{The 2 photographs on the site today are by courtesy of British 2YO Racing}
{The 2 paintings are by kind permission of the artist Maura Clarke. See links for more examples of this artists work}
Looking though the results for the last week I was pleased to see that my last preview yielded a few winners. Perks and African Rose were both winning tips and my 3 against the field in the St Leger gave the winner and the third.
Perks has been a profitable horse to follow and there could well be more to come, especially on his favoured soft ground. Conduit gave Sir Michael Stoute his long awaited first success in the St Leger while the filly Look Here ran a cracker in third, especially as she came into the race having had an interrupted preparation.
I left you with a small list of 2 year olds to look out for while I was away and I was delighted to see that 3 of them won, a couple at 8/1 as well. Mafaaz (pictured below), a good looking chestnut son of Medicean out of a Danehill mare won on his debut at Kempton and looks to have improvement in him so he is one to look out for in the future.
Awinnersgame (pictured below) , a March foal, is a half brother to an Irish 1,000 Guineas winner and like Mafaaz is out of a Danehill mare. He won the most valuable juvenile race in Europe at Doncaster ridden by Frankie Dettori and looks a colt with a future for trainer Jeremy Noseda. The popular Italian jockey had a good week at Doncaster as he also had the ride on Conduit in the St Leger, Ryan Moore having decided to ride another Stoute horse. The third juvenile winner was Cool Art, who is by One Cool Cat. He won a Lingfield nursery for trainer Simon Callaghan.
Staying with the two year olds I hope you noticed that Battle of Hastings was running while I was away. If his name doesn’t ring a bell you haven’t been concentrating as I have been going on about him all season. He got his name as he was number 1066 in the sales catalogue! Anyway he won a competitive nursery at Doncaster last week ridden by Jamie Spencer and he clearly acts on soft ground. Given his pedigree he should make a 3 year old, so one for next season’s list to follow perhaps.
There were a few winners for my list to follow while I was on holiday. Spacious and Royal Confidence were winners at the Doncaster meeting while Atlantic Sport won for Mick Channon at Sandown. The ex Southampton striker has always been a popular figure but I think anyone connected with racing will be pleased to see the Channon horses winning at the moment. The fact that Eddie Creighton came into the winners enclosure on Atlantic Sport wearing a black armband was a stark reminder of the death of the trainer’s friend Tim Corby in the recent car accident.
Another Atlantic, Mick Easterby’s Atlantic Story ran with promise in a 6 furlong at Doncaster. He had been off the track for 118 days and was carrying top weight so looks one to consider next time. Another winner for the “list” was Cape Amber in a listed race at Yarmouth.
The Ballydoyle bandwagon continues to roll on with Septimus adding the Irish St Leger to the remarkable number of Group 1 winners for Aiden O’Brien this season. Septimus is an out and out galloper and put his rivals to the sword winning by 13 lengths. Over in France Zarkava was an impressive winner in the Group 1 Prix Vermeille at Longchamp. The daughter of Zamindar stood still as the stalls opened, losing about eight lengths, but it made no difference as she came with a smooth run on the outside to win cosily, eased down, by two lengths from John Gosden’s Dar Re Mi.
This was Zarkava’s sixth consecutive victory following the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches, where she beat subsequent Group 1 winner Goldikova, and the Prix de Diane. She will take some beating in the Arc next month.
At a rather more modest level Rossini’s Dancer finally got off the mark at the 15th time of asking in a pretty poor contest at Beverley. Richard Fahey’s 3 year old certainly does not do anything very quickly and Barry McHugh did well on him as he was hard at work fully half a mile from home.
Well, that just about rounds off the highlights for the past week, so let’s have a look at the racing around the country tomorrow. I have been featuring Charles Parnell on a regular basis throughout the season but although he has not been running badly he is yet to find his way to the winner’s enclosure. He runs up at Ayr in the 2.55 tomorrow. He has won on heavy going, last season at Beverly, but that was off a lower mark. It could be that he needs to come down a few pounds in the weights before he can win again. Another of the less successful horses from my list to follow, Moheeb, runs later at Ayr, in the 5.15. He has been frustrating to follow as he has finished in the frame several times this season but that win continues to prove elusive. He is 3 lbs higher in the weights than when 2nd over course and distance last month so he may have to settle for the minor honours once again.
The Ayr Silver Cup at 4.40 is as tricky a sprint as you could hope to find. Dandy Nicholls has won this several times in the recent past and has 5 runners in the race, while Richard Fahey, the trainer of last season’s winner, is also represented with 5 horses. It is tempting to go for the recent Chester winner Green Park. He has won twice on heavy ground and although carrying a 6 lbs penalty for that win he is ridden by Barry McHugh, an apprentice taking 7 lbs off. Green Park is yet to win over 6 furlongs though which makes me a bit wary of him. Paul Hannigan presumably had the choice of rides on the Fahey runners and has opted for Harrison George which is something of a tip in itself I suppose. Harrison George has only been out of the first 4 once in his career and comes out of stall 1 which could turn out to be a plum draw. The handicapper knows all about Joseph Henry but he is consistent and looks a possible each way choice of those drawn high. Northern Dare is a possible to come in at a big price but for my selection I will go with Burning Incense who was 3rd to the speedy Valery Borzov at Haydock on his latest start.
Almajd went on my list to follow on the basis of some encouraging runs last season. After winning a maiden he ran 5th in the Group 3 Horris Hill Stakes at Newbury. He is back at the Berkshire track tomorrow for the listed race at 2.10 where he has something to prove after failing when odds on favourite at Kempton last time. We may be able to forgive him that run as he might not have liked the surface or the track.
There was plenty to like about the winning display from Mick Channon’s Silver Games at Folkestone at the end of August. That success came on good to firm going and providing she can handle the ground in the Newbury 3.55 tomorrow she sets the standard. Of the others that have had a run I like the Godolphin filly Suba. She is related to the high class Dubawi and made an eyecatching start to her career when 3rd over 6 furlongs at Newbury. This extra distance should definitely benefit her and she looks a very promising sort.
In the 4.30 Hughie Morrison introduces an interesting newcomer in Battle, a half sister to the prolific winning sprinter The Trader. He may of course need this first run but he is one to watch out for over sprint distances. Stow, also trained by Hughie Morrison, represents my list to follow in the 5.05. A winner at Bath on good to firm back in May he has an each way chance.
The Newmarket card opens with a 2 year old maiden at 1.55. The James Fanshawe trained Margarita has her first run in this race. She is a full sister to the high class multiple Group 1 winner Soviet Song and a half sister to Triumph Hurdle winner Penzance. She won’t be rushed and will most likely benefit from this run and looks one to follow over the longer term. Of those that have already run Archie Rice should come on for his debut at York where he was 5th of 10.
In the 3.05 Cornish Rose could make the frame at a big price while the 2 that interest me in the 4.15 are Alhaque and North East Corner, both making their racecourse debuts. The former was quite an expensive purchase and is by Galileo. North East Corner is related to the Oaks winner Alexandrova.
In the nursery at 5.25 I would be inclined to go for the two top weights. Jazacosta has been busy, running 7 times. He is a half brother to 5 winners and got off the mark himself when landing the odds in a little race at Leicester. Two of his runs since then have been at Goodwood, a track that probably doesn’t play to his strengths and he should give us a run for our money at Newmarket, where he was 3rd last month. Oasis Knight was a rather distant 3rd behind a decent type on his last run which qualified him for handicaps. He is stepped up in trip here which is interested given his pedigree. He is by a sprinter but there is plenty of stamina in the dam’s side of the family so we will see!
The first and last races at Wolverhampton caught my eye. Cool Art won for this column last week and runs in the 6.20 with a 6 lbs penalty. The very talented apprentice David Probert has been booked to ride though and is well worth his 5 lbs claim so I will stick with Cool Art once more.
In the final race on the card at 8.50 Astrodome goes for a hat trick after a couple of wins at Hamilton. A half brother to the multiple winner Alambic he might take some pegging back in this and I would fancy his chances.
That is all for tonight. I will be back tomorrow evening for a look at the racing over the weekend.
ahorse 