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My thanks to Terry for his comments about Les Arcs and trainer Tim Pitt. He makes an interesting point about the success of the owner/trainer/jockey combination that was also responsible for Admiral in the Chester Cup. Les Arcs was bought by football agent Willie McKay for 32,000 guineas. The first win of his career was over 10 furlongs and he even contested a maiden hurdle over 18 furlongs up at Cartmel as recently as August ’14 2004. Remarkable that he now has a Group 1 over 6 furlongs to his name.
I kept an eye on Les Arcs during the winter when he scored 4 times on the AW over sprint distances. He beat the likes of Fyodor (wasn’t he horse of the year on the AW?) and Kostar in the process as well as defying a rise in the handicap. He went on to beat useful types like Quito and Reverence in a listed contest at Redcar but I was still surprised by his success at Royal Ascot. As Terry says a stable to look out for.
Terry went on to talk about the Godolphin outfit. They have certainly had a lean time of it but I would agree that they will hit form eventually. They have some interesting entries coming up.
A race that took my eye at Beverley this afternoon was the 3.45 won by Bo McGinty. This was another great ride by the bang in form Paul Hanagan. I was impressed with his performance on Monolith at Pontefract over the weekend. Bo McGinty can be a bit of a quirky customer but Hanagan kept him covered up and produced him at just the right time as the leader ran out of puff. Bo McGinty had run up a 13 losing sequence since his last success last September at Carlisle. He won off 81 that day and had come down to 79 today so was not impossible to find. I thought his stable companion Wyatt Earp was an eyecatcher in 4th while the scorching early pace of Cape Royal should get him into the winner’s enclosure on an easier track. For those of you who wonder how horses get their names, Bo McGinty is owned by Paddy McGinty and Bo Turnbull.
I quite fancied Naayla and Indian Ink in the maiden at Newbury this evening but got the placings the wrong way round.
I had my first ever job interview at Salisbury where I was interviewed by a Mr Thick! Not that that has much to do with anything. We have a couple of runners from our list to follow in the 3.30 at the Wiltshire track. Kyoto Summit has already won for us. The form of that victory at Nottingham has not held up especially well but he is bred to stay the extra 2 furlongs here. Also, I am not convinced that the soft ground at Nottingham was entirely to his liking and he may well show further improvement over trip and ground at Salisbury. Our other runner is Richard Fahey’s Sin City, from the Bo McGinty yard. Sin City won a nursery last back end over a mile. The additional 4 furlongs should not be a problem here and with a rise in the ratings of 7 lbs he could be well in.
Audience has always been a bit of a favourite of mine; something to do with once backing him successfully at 11/1 perhaps. He goes in the 4.30 at Salisbury, a race he won last season at 33/1. He ran off 93 last year but has slipped down to 86 for tomorrow. At Bath Vaunt has shown enough in two runs to suggest that he can win the 7.10. Up at Carlisle Richard Fahey gives a debut to Fishforcompliments in the 2.20. Fahey has a poor record first time out with his juveniles but regardless of the outcome here this is one to keep an eye on. Another to watch at Carlisle is Yungaburra in the 2.50. Alan Swinbank is unlikely to have one ready first time up but this one could pay to follow later in the season. If anyone out there is planning a holiday in Italy I can certainly recommend Lake Orta, lovely quiet little place, very picturesque. Partly word association I suppose but I have been keeping an eye on the Dandy Nicholls trained Lago D’Orta. This one was rated 109 a couple of years ago. He has slipped down to 80 now and could be a winner waiting to happen. He runs in the 3.20 at Carlisle. As a two year old Signor Peltro won at the first time of asking at 22/1 but has not won since. In his last two races he has been placed behind the progressive Borehan. He is entitled to go close in the Kempton 8.24.
That is all for tonight. I am off to watch the France v Spain game.
ahorse 