Not the best of weeks for racing fans the World over last week with far more bad news than good (I do look for the good but I think they squirrel it away somewhere), starting with the very sad loss of jockey Nooresh Juglall who succumbed to his injuries after a horrific race fall in Mauritius. Nooresh was yet another “product” of the esteemed South African Jockey Academy and became the first Mauritian born to land the apprentice title in South Africa, not once but twice, before riding in Singapore from 2014 to 2019 and then returning home for personal reasons. An enquiry has been announced to look in to all the circumstances but in brief terms, he was brought down when the horse in front fell before being rushed to hospital, leaving behind a young family, in devastating circumstances. I don’t mention his passing to be negative in any way but to remind all the keyboard warriors who hurl abuse at every beaten jockey on social media the risks they take every single day, something I do feel most of us have forgotten over the years I am sorry to add, and to have an excuse to post a link to the charity page raising funds for his family following his tragic loss here https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-aryaan-and-ahaan-fund?utm_source=facebook
Meanwhile, I thought the year was 2021 – but no, apparently it is George Orwell’s 1984, my mistake. Talk in the racing press today of pressure being brought to bear by the anti-gambling (presumably anti fun) brigade to make sure cash betting in the shops (and possibly racecourses) doesn’t fall through the net with regard to affordability checks. Can you even imagine your average punter scribbling away and rushing to the counter with his or her fiver each way slip only to be told they need to produce a bank card and any other ID necessary before the bet is struck? By then the race will be off, the bet will be void, and (sod’s law) the horse greyhound or whatever will then win – are they going to pay danger money to the shop staff who will be the target of the punters’ wrath, or just equip them all with body armour. Joking aside, as others have said, for many (not all I agree), having a bet at a weekend or whenever is a pastime akin to golf, fishing, cycling, whatever, and no-one seems to be stopping them paying their money out on memberships etc – somehow, that is deemed to be allowed.
Back to jockeyship and what does everyone else think about Jason Watson’s seven day ban, picked up on Tuesday afternoon? For those who didn’t see it, his mount (making debut) swerved left at the start and from then on was never in with a shout of getting to the places, and after being rushed along to try to catch up the lost ground, the colt was allowed to come home in his own time, and in my opinion, rightly so. Unfortunately, and using the letter of the law, the Stewards (including two ex jockeys) decided he hadn’t ridden his mount out for the best possible finishing position and have banned Jason for seven days – unsurprisingly he intends to appeal. I always try to see both sides, and I can see that for those merely looking at the bare form next time out the son of Night Of Thunder may well be better than the 26 lengths he was beaten by, but are we really suggesting he should have been hard ridden and possibly whipped – so he could finish a few lengths closer and perhaps sixth with a bit of luck? That would still be outside the prize money as far as his owners are concerned and out of the places for the punters too, leaving us with a young horse remembering a very bad first appearance at a racecourse and potentially damaging his career – not the way forward in my book. Common sense needs to prevail in these matter and if that means a re-write of the rule book so be it – the public simply will not accept a horse having the kitchen sink thrown at them to come home sixth – and you have to wonder if Jason would have been banned anyway if that was the route he had decided to take?
Finally for the chit-chat, what do we make so far of this season’s three-year-olds – not a lot I’m afraid (though there is a long old season to prove me wrong). I nearly fell over in shock to see English 2000 Guineas winner Poets Flare head off to Longchamp on Sunday just over two weeks after his Newmarket success and on very different ground, but I wasn’t surprised to see him beaten on very soft ground and he wasn’t disgraced being less than three lengths off the winner at the line, but why they didn’t wait until the Irish 2000 Guineas this weekend is beyond me. Funnily enough, Aidan O’Brien sent 1000 Guineas winner Mother Earth for the French 1000 Guineas as well (I have just criticised both Jim Bolger and Aidan O’Brien, that won’t end well), and although she did better to come home second to 38/1 outsider Coeursamba, I still wonder why they ran her on such differing ground. Personally, I need to see them back on better ground to draw a sensible conclusion, but it does seem safe to say we are yet to see any superstars.
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 https://postracing.co.uk/2021/05/21/mud-mud-glorious-mud-who-is-punting-horses-then/
Saturday Racing:
Doomben 6.18am
An early start this weekend as we continue our Worldwide racing theme and having had a winner last week, I am hopeful of a follow up in the Channel 7 Doomben Cup, a Group One over a mile and a quarter with close to quarter of a million pounds to the winner and something worth having in prize money all the way down to tenth. Although we don’t have any British runners (no shock there), we do have Chester Vase winner and Epsom Derby fifth Sir Dragonet who used to be with Aidan O’Brien and moved down under in September 2020. Seven runs since have seen two wins at Moonee Valley in the Cox Plate and at Rosehill in the Tancred Stakes, with a length and a half fifth to Addeybb (William Haggas) in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick when running on late over this trip after getting outpaced early on. Nothing else in this field looks capable of boasting that level of form to me, and although I am a little wary he could be outpaced early on again here, I am hoping the softer surface will draw the leaders in a little bit earlier and see him come home in front with the excellent Glen Boss in the saddle. Zaaki is the obvious danger (though I was surprised to see him trading favourite) and will be a tough nut to crack after hacking up in the Hollindale Stakes last time, but the ex Sir Michael Stoute gelding is yet to score at the highest level, and I prefer his rival on this occasion, so fingers crossed.
Goodwood 2.10pm
Decent racing ground, a premier racecourse, spectators are back, and all we can muster are five runners – embarrassing. Winners at odds of up to 16/1 in recent years suggest favourite backers cannot be too confident, though we do have an interesting mix of ages from four up to nine. Intriguingly, the top two players according to the ratings are Desert Encounter (rated 111) and Stormy Antarctic (110), but they are aged nine and eight respectively, but neither age has won this in the last 22 runnings that I can see, with four-year-olds the dominant force. Only two from that age group line up in 2021 and with Winter Reprise having plenty to find, that rather points me in the direction of Al Zaraqaan for the William Haggas yard who have been mopping up the big weekend races in the past few weeks. A son of Golden Horn, he has already won over further with four successes from six starts and wasn’t disgraced despite looking one paced when fourth to Sir Ron Priestly at Newmarket in the Group Two Jockey Club Stakes last time out, meaning this drop in class (and I think trip) may well see further improvement.
Goodwood 3.25pm
I feel like a stuck record, saying the same thing every week. Another five runner race (no wonder each way punters are disappearing from the racing map) and with the likelihood if a tactical affair how can we be confident of the result? Nine of the last ten winners have been trained in Newmarket, but they can’t even muster a runner between them, and it looks set to go to Lambourn in 2021, hopefully via the Owen Burrows trained Hukum. I have to confess that his is a stable I struggle to get to grips with, regularly missing his winners, and invariably backing or at least considering what feels like all the losers. A winner in the Group Three Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury last August, Listed class should not test his abilities too far, while he can easily be forgiven a fourth over a woefully inadequate ten furlongs on his return in the Gordon Richards Stakes at Sandown last month when looking as if he needed the run. Upped to a mile and a half today and down in class he ought to find this bread and butter material on his way to better things over the summer, though I am a touch wary that even this trip may be on the short side for the son of Sea The Stars.
Haydock 3.35pm
Finally, a field worth talking about with up to eleven runners for this Group Two sprint over six furlongs that has been won by horses of the calibre of Slade Power, Harry Angel, and most recently Hello Youmzain in 2019. Whether anything in this line up will go on to the lofty heights others have achieved, only time will tell, but we certainly have some interesting sorts lined up to go in to battle. Generally speaking, a high draw is deemed favourable here over this trip, though if you are good enough that won’t be a real hindrance, and I quite like the look of Dragon Symbol, unraced at two but making up for it this season with four wins from four starts including a Class Two Hamilton Conditions Stakes earlier in the month which he took with ease by over three lengths. This is obviously a big step up in class but he won’t be far away, but having seen he is the tissue favourite, I prefer to look elsewhere for a bit more value. The Lir Jet at 7/1 or thereabouts gets my each way vote for Michael Bell and jockey Oisin Murphy, and in my view boasts far better form. Twice a winner over five furlongs last season including the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot, he also placed second to Ventura Tormenta in the Prix Robert Papin at Chantilly and again behind Lucky Vega in the Phoenix Stakes (promoted from third) before his form tallied off towards the end of the season. Returning with a very solid third in the Greenham Stakes over seven furlongs it appears connections are yet to work out his ideal trip, but I am rather hoping this is it, and as he clearly does get further, expect him to appear fast and late here to hopefully run them all down where it counts.
Haydock 4.10pm
Seven runners for the Temple Stakes over five furlongs next and with just two of them a winner last time out, and neither of those currently rated highly enough to get involved, this could see a surprise result. Amazing speedball Battaash won this in both 2018 and 2019 (it wasn’t run last year), but nothing of his ilk competes today (sadly), though something has to win it, I am just not sure who. Liberty Beach is an obvious option after finishing third in the Prix de l’Abbaye and just a short neck behind Glass Slippers which I see as solid enough form, and it will be interesting to see if she keeps on improving as a four-year-old. She won first time out as a juvenile and again last season so she clearly goes well fresh, though I would be a little happier were the John Quinn stable firing in more winners. As is often the case with the sprinters, it really depends on which form line you read (or believe) to define the horses in with a chance and I note that Liberty Beach was over six lengths behind Battaash at Goodwood receiving twelve pounds – whereas Que Amoro was only a length adrift of the same horse at York in the Nunthorpe Stakes receiving three pounds, and if you take that form alone she is the likeliest winner. Add in the fact that Lady In France beat Que Amoro at Ayr at level weights in September 2019 and the waters muddy further, and I begin to understand why they say the sprinters “take turns” to win these contests. In all honesty nothing would surprise me winning this race at all but decisions have to be made so I will stick with Liberty Beach who just may have more to come this season – but this is not a race to get too involved in though I suspect the winner will come from the three named above.
The Curragh 2.15pm
Lightly raced two-year-olds here and after getting my fingers burned via an O’Brien odds on shot last weekend, I am going to be treading more carefully than normal. Cadamosto would be the obvious one after winning going away on his Dundalk debut over a furlong shorter, but if the reasons given for missing races is accurate (three times off his feed, twice for unsuitable going), then I have to wonder if we will even see him come race day with the predicted soft going a possible reason to withdraw. He could be anything or nothing at this stage but looks plenty short enough considering her issues and I prefer the each way chances of Strapped, currently quoted at 20/1 and far too good a price for me to ignore. Trained by Jim Bolger, the son of Dawn Approach looked as if the experience would do him good when sixth of nine on his Dundalk debut, but caught everyone off guard next time with a comfortable win at Cork at the rewarding odds of 16/1. The runner up has won since albeit narrowly to boost the form, as has the third and as my suggestion was looking around after hitting the front, I just get the feeling he has even more to come as he gains in experience.
The Curragh 2.45pm
A sprint for those aged four and above comes next on my list, and a contest where the Brits have popped over and brought back the prize in five of the last ten runnings. On paper it looks as if we have a great chance of making it win number six with Archie Watson’s Glen Shiel, Charlie Hills’ Royal Commando, and David O’Meara’s Summerghand all in with decent shouts of first prize. Hollie Doyle pops over to ride Glen Shiel who looks sure to go off favourite, but I note the only time he won on seasonal debut was as a two-year-old when trained by Andre Fabre, and much as he has the best form, there is a possibility he will improve considerably for the race, and at 7/4 I can let him race unbacked. Summerghand has already raced seven times in 2021 winning two of them but looks as if this may be a touch too much for him (though a place is possible), leaving me with Royal Commando as my each way selection. We have few worries about his fitness after his Listed win at Doncaster in March (Summerghand back in fourth), and was a solid enough fourth to Golden Horde in the Commonwealth Cup at Ascot as a three-year-old, and although no good thing here (two wins from ten starts proves that), he is only a four-year-old and should give us a good run for our money under Kieran Shoemark.
The Curragh 3.20pm
The big one of the day next with the Irish 2000 Guineas, and who would have guessed in advance that Aidan O’Brien would not be responsible for the favourite. Lucky Vega has that honour as I write, and as he looks to reverse Newmarket form with Poetic Flare, and now connections know he stays a mile, they can ride him closer to the pace if they want to. Sent off a 12/1 chance at headquarters, there is a possibility he may well have needed the run more than some, in which case he could well prove difficult to beat today. Poetic Flare intrigues after a worse than expected sixth in the French 2000 Guineas last Sunday, but why they send him back to the track six days later is beyond me. I don’t think the soft ground is in his favour either, and he has a bit to prove for now, and at 9/2 he won’t be far away. Although he has eighteen lengths to find on Newmarket form with Poetic flare I like the chances of Wembley here whose run can be ignored as he failed to handle Newmarket and didn’t take to the far faster conditions either. He gets plenty of cut here which will help and is the choice if Ryan Moore of the three Aidan O’Brien runners and we will hopefully see a very different horse this afternoon and he can run in to a place, but it’s La Barrosa each way for me. Charlie Appleby will know where he stands with the English Guineas form having trained runner-up Master of The Seas who beat my suggestion by three-quarters of a length in the Craven Stakes. He didn’t head to our classic and I have a suspicion he was saved for the Curragh deliberately, and if that is the case, he can upset them all and take the trophy back over the water for Godolphin.
The Curragh 3.55pm
One more race in Ireland today and a mile for fillies and mares awaits us punters who will either be in clover – or reeling on the ropes – by now. No British raiders this season, so we need to look to the local yards and I note Willie McCreery won this in 2016 with Devonshire, and he looks to do so again today with Epona Plays, who won last time out at Naas and is not without a chance stepping up in class. Iva Feeling is the unknown quantity having taken her maiden over this trip at Dundalk last November, but she is yet to win on turf (only tried it once to be fair), and her followers will wither a) know something I don’t or b) be taking a leap of faith. Ex-jockey Johnny Murtagh won this in 2014 with Purr Along and looks to have the winner again here with Champers Elysees who is the class act in this field. The winner of the Matron Stakes last season (Group One), she was a beaten favourite on her return when fourth here over seven furlongs after getting involved in a barging match with the eventual third, but she looked as if she would come on for the run that day and I expect more here. Valeria Messalina will be popular with forecast punters but isn’t likely to get her preferred ground on her return, but is well worth a watch for future contests.
York 2.40pm
A proper race at last with q mile and three quarters for the fillies here and on good to soft ground, the winner will need to pull out reserves of stamina to come home at the head of the pack. As our raiders head off to Ireland they may get to wave at the Irish challengers heading over here and including one from the Jessica Harrington stable (Flor De La Luna) and one for Joseph O’Brien (Mighty Blue), who both run in this race. Joseph’s daughter of Authorized is the one for me here after she stormed clear in a similar race last time out over this trip at Gowran Park, winning by seven and a half lengths impressively. She has won over shorter and placed over two miles and beyond so arrives with a heady mix of speed and stamina which ought to make her tough to beat here, with Roger Varian’s Believe In Love, a likely improver this season and the one I will be using for any forecast bets.
Sunday Racing:
Sha Tin (Hong Kong) 7.00am
Not a race I would normally get involved with but Hong Kong appear to have unearthed another potential star with Courier Wonder, the mount of Joao Moreira and trained by John Size. Unbeaten after four starts and impressive in every one, he is tactically adaptable having made all and come from off the pace, and deserves the step up in class to test him for the first time today. He won’t find this anywhere near as easy with the likes of Computer Patch, Rattan, and even Fat Turtle in the field but I am rather hoping he will turn out to be absolutely top class, in which case he needs to win here, and hopefully will.
The Curragh 2.05pm
I am only going to cover these very briefly as the weather forecast suggests they will have abandoned a long time before Sunday barring flippers and wetsuits for horse and jockey. Historically this race goes to a horse trained by Aidan O’Brien who has had seven of the last ten winners, but as if often the case with Irish racing, he has three entered here and no jockeys declared as yet (update – Ryan Moore rides Hector De Maris). All have plenty to find on paper but have been lightly raced and could improve significantly, but I will stick with Joseph O’Brien’s Max Mayhem who caught the eye when scoring at Roscommon earlier in the month. He needs to do more here but is on an upward curve and apparently they like him a lot at home, so he will do if you have to bet – personally I will be wrapped up somewhere warm instead.
The Curragh 2.40pm
See 2.05pm! Seriously though, no jockey bookings for the O’Brien trio yet but I was surprised to see Broome (update – Ryan Moore rides) trading as a short priced favourite despite his winning starts this season with Serpentine and Tiger Moth worthy rivals and perhaps the better horses for the long term. I get the feeling Tiger Moth has the most improvement to come after just the five career starts though this trip could well be on the short side for him I suppose, but he is class and will carry my £ if racing even goes ahead and I am hopeful if not confident he would be able to handle the rain softened ground.
The Curragh 3.15pm
Not a race I like the look of at all, and yet again, the O’Brien horses are hard to put in any realistic order. Ryan rides Joan Of Arc who won her maiden on soft ground suggesting she will go well again here, but Joseph could hold the trump card with Pretty Gorgeous, the Fillies’ Mile winner as a two year old on soft ground and making her seasonal return today. She becomes my suggestion here having done less wrong than all her rivals and if she is as good as they think she is, I expect her to prove far too good for all of her rivals here.
Sean’s Suggestions:
Courier Wonder 7.00am Sha Tin Sunday
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