pair of three-year-olds in the Sir Michael Stoute trained Highest Ground (second to Thunderous at York in the Dante Stakes when last seen back in July) and John Gosden’s Darain. The first named was caught close home over further that day and could be better suited to this trip, but if we ignore Darain’s last run when failing to get home over a mile and a half and we have a horse with a serious CV. Trainer John Gosden has won this twice in the last ten years and will know the sort needed, while he adds first time blinkers to the son of Dubawi to sharpen him up. His last run saw him come home fifth behind Pyledriver, Highland Chief, Mogul, and Berkshire Rocco which looks very solid form to me, and if he is back to his best, he may simply have far too many gears for any of these.
3.22pm Chepstow Dunraven Windows Novices’ Chase
Just the five runners here, but with the flat season drawing to a close why not at least dip the toes in the water ahead of the winter game. Fusil raffles has already won over fences which bodes well for his chances while Grand Sancy brings experience to the table after four starts over the larger obstacles including a win at Fontwell back in February. He returns from a wind operation for trainer Paul Nicholls and may possibly need this, a remark that does not apply to Longhouse Sale who has a three out of three record over fences, one each in July, August, and September. This looks tougher than his earlier exploits and he may be found out this afternoon by Fiddlerontheroof, Colin Tizzard’s six-year-old who won the Grade One Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown before a below par effort at Cheltenham in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle won by Shishkin. Word is that he has schooled well at home and at level weights I am hoping he can start his new career with a comfortable success.
12.55pm Hexham Novice Hurdle
With fourteen runners declared for this two mile contest expect a little bit of mayhem at some stage and whoever you back will need that little bit of luck to come home in front. Some are having their first taste of obstacles after a flat career with the 86 rated Jedhi officially the best of them for trainer Jedd O’Keeffe having joined his yard from Hughie Morrison though he has been off track for over a year. Nada To Prada has won two bumpers which takes some doing and she would have been tempting at a bigger price, a remark that also applies to Giovanni Change who won’t be far away either. All in all it looks like a race I would rather watch for future reference though if I do have a bet, I will risk the fitness of Jedhi each way to small stakes – he may well outclass these though who knows if he can jump a hurdle other than his connections?
Tired of reading – go to our free to listen to podcast here instead https://postracing.co.uk/2020/10/09/ron-and-sean-cover-the-big-juvenile-race-this-weekend-and-ron-takes-a-sunday-newton-abbot-flier/
Sean’s Suggestions:
Akmaam each way 2.20pm Newmarket Saturday
Thunder Moon 2.55pm Newmarket Saturday
Darain 4.50pm Newmarket Saturday
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