Not too many successes last week I am sorry to say but the going was certainly interesting at Haydock to put it politely, so I have used my contacts to get to the bottom of it and line up my excuses for poor selections!
In brief, the going was Good to Firm, Good in places early last week, we had scorching hot weather, there were no reports of further watering after Tuesday – yet after race one jockeys were reporting the ground was cutting up and the going soon changed to Good. I spoke to those in charge and I have to say I received a prompt and detailed reply from Clerk of the Course Kirkland Tellwright – I only wish others in racing were as helpful. Trying to summarise, there was a fear of horses slipping on the bend after local drizzle, so they spiked the bend which is what appears to have caused the change in going description, and with horse safety paramount I have no issues with that decision. What I am more concerned about is where us punters sit in the pecking order – bottom or lower by the look of things, as I chose my horses in the morning fully expecting a faster surface and once that was changed, my chances went out of the proverbial window. In reality, it possibly wasn’t as slow as good, looking at the times post-race, but the point still stands – punters need to be kept informed far more frequently than they are, and as my prime example as Thirsk who have failed to give an updated going stick reading since I had hair!
Plenty of stories could be mentioned here (the new BHA Chair, for example, but we can save that for another day), and I will settle for the punter who sued after a winner was disqualified for doping violations after coming home in front in a harness race in new Jersey in 2016. Now $20,000 better off, it appears to be an out of court settlement but interesting nonetheless – and possibly opens a few different floodgates. In a World where no one seems capable of just letting things go without resorting to legal action, how long I wonder before a jockey is taken to task for being disqualified from first, or a stable lad/trainer is sued after a slipped saddle or missing weight cloth sees a demotion on race day? With first past the post payouts less and less in the year 2020 it may only be a matter of time, though personally I am rather hopeful racings rulers spot this as I have and make sure that whatever is necessary is in place to stop such lunacy from ruining our sport.
On to the racing this week (some other racing subjects will be covered in the podcast, see below), though with York next week it isn’t as top class as we may have hoped for a weekend. Do bet to smaller stakes this week please – if the weather forecasters don’t know when or where it will rain I am pretty sure I don’t, meaning I am working on the going at the time of writing, which may be very different by the off time – you have been warned.
Saturday
Preis von Europa 12.00pm Cologne
First things first and I have to say that this is not a race I would normally even give a second glance. German racing is OK but not a lot better than that surprisingly, and to see a horse of the calibre of Barney Roy running for a little over £40,000 comes as quite a shock. Now a six-year-old, success here would take him over the magic million pounds in win and place prize money, but be warned, he is stepping up to a mile and a half for the first time on Saturday. His last run saw a neck success at Munich over a mile and a quarter when holding on close home but hardly impressing, and as a son of top miler Excelebration, he needs to be odds against before he will be carrying any of my money despite William Buick travelling over to take the mount.
Washington Singer Stakes 1.50pm Newbury
Here we go again. Just the maximum seven runners making each way more of a risk with just the first two home running for us, and a going description of Good at the time of writing seemingly smack down the middle just in case. Three of the last four winners have gone off favourite, and six of the last ten, and I suspect another one here assuming Dhahabi goes off at the head of the market. One of four unbeaten colts in the line-up, his name may mean Golden (out of a few translations), and if that is the case, then I suggest Godolphin have always thought a bit of the son of Frankel. Bought for an eye-watering 3.1 million Guineas as a yearling he needs to do well to justify that price tag and ran as green as grass when only doing enough on his debut to score by a neck first time out – pretty similar to his illustrious father! The majority of his rivals boast similar profiles with Guru scoring by a nose over course and distance last month, Francesco Guardi by a head at Salisbury, and Jumby by a length and a half in lesser company at Ascot, suggesting this could be a very good renewal for a Listed race, but if my suggestion improves as hoped (and as recent gallops suggest), Jim Crowley may well be able to pounce late where it matter and bring home the prize before stepping up in class next time out.
Geoffrey Freer Stakes 3.00pm Newbury
I am covering this race because it is a Group Three and historically a decent contest, but I really do not like the layout of the field one iota. Both Communique and Morando have a few pounds in hand according to the official ratings but the first named was disappointing when sixth at Goodwood and the Balding horse needs to step up on his return to action seventh at Ascot and appears at his best on softer ground. If the rains come then I will happily switch allegiance (if the going is good to soft or worse that is), but if not, then Hukum could be the dark horse as a lightly raced three-year-old on the up and up. The added furlong plus here could well see him pull out even more with a bit of luck after he ran on well to take the twelve furlong King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot with a bit left in the tank, and with his age group winning two of the last three renewals, he deserves the step up from handicap company here.
Hungerford Stakes 3.35pm Newbury Saturday
On paper this looks all set to be a proper generational battle with the 117 rated Dream Of Dreams (Sir Michael Stoute) giving six pounds to the 112 rated three-year-old Threat suggesting it should be tight enough between the two. Threat was last seen over six furlongs when eight and a half lengths adrift of winner Oxted, but he has winning form over this trip at this level (at Doncaster as a juvenile) and cannot be written off, yet Sir Michael Stoute’s six-year-old looks the safer option. Only a head behind Hello Youmzain in the Jubilee Stakes, he was anything but unfancied on his return to action after a gelding operation when sent off an 8/1 shot and if he improves for that, he could take all the beating here with Champion jockey Oisin Murphy tasked with doing the steering. Do keep an eye on Pierre Lapin (I might even have a saver bet on him, just in case), he was a class two-year-old who has looked a shadow of his 2019 self in two runs this season – if Roger Varian can get him back to his best he would give them all a race this afternoon.
Sunday
St Hughes Fillies Stakes 3.35pm Newbury
We haven’t seen a winning favourite here since 2016 (the excellent and well bought Mrs Danvers), with 14/1 chance Orlaith upsetting the majority last season for trainer Iain Jardine. A low draw seems a bonus looking at recent results and that increases the chances of success for the currently unbeaten Blackberry who takes a leap of faith class wise this afternoon. A neck win at Hamilton may have been the official margin but the Bryan Smart filly had more to offer if needed that day and she pretty much repeated the feat only by half a length at Doncaster. Both starts were in Class Five events, so this is a very different kettle of fish, but we know she handles the expected cut in the ground, pops out of the two stall, represents and in-form handler, and deserves her shot at the big time. Miss Jingles is going the right way for Charlie Appleby and is not easily overlooked, a remark that could also apply to most if not all of this field, including form choice and Princess Margaret Stakes third Caroline Dale but I will settle for a little each way on my suggestion at 12/1 or this time around.
Prix Jacques le Marois Deauville
No longer even thought of as a betting proposition as, at the time of writing, racing tries to find out if any British jockeys potentially flying over for this Group One will have to quarantine for 14 days on their return which is obviously cost prohibitive. That is a real shame to put it mildly in what may yet turn out to be the mile race of the season so far when (as things stand), we see St James’s Palace Stakes winner Palace Pier take on Coronation Stakes winner Alpine Star, 2019 French 2000 Guineas winner Persian King, Queen Anne Stakes winner Circus Maximus, and last season’s victor Romanised! Recent winners of this have included class acts such as Makfi, Excelebration, Moonlight Cloud, Kingman, and Alpha Centauri, and all but one of these were three-year-olds who may again hold the edge at these weights. Palace Pier remains unbeaten and has looked class as he looks to follow up the success of his sire (he is a son of Kingman), and he could yet be the one they all have to beat with Frankie Dettori deciding to pay the quarantine price to ride here (which seems a pretty big clue), and he will be my pick though overall I would rather be watching than getting involved financially.
Bored of reading and after a second opinion – the Post Racing Podcast is back and is free to listen to here
- enjoy.
Sean’s Suggestions:
Dhahabi 1.50pm Newbury Saturday
Blackberry each way 3.35pm Newbury Sunday
Comments