Less is more as lazy people say, me included, and as I have had a tough week working far too many hours for my liking, I am delighted to have found less to write about than normal today, so we will keep it short and sweet for a change.
First things first and a blast from the past as Mahmood Al Zarooni has served his worldwide racing ban and has, unsurprisingly started training again back home in Dubai. Eight years is a long time (though for me, it has flown by), and lest we forget, he was found guilty of doping no less than 15 horses with anabolic steroids, though to this day he claims the drug was only administered to horses out of training, and that he thought it was allowed for that reason. Whether you believe him or not (even I am not that naïve to be honest), he was given a bigger ban than expected at the time, alienated, and ostracised from the sport he loves, and in my view, he has done his time and is welcome to start to try and rebuild his reputation. His new base is at the Sharjah Equestrian and Racing Club with Marwan Abdul Rahman though it will be a far cry from the glory days in Newmarket with just the 20 horses in his care. No doubt the drug inspectors will be treble checking every horse he runs in future, and it will be interesting to see how he gets on – was he a talented trainer, or was he just given a long list of expensively bred or bought bluebloods by the Godolphin empire – only time will tell on that one but forgive and forget is my motto and I wish him all the very best as he attempts to rebuild his tarnished reputation.
Meanwhile, when is a horse a covid risk – and when isn’t he (or she), that is the question? For reasons beyond me (and possibly beyond Einstein if he was still around) Irish horses can race here if they are competing in Class Four contests or better – but not if they try to enter in a lower grade. I am not a scientist, nor am I anything near to a conspiracy theorist when it comes to this pandemic, but I do wonder how the virus knows the different class of a horse’s connections and only travels with the lesser animals. I do understand whatever government was in power has a difficult to impossible job, but of an idiot like me can see there is no difference, surely someone on ten times my salary can as well.
Lastly, I hope you are all enjoying the football (though sometimes it has been painful as an England fan), but can anyone explain why the crowds allowed for the finals etc are so much larger than we are allowed on racecourses – again, it makes little sense. The inside areas at the track can get pretty crammed I agree (as can the food outlets, toilets etc at the football), but they could easily be made off limits if necessary and allow larger numbers outside in the acres of empty spaces (have you ever been to an empty racecourse – they’re huge), leaving people outside in the open air where it is safer, according to the powers that be. With racing triggering the multi-million-pound loan option from the government to survive (note, loan, not a grant), surely looking at ways to increase the numbers of paying customers has to be a more cost-efficient way of keeping the sport in acceptable financial health.
On to the racing now and we had a bag full of possible races, so I have sensibly cut it down to the better or more interesting – so here we go!
On to the racing and as always, anyone who want to hear my dulcet tones (or can’t get to sleep easily), the bones of my article plus other’s opinions can be heard on the free of charge podcast here
Saturday
Newcastle 2.20pm
A decent six-furlong sprint that has attracted a classy field considering its Group Three status and an interesting one to try to solve. Three-year-olds don’t have a great record here (five winners from 44 starters in the last 24 years) but that hasn’t stopped punters latching on to the chances of Diligent Harry who has won three of his four starts, all of them on the all-weather. He is more workmanlike than electric from what I have seen, and at 3/1 or so I can let him run unbacked. Oh This Is Us was sorely tempting not because I think he can win but because at 25/1 he is massively overpriced and will be running on to a possible place at the death, but preference is for KHUZAAM, one of three in the Shadwell Estate colours, but the pick of jockey Jim Crowley. Wins at Chelmsford and then Lingfield over further were followed by a race in the deep end when failing to see a fast run mile out at Sandown behind Palace Pier, but he has shown plenty of speed when needed and is worth a try over this reduced trip. This will be his first start over six furlongs which is a concern, but he oozes class at his best and may have too much finishing kick for any of these.
Newmarket 3.15pm
I have looked at this race a dozen times now – and come up with a different conclusion on every occasion. The Lir Jet was sorely tempting at a big price, and he will be far far happier on this surface than he was on heavy when out with the washing at Royal Ascot. On official ratings he is best in at the weights as well and cannot be written off, though three-year-olds don’t do that well here which was just about enough to put me off. Kinross will be popular but where is the fun in always picking the jolly, and I have come down on the side of ROYAL CRUSADE for Charlie Appleby with Adam Kirby in the saddle. His form figures don’t look that good at first glance (so hopefully we will get a better price), and his last start saw him come home seventh which also fails to impress – until you look a little deeper. His only races this season have been at Meydan in Dubai, with the last one a two and three-quarter length defeat by Extravagant Kid in the Group One Al Quoz Sprint on Word Cup night, and this looks a whole lot easier to win. Add in the fact that the victor that day ran a blinder to finish third to Oxted in the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot to frank the form and you can hopefully see why I think he has an excellent each way chance at the very least.
The Curragh 3.05pm
I was surprised to see that Aidan O’Brien fails to dominate here, though two winners in ten years is still not to be sniffed at. Cadamosto appears to be their first string here with Ryan Moore in the saddle and after a close up fourth in the Norfolk Stakes he won’t be far away, though he does need to reverse the form with runner-up Go Bears Go, though to be fair there was very little in it and I wouldn’t want to call who will beat who here. Luckily, I have looked elsewhere for the winner and I am willing to take a risk on the once raced DR ZEMPF whose form isn’t as good as the other two mentioned, but his course and distance win at the start of the month suggested he could be pretty decent. Dropped out early and allowed to find his own way, he could be called the winner a long way out before easing his way to the front, and then pulling away from the field. He wasn’t cheap at 420,000 Guineas and that win was not unexpected, and I am expecting another smooth performance here, and hopefully a winning one.
The Curragh 3.45pm
With six of the last ten winners Aidan O’Brien does farm the Irish Derby and if HIGH DEFINITION is as good as the reports coming out of Ballydoyle suggest, then he can add to that tally. A big old beast who looks an absolute picture, he looked as if he needed both a mile and a half and the race when a disappointing third as the bubble burst in the Dante at York, but connections sensibly avoided Epsom to give him more time and to target him at this far more suitable track and on better ground. Of course, we all know that Ballydoyle is a business, and I don’t believe all the hype for their future stallions, but as things stand, he needs to win a race like this to increase his value at stud and no stone will have been left unturned to have him spot on. Hurricane Lane is an obvious danger along with Mojo Star, the best maiden in training, but on this occasion, the favourite will do for me.
The Curragh 4.20pm
Yawn – Aidan O’Brien has won five of the last eight renewals of this Group Three contest, and he has two runners her with Ontario the mount of Ryan Moore. He was basically the pacemaker for Battleground in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot in a race best ignored, but he still has a bit to find, though this step up in trip looks ideal. Cadillac looks the best horse here judged on his juvenile form including a fourth in the Juvenile Turf at the Breeders Cup in Keeneland, but good as he may be, he hasn’t been seen since last November, and you have to wonder if he will improve for his first start since. It’s a close call but if I had to bet (and I don’t) then the Willie Mullins trained TRUE SELF would be the one. A winner in Saudi Arabia in January, trousering a very tasty £438,000 in the process, he followed that with a third to Helvic Dream in the Tattersalls Gold Cup (only beaten a length) after being left with a bit too much to do, and as that was a Group One, this lesser event could be bread and butter for him, even at the age of eight.
Sunday
The Curragh 2.00pm
Five wins for Aidan O’Brien in the last ten years but zero since 2018 and he relies on Yet this season, a winner at Dundalk on debut but out with the washing behind Quick Suzy in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot, coming home in 17th spot, and over thirteen lengths behind the winner. She simply has to be better than that but there were no obvious excuses, and she may not be up to seeing off VELOCIDAD who caught the eye when winning on her debut at Fairyhouse after a slow start before possibly (hopefully) idling after hitting the front a furlong out. As a daughter of Gleneagles the better ground here should suit her admirably and she could be good enough to see off Cheerupsleepyjean who was third as Ascot and in theory holds Jet on that form barring any improvement from that rival.
The Curragh 3.40pm
Five winning British raiders in the last decade but not a single raider on 2021 (dam you covid), so zero chance of taking any prize money back over the Irish Sea. I can still remember when Aidan O’Brien’s SANTA BARBARA was the next big thing off the Ballydoyle/Coolmore production line, unbeaten at two (after one start) and ripping up the morning gallops ahead of her classic winning campaign. Those plans filed to bear fruition sadly as she ran a promising race when fourth in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket before seemingly failing to stay the mile and a half at Epsom in the Oaks when a 22 length fifth to stable companion Snowfall. This may be her last chance to live up to the hype with lesser opposition in this Group Two event and the drop back to ten furlongs looking ideal – and if she doesn’t win here then it seems fair to suggest they hype machine had been in overdrive over the winter.
The Curragh 4.10pm
Twilight Payment has won the last two renewals of this race for Jim Bolger and then Joseph O’Brien but in 2021 only Joseph has a runner, and the stable are represented by Pondus, a solid second to Shanroe over course and distance last time out and clearly a major player here. He can go close, but this really ought to fall to Aidan O’Brien this year via PASSION, already a distance winner at Naas and a close up third to the brilliant Wonderful Tonight when last seen over shorter in the Champion Filles and Mares Stakes at Ascot on Champions Day last October. She ran on strongly that day suggesting the return to this trip is ideal though there is a negative with this being her first start since, and we do have to take her fitness on trust.
Sean’s Suggestions:
Royal Crusade each way 3.15pm Newmarket Saturday
Santa Barbara 3.40pm The Curragh Sunday
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