Review of the flat season 2008

Review of the flat season 2008

{ All illustrations are by kind permission of the artist Karen Davies}

By way of a change this time around I decided to set out my review in an A to Z format. So here goes!

A is for Aleatricis.

Many an A to Z of the 2008 flat racing season might have kicked off with A for Aiden O’Brien. True, the Ballydoyle maestro notched an amazing number of Group race victories thanks to such star performers as Yeats, Duke of Marmalade and Henrythenavigator but this is very much a personal look back at 2008.

Aleatricis, whose dam Alba Stella was a horse I featured on this site during her career, notched 5 wins and was the most prolific of the horses on my list to follow. Aleatricis, a not untypical Sir Mark Prescott 3 year old won 5 times between the 1^st and the 24^th of July with predictably a couple of those wins coming at up Hamilton. Seb Sanders was on board for 3 of the wins with young Rosie Jessop claiming the other two, once on her 19^th birthday.

B is for Baybshambles and Birkside a couple of real fun horses that I followed during the course of the season.

Baybshambles, from a small North Yorkshire yard soon justified his inclusion on my list to follow by winning an apprentice handicap at Ripon at 10/1. He continued to race consistently throughout the season adding further victories at Beverley and Thirsk at 11/2 and 11/4 with all 3 wins being gained over the minimum trip.

Between the end of May 2007 and the end of July 2008 the remarkable Birkside won 13 times. Prior the start of the turf season most of his wins had been achieved on the all weather but he continued to thrive on grass with wins 11, 12 and 13 coming at York, Ayr and York again. His pilot for those races David Allan won a jockey’s sprint race showing a fair turn of foot but the horse plies his trade over a mile and a half or a bit further. The 3 wins in the 2008 turf campaign came at 7/1 & 6/1 & 9/4.

C is for Collection, Cabinet & Colony, 3 handicappers that did my web site proud.

William Haggas nominated Collection as his horse to follow in a press interview and the 3 year old fully justified his trainer’s confidence winning 2 of his 5 starts, both over 10 furlongs. The second of these was in the listed Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot where he was ridden by Kerrin McAvoy and came in at 13/2.

I kept Cabinet on my list for a second season and he repaid me by winning his only race. This 4 year old son of Grand Lodge went into the 2008 season with only 7 runs behind him as he had suffered a hairline fracture of his cannon bone that had restricted his racing. He had always looked to have considerable potential and his 2008 season could hardly have started better. Sent off at 6/4 favourite for the City and Suburban Handicap, rerouted from its usual home of Epsom to Nottingham, Cabinet won by a neck. Injury then curtailed his season and I understand that he has since been retired due to a heart valve problem. Not a lucky horse!

Like Collection, Colony is owned by Highclere Thoroughbred Racing and he also won at Royal Ascot. Sir Michael Stoute had won the King George V Stakes 3 times in the past 10 years and Colony made it 4 from 11 beating another horse from my list to follow, Savarain, into second place. Colony went off 11/2 favourite on the back of a promising 3^rd in Newbury’s London Gold Cup on his previous start. He only ran 3 times in the season so was a profitable “list” horse.

One of the more disturbing events of the season was the car crash that seriously injured trainer Mick Channon and killed his best friend. Channon is one of that rare breed who have scaled the heights in two entirely different sporting disciplines. Formerly a top striker with Southampton, Manchester City and England he is now one of the country’s leading racehorse trainers. Thankfully Mick has now largely recovered from his injuries but during the summer there was understandably a good deal of popular support for his horses. One that did well was Atlantic Sport. Held in high regard at home this 3 year old was not seen on the racecourse until early July when winning a 7 furlong conditions stakes at Newbury. He then disappointed when a beaten favourite at Newbury a couple of weeks later but gave his supporters a little more encouragement when 3^rd in a listed race at Goodwood. It was good to see him end his season on a high with a nice win in a listed contest at Sandown on soft ground. Staying with football and the letter C ,Dan Chillingworth, trained by James Fanshawe is named after a non league footballer. Although not out of the top drawer himself Dan Chillingworth the horse paid his way in workmanlike fashion. The form figures for his first 6 runs read 552324 but fitted with a visor he ended the season by winning twice at Southwell starting both races as 7/2 favourite.

I must mention one more “c” before I move up the alphabet. Clowance, trained by Roger Charlton is I understand named after a Cornish village and the “ow” is pronounced like the noise you make when someone stands on your toe! Clowance won two of her 3 races during the season with her only defeat coming when 4^th in the Oaks. Her first win came in a maiden at Newbury that had been won in the past by the likes of Islington and followed that up with success in a listed race back at the Berkshire track. There was more than a hint of controversy connected with Clowance’s appearance in the Oaks as her usual jockey Steve Drowne was “jocked off” in favour of Frankie Dettori.

D is for Dhaular Dhar & and Michael Dods.

I actually made a profit from Dhaular Dhar even though he only visited the winner’s enclosure once in 14 starts. He is a tough individual ideally suited by multi runner fields and his trainer Jim Goldie who trains near Glasgow is adept at placing his horses in valuable handicaps. The sole win came in a 7 furlong handicap at Doncaster where he was returned at 16/1. An attractive looking individual he also ran well in defeat a number of times and would have rewarded each way support in several big handicaps. He showed a particular liking for Ascot where he was in the frame in 3 valuable events. He was runner up in the Buckingham Palace Stakes and the International Stakes and 4^th in the Challenge Cup. His starting prices in these 3 big field handicaps were 25/1, 25/1 and 16/1 respectively.

Michael Dods trained a couple of successful horses from my list to follow., Another Decree won a Pontefract maiden at 16/1 while Barney McGrew won a competitive Newcastle sprint handicap at odds of 13/2. Both winners were ridden by Philip Makin. Barney McGrew nearly gave me a spectacular end to the season when just touched off in second place at 33/1 in the final race on the final day of the season at Doncaster.

One of the most successful members of the Dods team was a horse I had on my list to follow last season, Osteopathic Remedy, who won 4 races. His best win was in the Carlisle Bell Handicap in June. He is owned by Kevin Kirkup, who is (you’ve guessed it) an osteopath.

E is for Elite.

The Elite Racing Club is going through something of a transitional period at present. Some of their former stars have retired and although they have some promising young horses coming through they will need a bit of time. Just when their flat season looked like being rather a lean one Harlech Castle popped up with a couple of wins in handicaps at Nottingham and Catterick in October. Harlech Castle had burst onto the scene as a two year old when rated as an exciting prospect after his debut 4th behind the high class juvenile Winker Watson. Later that season he confirmed his promise in a 6 furlong nursery under an inspired ride from Tolley Dean.

F is for Film Maker and Fearless Warrior who both chipped in with a couple of wins.

Film Maker romped home in a Redcar maiden in May and won a Great Leighs handicap in August. In 2008 Great Leighs become the first new British racecourse since Taunton in 10927 but as I pen these notes its future is in doubt as the BHA has refused to sanction the extension of the track’s licence to race.

Fearless Warrior had something of an odd campaign. He gave his supporters little encouragement in his first 4 starts but then, having dropped 10 lbs in the weights since the start of the season and sporting first time blinkers he captured a Folkestone handicap at 9/1. That win came on good to firm over 12 furlongs on the last day of August and he followed up over course and distance in the soft 8 days later at 11/4. A rise in the weights saw him well beaten on his two subsequent runs.

G is for Gosden and Godolphin, two stables that had mixed fortunes.

One of the highlights of the season was the ongoing head to heads between Henrythenavigator and Raven’s Pass. Raven’s Pass ran 4 times as a juvenile with his only defeat coming when 3^rd to New Approach in the Dewhurst. His 2008 season started in an above average Craven Stakes where he was just outstayed by the Henry Cecil colt Twice Over. Next stop was the Guineas where he was held up by his regular pilot Jimmy Fortune but could only finish 4^th in a race where Henrythenavigator beat New Approach by a nose. Raven’s Pass had to settle for runners up spot on his next 3 runs. In the St James Palace Stakes he pushed Twice Over into third spot but had to play second fiddle to Henrythenavigator. A second in a Group 1 at Chantilly was followed by another dual with “Henry”in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood. Beaten by three parts of a length at Royal Ascot this time Raven’s Pass got to within a head of the Ballydoyle star but that elusive Group 1 success still eluded him.

The John Gosden 3 year old got off the mark for the season with a confidence boosting win in the Group 2 Celebration Mile which set up yet another dual with Henrythenavigator in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot. This time it was to be Raven’s Pass’s day as his old rival never looked like getting to grips with him and Ravens Pass prevailed by a length. The biggest showdown of all was yet to come though as the pair headed for California and the Breeders Cup Classic where the English and Irish contenders faced the formidable American superstar Curlin. It was Raven’s Pass and Henrythenavigator, old foes from many of the big 1m races on turf in Britain, and both trying 1m2f, as well as a synthetic surface for the first time, who fought out the finish. The Gosden colt just proved the strongest of the pair once again to gain a momentous victory.

Whilst not scaling the heights of Ravens Pass the Gosden trained filly Dar Re Mi ran consistently in top company and was never out of the first 3 in 8 starts. Her wins included a listed race at Newmarket and a Group 3 at Deauville but her best efforts were in defeat. She put in very solid effort when 2^nd to Lush Lashes in the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks and when runner up again to the brilliant Zarkava in the Prix Vermeille at Longchamp.

Another to run most consistently in top races was the 2007 Cambridgeshire winner Pipedreamer. His first 4 runs in 2008 saw him finish 3rd in Group company each time, the latter two in the Group 1 Prince of Wales Stakes and the Coral Eclipse. He was certainly not winning out of turn when taking the Group 2 York Stakes. Another top class inmate of the Gosden yard, last season’s St Leger winner Lucarno, was largely disappointing but did win the Group 2 Princess of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket at 6/1 when well ridden from the front.

By comparison the Godolphin “boys in blue” had a fairly lean time of it. They did have one notable success early in the season though through Creachadoir who won the Lockinge. This was his first Group 1 success at the 7^th attempt but to be fair he had finished runner up in both the Irish and French Guineas. He didn’t race again and I understand that he suffered an injury.

H is for Henry Candy the trainer who got off to a real flying start last season.

The two horses from his yard that featured on my web site were, Corrybrough and Danae. The former, an attractive 4 year old chestnut, rattled up a quick hat trick with the third win coming in a listed race at Sandown where the stiff 5 furlong suited him as he takes a while to get into his stride. Ridden closer to the pace he was then 2^nd to Intrepid Jack in a Group 3 at Newbury. Corrybrough is by Kyllachy who won the Nunthorpe and was also trained by Henry Candy

Danae earns her place in this review with a win in at Newbury fillies maiden at 16/1 and she was also a neck second in a minor event at Leicester. She is a half sister to Gorse who won 8 times for Henry Candy including 5 Group 3 contests.

I is for Indonesia.

As you can see I was struggling for an “I” so I have gone for Bukit Tinggi who is named after an Indonesian village and is playing havoc with my spell check! A trifle tenuous I know – call it poetic license. The Michael Jarvis trained stayer began the season in promising fashion finishing 2^nd in a handicap at Newcastle (Birkside was 4^th). Wins in handicaps at Haydock and York followed and he was also 4^th in the Ascot Stakes where he was only beaten by a head and a couple of short heads.

J is for Jimmy Styles who was one of the horses that got my season off to a good start.

He won first time up in a 6 furlong handicap at Ascot in the hands of Richard Hughes, beating Border Music by a neck. He only ran once more so perhaps picked up an injury. Jimmy Styles is trained by Clive Cox who did not have a particularly good season. I did get some success from another of his runners though in Electrolyser. A grey son of Daylami he had won on the all weather in the winter and looked an interesting prospect for the turf season. He began well posting a promising effort in a Newmarket handicap. He followed this with a win in a 12 furlong handicap at Leicester at 13/2. Although well fancied for the November Handicap on the last day of the flat season he was a disappointment and could only finish 16^th.

K is for Kempton Park, without doubt my lucky track in 2008.

I had a steady stream of winning tips at Kempton notably from Dvinsky, Premio Loco, Amanjena, Knot in Wood, The Fifth Member and Cadre.

Dvinsky is a real Kempton specialist and has now won there 5 times. I tipped him twice as he looked nicely handicapped and he won both times, over 6 furlongs, at 11/2 and 6/1. He has since added wins at Wolverhampton and Great Leighs. Chris Wall does well with his 4 year olds and Premio Loco was a good example in 2008. Both his wins came over a mile at Kempton ridden by George Baker. He was quite well fancied for the Cambridgeshire as a result but came 6^th perhaps not helped by a middle draw. He has since won a conditions race at Lingfield.

Andrew Balding is a trainer I have followed in recent seasons with some success and his 3 year old filly Amanjena did really well for me with 2 wins at odds of 8s and 10s. She won a handicap at Kempton in April with her other win coming in a conditions race at Ascot in September.

Sprinter Knot in Wood recorded his first win of the season in Hamilton’s Scottish Stewards’ Cup beating Baby Strange by a nose following up his success in the same race in 2007. He then ran a blinder in the Ayr Gold Cup when finishing 4^th despite being drawn on the wrong side but reappeared the next day to win a conditions race at Hamilton, a track he clearly likes. He finished his 2008 campaign by winning a heritage handicap at Kempton at odds of 7/1 overcoming a poor draw in the process.

The Fifth Member definitely comes into the fun horse category and was a splendid horse to follow. If we ignore his seasonal debut he was never out of the first 4 in his remaining 8 starts. His 3 wins all came over a mile, twice at Kempton and once at Goodwood. The winning odds were 10/1, 2/1 and 5/1. He also ran well in defeat. He was runner up to Zero Tolerance in a Haydock handicap and finished 4^th at Kempton in the race won by Premio Loco.

Cadre had shown some promise when finishing in mid division in a maiden at HQ as a juvenile. On his only appearance as a 3 year old he outclassed the opposition in a Kempton maiden winning at odds of 4/1.

Apart from the Kempton successes one horse that fully qualifies in the K category is Keisha Kayleigh. This likeable mare paid her way in 2008 by winning two of her 9 starts. Her wins came in handicaps at Hamilton (7/1) and Newcastle (11/2).

L is for Look Here who supplied my list to follow with one of its most prestigious wins when taking the Oaks at 33/1.

She lengthened impressively at Epsom inside the last three furlongs and forged clear to have the race won into the final furlong. The St Leger had both quantity and quality and by finishing 3rd to Conduit Look Here proved that her Oaks win was no flash in the pan. One of the most impressive Oaks winners in recent times she will be kept in training at 4.

M is for Mad Rush and Mr Crystal.

Mad Rush only won once but that was in the valuable Old Newton Cup at Haydock. He was perhaps a little unlucky when second on his seasonal reappearance when just failing to catch the well handicapped Punjabi at Newmarket. He also had to settle for second in the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes at Ascot and in a Group 2 at Deauville where he was only beaten a short neck. He travelled to Australia where he finished 4^th in the Caulfield Cup and 7^th in the Melbourne Cup where he probably failed to stay.

Mr Crystal was a good servant to my list to follow. He won 2 of his 9 starts for his trainer Micky Hammond at odds of 3/1 and 8/1 at Newcastle (2 miles) and Pontefract (2.25 miles) respectively. He was also 2nd twice and 3^rd twice so was pretty consistent overall.

N is for New Appoach

Unbeaten in 5 runs as a juvenile, culminating in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes, he began his 3 year old campaign in the 1,000 Guineas where he was made favourite but was just run out of it by Henrythenavigator going down by a nose. He was beaten into second place by the same adversary in the Irish Guineas at The Curragh where he was unable to make it a sufficient test of stamina in the quick ground.

New Approach has his quirks and was ponied to the start in all his races. Doubts were expressed about his temperament for the Epsom Derby but he had no problems on the day and he ran out a 5/1 winner. His next race was the Juddmonte International at Newmarket. The trip of 10 furlongs looked ideal given that he had the stamina to win a Derby and the speed to go close in both English and Irish Guineas and he duly forged clear beating Twice Over by 6 lengths. He has now been retired to stud.

O is for Valery Borzov a topical choice in an Olympic year.

The original Borzov was a Russian (well Ukrainian really) athlete who won the sprint double in the 1972 Munich games. The horse of the same name is appropriately enough a sprinter too and won 3 of his 11 starts with 3 “silver medals” thrown in for good measure. All the wins were over 6 furlongs with the first coming naturally enough at Kempton where he beat the course specialist Dvinsky. He followed up at Thirsk making all under the stands rail at the Yorkshire track with his third success, a career best effort coming in the mud at Haydock at 8/1. Raised 6 lbs for his Haydock win he went to Ripon for the Great St Wilfrid and ran a blinder in second only beaten a head.

P is for Punjabi

Nicky Henderson’s classy hurdler made the most of a lenient mark on the flat to land a couple of handicaps in the space of a week in May at Newmarket and Sandown. P is also for profit with a number of horses like Punjabi proving profitable horses to follow from my 2008 list.

Kingsgate Native deserves pride of place as he landed a Group 1 race at 33/1. In 2007 he had become the first 2 year old to win the Nunthorpe since 1992 so had something to live up to as a 3 year old. He could only finish 10th at Royal Ascot in the Kings Stand but returned 4 days later to land a surprise victory in the 6 furlong Golden Jubilee Stakes under Seb Sanders. His trainer had high hopes for further successes but it wasn’t to be. He was 5^th in the July Cup and ran a solid race in 3^rd behind Borderlescott in the Nunthorpe, run at Newmarket, before being retired to stud.

Mountain Pride and Northern Fling were a couple of big price winners that more than paid their way despite only winning once each. John Dunlop’s Mountain Pride won a Sandown handicap at 20/1 but was disappointing subsequently while Northern Fling was another 20/1 winner with his sole success coming first time out in a Doncaster sprint. He was unable to add to his winning tally in 8 further starts.

Hawaass and Hurlingham were a couple more profitable types.

Hawaass looked set for a good campaign when winning on his seasonal reappearance at Newmarket at the end of June but unfortunately he sustained an injury and was not seen out again. The Mick Easterby trained Hurlingham didn’t always look the most straightforward but earned his keep on my list by winning a couple of 11 furlong handicaps, at Haydock and Hamilton at odds of 10/1 and 11/4. Paul Muilrenan rode him both times.

Q is for Quiet Elegance a half sister to the top sprinter Reverence.

She had only run once as a juvenile but got off the mark at the first time of asking in a handicap at Leicester in early April. She didn’t manage another win in 5 starts but that Leicester success had come at 22/1 so job done as far as my list to follow was concerned.

R for Redford & Rosa Grace.

Hayley Turner became the first woman to ride 100 winners in a season and one of the century was Redford, a Michael Bell 3 year old. She rode him to victory in a Doncaster handicap in June where he was returned at 8/1. He went next to Royal Ascot for the Britannia Stakes. He travelled well but didn’t find a great deal off the bridle. He returned to winning ways next time where he showed an impressive turn of foot in a 7 furling handicap under Jamie Spencer. He was then far from disgraced in the Totesport International at Ascot where he was the first 3 year old home in 6^th place. He has shown his best form on an easy surface. The grey Rosa Grace ran 3 times winning the middle of these, a listed event at Newbury at 11/2.

S is for Stimulation, Savarain and Sortita, 3 stalwarts of my list to follow.

Stimulation in particular must be a joy to own. He ran 7 times and was admirably consistent winning the first and the last of his races. He started the season by winning the European Free Handicap at Newmarket in April and finished off by winning a Group 2 over course and distance. He also ran 7^th behind Henrythenavigator in the Guineas and put up some creditable placed efforts in Group company.

Savarain was another consistent sort with two wins and a couple of seconds from 6 starts. The wins came in a 12 furlong Goodwood maiden and on his last start he won the Noel Murless Stakes at Newmarket over 14 furlongs. He also put in a cracking effort when runner up to Colony in a big Royal Ascot handicap. He is a fine-looking individual and any further progress over the winter will see him challenging for group honours next season. Luca Cumani feels he will stay 2m and as a result he may develop into a cup horse.

Sortita was a beaten favourite on her first start when 3rd in the Goodwood maiden won by Savarain. Dropped down to 10 furlongs she gained compensation in a Doncaster maiden and after a disappointing effort on the Lingfield all weather rounded her season off by winning a handicap at Folkestone.

T is for Tartan Bearer, Tarkheena Prince Tajaaweed, Trip the Light and Twice Over, 5 horses that all featured in these pages during the season with some distinction.

Tartan Bearer and Tajaaweed were both involved in the early season classic trials. Tartan Bearer won the Dante while Tajaaweed staked his claim for classic success by winning Chester’s Dee Stakes. As both horses are trained by Sir Michael Stoute Ryan Moore had the pick come the big day at Epsom and he chose to ride Tartan Bearer. The jockey’s decision proved a sound one as Tartan Bearer pushed New Approach all the way to finish runner up while Tajaaweed finished in 8^th place. Tartan Bearer went on to contest the Irish Derby at The Curragh where he was placed 3^rd after being promoted from 4^th having suffering interference.

Tarkheena Prince won 4 of his 8 starts for trainer Alan Swinbank. After landing a maiden (7/1) at Nottingham in April he went on to win handicaps at Newcastle, Ayr and Southwell. Although he won his maiden at a mile stamina is his strong suit with his win at Ayr coming at 13 furlongs in heavy ground. There may well be more to come from him.

Twice Over helped to continue the Henry Cecil revival in the last couple of years. He edged out Raven’s Pass in the Craven Stakes and although he only won once more, in a Group 2 at Maisons-Laffitte, he was placed twice in Group 1 races. He was 3^rd to Henrythenavigator in the St James’s Palace Stakes and 2^nd to New Approach in the Champion Stakes.

Trip the Light is certainly no Group Class performer and finished the season with a Timeform rating of 77 but he did a grand job for my list to follow with 3 wins, two at Redcar and one at Beverley. He is a tough handicapper who seems to act on any going.

U is for Utmost Respect who had a consistent season in good sprint races.

He started the season by winning a conditions race at Thirsk where he beat Big Timer. His next win came on his favoured soft ground in a Group 3 race at Newcastle in June where he accounted for Zidane and his last win was in another Group 3, this time at Maisons-Laffitte on heavy ground in November. His best effort in defeat was when 3^rd in the Group 1 Ladbrokes Sprint Cup at Doncaster.

V is for the Victoria Cup where horses from my list to follow filled the first 3 places, Zaahid, Al Khaleej and King of Dixie. Zaahid won this on fast ground although his previous winning had been done on an easy surface. He came into the race on the back of a third to Lang Shining in the Newbury Spring Cup but failed to make the frame in his 3 races after the Victoria Cup success. Al Khaleej came into the race having been raised 9 lbs. by the handicapper for an impressive success in an 8 runner event at Kempton (yes Kempton again). He suffered an injury after the Victoria Cup which curtailed his season. King of Dixie was something of a surprise package as he started his 4 year old campaign having only raced twice before. As well as his 3^rd in the Victoria Cup he won a couple of times, in a Lingfield Handicap and a conditions event at York.

W for Wingplay and Without A Prayer who were a couple of high priced winners for my list to follow.

Wingplay found his way onto my list as a result of an impressive win in a Wolverhampton maiden the previous November. He showed very little sign of making a return visit to the winner’s enclosure during his first six starts in 2008 and his rating dropped from 77 down to 61. It came as a surprise therefore when he won a handicap at Great Leighs quite comfortably at odds of 14/1, perhaps aided by first time cheekpieces. He ran three more times after his win and managed a couple of seconds at Wolverhampton although his head carriage suggests he is not the most straightforward. He paid his way for the season with that one win though.

Without a Prayer was another to pay his way with a single win. After finishing down the field in the Greenham Ralph Beckett’s 3 year old was given an astute ride from the front by Seb Sanders to take the spoils in a conditions event at Newmarket at 18/1. He ran a couple more times putting in a fair performance when finishing 5^th of 15 in the Hampton Court Stakes. He has since won a listed race at Deauville in December at odds of 81/1!

X is for X rated.

Skhilling Spirit more than justified his place on my list to follow with two wins during the season at odds of 4/1 and 14/1 but he also showed a darker side. His wins came in handicaps at Musselburgh and Doncaster and he also ran 5th in the Ayr Gold Cup. He has a squiggle by his name in the Timeform publications though denoting one that is less than reliable and this side of his nature was apparent on his final outing when he virtually refused to race, something he had done before. He is temperamental.

It is probably unfair to put Bankable in this category but he was certainly a very expensive horse to follow. The season started well enough with wins in an Ascot handicap and a listed race at Goodwood. He was then made a hot favourite for the Royal Hunt Cup where he looked a blot on the handicap as he only carried a 5 lbs penalty for his Goodwood win whereas he was due to go up 19 lbs in the ratings. On the day though he was probably beaten by the draw as he came out of stall 25 in a race where the first four home were drawn 4, 1, 5 and 6. In the circumstances his finishing position of 5^th was no disgrace.

He then ran up a 5 race sequence of second place finishes, albeit against some pretty decent horses, including Passage of Time, Eagle Mountain and Raven’s Pass. He was probably over the top when disappointing on his final start.

Y is for York where the 2008 Ebor meeting was washed away by the rains.

The Ebor was rerouted to Newbury and run as the Totesport Newburgh handicap. The winner was the Godolphin runner All the Good who went on to capture the Caulfield Cup in Australia but second place went to Tropical Strait, a 5 year old trained by David Arbuthnot. Although runner up that day Tropical Strait proved to be one of the most profitable horses on my list to follow. He won a handicap at Newbury in the middle of August at 10/1 but reserved his best performance for the last day of the flat season when winning the November Handicap at Doncaster at 20/1 under Martin Dwyer. He has since finished 3^rd in a listed race at Kempton and remains a progressive type.

Z is for Zarkava

The French filly had created quite an impression as a 2 year old in 2007 with her winning effort in the Prix Marcel Boussac where she quickened in the style of a top class filly.

She went from strength to strength in 2008 and ended the season still unbeaten in 7 career starts, 6 of them at Longchamp. She took the French Guineas and followed up by winning the Prix de Diane at Chantilly.

Another impressive success followed in the Group 1 Prix Vermeille. The daughter of Zamindar stood still as the stalls opened, losing about eight lengths, but it made not the slightest 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.

Zarkava maintained her unbeaten career record with another devastating performance in the Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe. Alain de Royer-Dupre’s filly demonstrated her trademark turn of foot to win the Longchamp showpiece becoming the first filly since Urban Sea in 1993 to win the race. No fewer than 46 fillies have lined up for the race since that time, without success, while it was over forty years since a horse had won the race from stall one. She is an exceptional filly and certainly one of the best in my lifetime. She was retired at the end of the season but there can be no finer farewell than the illumination of a grey Paris day.