I am rather hoping that some (or preferably all) of you took notice of my suggestions last week with the 8/1 winner of the Oaks and an Even money winner from just the three selections – and we looked as if we would and the classic double at one stage too, as Sir Dragonet hit the front only to weaken out of contention in the last few strides to miss out on the places and come home in fifth, just three-quarters of a length off the winner.
Sunday saw a cracking card from perhaps the World’s most beautiful racecourse at Chantilly in France though I still mentally boycott the French Derby ever since it was dropped back in trip to a little over a mile and a quarter. It is hard to knock any afternoon of racing with a Group Three, a trio of Group Two’s, and a classic though punters weren’t so happy as 9/5 favourite Persian King, the latest French superstar and in the care of living legend Andre Fabre was turned over by 13/1 chance Sottsass. Taking it up two out, the favourite looked the likeliest winner by far (and must have traded odds-on with the exchanges) but ran out of puff to be beaten by a couple of lengths with no obvious excuses other than the trip, and a return to a mile for the rest of the season seems the way forward.
Meanwhile, there has been both good and bad news from the racing ranks this week regarding some it its better known characters. Newmarket trainer Jeremy Noseda has announced he will be retiring at the tender age of 55 and he will be sorely missed from both the gallops and the racecourses, while the ever so slightly older (Corky Browne 77) Nicky Henderson’s head lad who retires today (Friday 7thJune) after forty-one years leaves a hole that will be difficult, perhaps impossible to fill. Time and tide wait for no man and at 77 let’s hope he has plenty of years of happy retirement to come, I can’t pretend I know him personally, but he leaves with a glowing reputation and has always been polite whenever our paths have crossed.
Ex-jockey Brendan Powell is a character plus in the racing World and there were some long faces when he announced recently that he was stopping training with the fear that his expertise would go missing from our sport. A few days later and we find out he will be working for Joseph O’Brien back in Ireland which looks like a shrewd move for both parties – a regular and know wage for Brendan (as opposed to the rollercoaster income of a trainer), and decades of experience for Joseph that you cannot put a price on.
On to the weekend racing next and fair to say “it ain’t all that” as we sit in the gap between Epsom and Royal Ascot. Haydock top the class racing in the UK at least but the soft going puts a spanner in the works and my confidence is draining a lot faster than the track. I was drawn to each-way option Lady In France ahead of the Achilles Stakes at 3.00pm and I haven’t been persuaded to change my mind just yet. I will admit form the start her novice won on the all-weather at Newcastle leaves her with a mountain to climb, but trainer Karl Burke is no mug and if he thinks she is worth a run in this company then he may well be correct. She is well drawn in the two stall, ought to handle the going as a daughter of Showcasing, gets both a three-year-old and a fillies’ allowance and thus gets seven pounds or more from all her rivals, and can only improve with further racing. No good thing by any stretch of the imagination but the best bet of a bad bunch on a very tricky card.
Two other horses do appeal if only a little, starting with the veteran Magic City in the 3.45pm at Beverley. He drops in class after a good third at York over shorter and handles the expected going as well as any, and he to prove difficult to keep out of the frame if he gets a clear run of course. Lastly but perhaps the best bet of the weekend we have Silver Start in the 7.00pm at Chepstow, a Class Five Novice for two-year-old fillies. She caught the eye when winning on her debut at Bath before finding the company far too hot in Listed class at York when a weakening tenth of eighteen. Dropped in to far more realistic company here by trainer Charlie Hills there is a hope she will handle the going as a daughter of Cable Bay (who won on good to soft and placed on soft), making her the one semi-sensible bet on a very tricky weekend.
New Feature – Horses to Follow.
He may not be the most inspiring suggestion, but I still felt Sir Dragonet’s run in the Epsom Derby was a decent performance for a horse with just the two runs prior to a classic. Only Ryan Moore will know whether he hit the front too soon on the son of Camelot (personally I suspect he had no choice), but I am convinced there is a lot more to come with experience and will be backing him to reverse Epsom form if he turns out for the Irish Derby as expected for a rematch.
Sean’s Suggestions:
Lady In France each-way 3.00pm Haydock Saturday
Magic City each-way 3.45pm Beverley Saturday
Silver Start each-way 7.00pm Chepstow Saturday
Good luck as always,
Sean
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