Anticipation is a wonderful thing. As each day rolls in to another (hands up who hasn’t got confused at one time or another during the lock down), it feels like for ever since I last saw a horse race here in the United Kingdom when in reality, it’s less that two months – how time fails to fly when you are not having fun. Our latest little tease is June 1st (starting with Newcastle on the all-weather, I wonder who thought of that as a fanfare blowing return to action), but it gives us some hope, and the reality is that what you or I want is irrelevant until it is safe to send the horses jockeys and staff back to the tracks.
Meanwhile, parts of the World are still racing with no known issues (early days though), and I have discovered very rapidly it is just as easy to back a loser in France or Germany as it is in the UK – happy days. I have always been aware that horse fitness was going to be an issue, and that will also apply here when we get going – even the fact that certain trainers have state of the art facilities (swimming pools, treadmills and so on), doesn’t guarantee they have been using them to full advantage, and with class beasts such as Victor Ludorum and Sotsass being beaten at odds on Monday at Longchamp, I rest my case!
Other stories worthy of a mention are few and far between as you would expect, though STOP PRESS, Ireland have just got the go ahead to return to action on the 8th of June (exactly a week behind us as things stand, which will not have gone down well in certain racing circles), though South Africa possibly stole the good news story of the week. As you may have read, their racing has not been allowed to recommence as yet which has had a disastrous knock on effect on their already fragile finances, but the cavalry have ridden to the rescue, short term at least. The Oppenheimer family (through Mary Oppenheimer Daughters Ltd), have injected unspecified funds to Phumelela Gaming (who run the likes of Turffontein and others). Although this is only a temporary solution, it may yet give them enough breathing space to come out of this smiling on the other side.
On to the racing and after a disappointing weekend last time (my second selection tried making all as predicted but ended up stone cold last!), we have to look even further afield for a bit of value this weekend and that leads me to Japan, and the Keio Hai Spring Cup due off at 7.45am on Saturday. A Grade Two event over the seven furlongs at Tokyo and worth over £400,000 to the winner, it sees a field of thirteen assembled, with the firm going the key to my suggestion. Information about the forecast odds is sadly absent but I am hoping for an each way price about Tower Of London, who looks to have a pretty solid chance of a place at least. A son of Raven’s Pass out of Snow Pine, the five-year-old has won five of his thirteen starts so far, two of them over course and distance, and can easily be forgiven his last run when a well beaten favourite on a far softer surface that didn’t suit in March.
Christophe Lemaire is back in the saddle here, and if the rains stay away, he looks to have every chance of carrying the Godolphin colours to success back up at a more suitable trip.
On Sunday I will be watching Almond Eye with interest back in Japan but I won’t be betting at odds on as she makes her return after an unscheduled lay-off after Dubai was cancelled at the end of March. That leaves me with Hong Kong and Sha Tin where they put on a ten race card without the paying public – but with more owners, members, and connections that recent events. I can’t claim it is their best ever meeting but it is always ultra-competitive, and finding a single winner is a very satisfying experience (apparently). Why the Racing Post think Uncle Steve will go off as big as 16/1 is beyond me (I just wish they would stand that price), with Dougie Whyte’s five-year-old really catching the eye last time out and making his way into my little black book. An injury after winning here over seven furlongs in October has seen him running below par and perhpas tenderly for a while since then, but he looked to be close to his peak last time out here when flying at the death in to third over the mile at odds of 120/1. Working well since, he is ready to do his best once again and with the added furlong allowing him longer to wind up down the Sha Tin straight, I am hopeful if not overly confident that he can run another huge race.
Sean’s Suggestions:
Tower Of London each-way 7.45am Tokyo Saturday
Uncle Steve each-way 9.35am Sha Tin Sunday
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