Month: May 2009

 

There is some top class racing in Ireland and France tomorrow.

Fame and Glory is likely to be all the rage in the Derby Trial at Leopardstown (3.35).  Mourayan didn’t get a clear run when the pair met over course and distance last month and he may be able to turn the tables.

In the 2.25 at Longchamp I will take Vocalised to maintain his winning sequence although Naaqoos is likely to pose a major threat.  Fantasia was such an impressive winner at Newmarket that she will take some stopping in the 3.00 while ace sprinter Marchand D’Or lines up in the 3.35 where he faces Benbaun, a course and distance winner and Inxile who won at Naas on his latest start.

The racing certainly has an international flavour tomorrow and in Cologne Michael Jarvis saddles Sri Putra in the German 2,000 Guineas.

The picture of Benbaun is by courtesy of the artist Karen Davies.

 

I am going to stick with Henry Cecil’s Father of Time in the Oak’s Trial at Lingfield.

Look Busy is on  my list to follow and goes in the 3.30 at Nottingham.  She has already chalked up a win for us but she looks a bit of a short price today given that she has not won over the distance.

Lastly Pterodactyl, Kingscape and Cockney Trucker make most appeal in the Haydock 1.55.  For my selection I am going for Pterodactyl who could go well at a big price.

There are quite a few meetings to go at tomorrow and I will tackle them in Alphabetical order.

At Ascot in the 1.40 I think that Trumpet Lily might be worth considering. She won at Windsor last month and has shown that she handles all types of ground.

The Victoria Cup (2.15) looks as competitive as ever. Zaahid, last season’s winner si 6 lbs higher in the handicap this time but is still one for the short list. Dhaular Dhar has run well on some of his previous visits to Ascot and seems to like these big field handicaps. He can get into the picture off his current mark. We’ll Come is admirably consistent which tends to count against him as he never gets any respite from the assessor. Even so he is another to consider. Opus Maximus ran a stormer from a poor draw at Chester today and if he lines up again he has to command respect. Lastly for my short list I like the look of Manjuro who was a fast finishing 4^th in the Thirsk Hunt Cup last Saturday after getting away to a tardy start.

My idea of the 1-2-3 4 would be Opus Maximus, Manjuro, Dhaular Dhar and We’ll Come.

In the 4.00 Jimmy Styles runs off a mark 5 lbs higher than when winning the race last season. He is lightly arced however and may be open to further improvement. Although he has not raced for some time he has gone well fresh in the past.

Up at Haydock Redford is an interesting runner in the 4.50. He has always given the impression that 6 furlongs could be his trip and he gets the chance to prove it tomorrow. If he gets the right ground, he wouldn’t want it too quick, he should go well.

Dark Lane could be well handicapped and I can see him running a big race in the 5.25.

Lingfield stage their classic trials with the Oaks race the first at 2.40. Anice Stellato won nicely on her only start last season which was in a Newmarket maiden. Her dam won over 6 furlongs but there is some stamina elsewhere in her pedigree. July Jasmine is a half sister to Rob Roy and won her maiden at Leicester last season in taking fashion. That was on soft ground but her pedigree suggests she may be best suited by a sound surface. Midday was runner up to Debussy in the Blue Riband Trial against the colts at Epsom. One possible dark horse is Spirit of Dubai who is well regarded by connections and expected to leave her 2 year old form behind this season.

Midday has the form in the book while Anice Stellato and July Jasmine could, as they say, be anything. If pushed for a selection I would go with Anice Stellato.

Only 5 line up for the Derby Trial at 3.15. Sumbe disappointed at Newmarket but it is too soon to be writing him off just yet. Father Time was 3^rd at Newbury and that form has been boosted by the 4^th and 5^th who have come out and run well since. Age of Aquarius must be respected on his 4^th in a Group 1 at Saint-Cloud while Alwaary was 3^rd to Crowded House on his racecourse debut before getting off the mark in a Yarmouth maiden. The Irish arider may well be top class but he looks likely to start at very cramped odds and I would be inclined to take him on with Father Time.

At Thirsk the lightly raced Atlantic Beach could well be ahead of the handicapper and is my fancy in the 6.40 while another that could be well handicapped is Sir Royal in the 7.10.

Today’s pictures are by kind permission of the artist Ruth Buchanan.

After such a successful day at Chester on Wednesday it was down to earth with a bump today!

The Roodeye card again looks tricky tomorrow and my best chance of a winner may come elsewhere. Still, I will begin at Chester with the 1.45 where previous course winner Celtic Sultan is of interest especially from stall 1. Off a mark of 90 he looks well handicapped too so he has to be my selection.

Libel Law only won a maiden at Windsor last time out but he did so in good style. He needs to improve again to take a hand in the 2.15 but he may well be capable of doing so and has shown that he handles fast ground. He is my selection at a value price.

You have to respect anything that Sir Mark Prescott sends up to Hamilton and his Royal Diamond with Seb Sanders on board should go well in the 7.15. I see that the horse is entered again in a few days so maybe Sir Mark already has his second win under a penalty mapped out!

In the 8.50 I would be interested in Woodsley House each way should all 8 runners stand their ground. Jamie Kyne is well worth the 7 lbs claim and at 12/1 the horse looks over priced. A drop of rain would aid his chance.

At Lingfield my only selection is Lochstar in the 3.10 although I see that none of the newspaper experts agree with me!

The pair I like in the Nottingham 3.00 are Favours Brave and Penang Princess. Both have stamina influences in their pedigrees and could improve for this step up in trip.

Say No Now has finished runner up on both her starts, the second of them from a poor draw. She is well thought of by connections and can break her duck in the 3.35.

Barter is related to numerous winners and makes a belated racecourse debut in the 4.10. Purely on pedigree she is interesting.

Aiden O’Brien’s Aristocrat should have too much class for the opposition in the 5.15 at Wexford.

Today’s picture is by courtesy of the artist Lisa Miller (see links)

 

I enjoyed quite a successful day at Chester with last night’s preview pointing the way to 3 winners as well as some placed horses at nice prices.

Lincoln winner Expresso Star tackles Group 3 company in Chester’s 2.15 tomorrow. The step up to 10 furlongs should be in his favour and he did show at Doncaster that he handles fast ground. He needs to step up on previous form but there is every chance that he wile b able to do so and he gest the nod here.

Saptapadi is related to several top class horses and has run so far as though he may be capable of considerable improvement. With the Sir Michael Stoute team in great form I would give this one a sporting each way chance in the 2.45.

I will also go with the same trainer in the 3.15. Resort impressed when winning at Newmarket on only her second career start and she looks handicapped to with this as long at Ryan Moore can overcome a poor draw. Goliath’s Boy could be her main danger.

In the Goodwood 2.00 In Secret could run well at a big price while The Tatling (pictured above) is back to a winnable mark in the 3.00 where Harlech Castle has an each way chance at a bigger price.

Picture by kind permission of the artist Lisa Miller.

The racing tomorrow looks pretty uninspiring stuff so I shall fast forward to Wednesday and take a look at day 1 of the Chester May meeting.

There will be a strong Irish challenge in the Cheshire Oaks with Aiden O’Brien and John Oxx both represented but I am going to stick with the home team and Michael Jarvis and Sir Michael Stoute. They run Hidden Brief and Phillipina respectively, a couple of fillies that ran with promise on their initial outings this season and should both benefit from this step up in trip. My preference is for Hidden Brief whose sister was placed in both the Irish and Yorkshire Oaks. She may not want really quick ground so some rain would increase her chance.

Barry Hills won the Chester Cup with a 4 year old back in 1999 and I am hoping he can repeat the performance again 10 years on with Daraahem who impressed with his win at Haydock last season. He looks the sort to improve and the trip should not pose a problem. He is also well drawn and comes from an in form stable. There is of course always a catch and in this case it could be the going as Daraahem gives the impression that some ease in the ground might be needed. Watch the weather forecast! The other one I like in this race is Halla San, something of an old favourite of this web site and from the stable that provided the winner in 2007.

The 4.00 looks a trappy handicap and I have a short list of 4. Sir Mark Prescott fields two runners in this. Braveheart Move won with any amount in hand when a shock 66/1 winner at Wolverhampton last September and there may well be much more to come from him. The other Sir Mark runner is Fortuni who carries a 6 lbs penalty for hi win at Lingfield on Mat 1^st. Don’t be put off by the jockey here as Rosie Jessop who is quite capable of riding a winner.

King’s Destiny is another that has recorded a win this season, scoring over 10 furlongs at Leicester. The 4^th that day has won since. There is plenty of stamina on the dam’s side so there is a fair chance that he will stay the extra distance and he is an interesting contender. Jedi will be all the better for his run 12 days ago and also for the step up in distance. He won at Nottingham last season on heavy ground so it may be that some cut in the ground will help his cause.

My selection in the 4.35 is Harbinger who created an excellent impression when runner up in the Wood Ditton.

My thanks to Paul Myers-Bennett for the photograph of Chester racecourse.

 

Starting the bank holiday preview at Kempton I am tempted to give Invisible Man another chance in the 3.30. A beaten favourite on both of his starts so far he appears to still be held in high regard at home given his Group 1 entries. The well bred Sovereign Remedy is another interesting runner in this race.

Maverin ran quite well when 3^rd at Yarmouth last month and is one of my fancies for the 4.00. At a big price it might be worth having a look at Choral Service. He is 20/1 in the RP but is a full brother to the high class Chorist and the stable are in fine form.

Forgotten Voice looks the one to beat in the 4.30. A recent course and distance winner he shaped as though there would be more to come and can defy a rise in the weights.

Mr Freddy put in an eye catching effort at Epsom on his seasonal reappearance and he looks to be in with a good chance in the Newcastle 5.15 where Speed Dating could be better than his handicap rating and looks the danger.

Sir Michael Stoute has his team in tremendous form and his Desert Creek looks sure to go well in the 3.55 at Windsor. This son of Refuse To Bend ran out a comfortable winner on his second run as a juvenile and looks to have a bright future. The other runner that interests me in this race is Raaeidd. He was also a winner on his second outing last year showing plenty of promise at Kempton. Hopefully Philip Robinson will be fit to take the ride on him after his nasty accident yesterday aboard the stricken Chief Editor.

In the 4.25 there is a good word for Formula from the Richard Hannon yard.

There is a quality card at The Curragh where my selections are Vocalised (2.30) and Curtain Call (4.00).

Today’s picture is by kind permission of the artist Katy Sodeau (see links)

It is hard to see beyond Rainbow View in the 3.15 so she is my rather uninspiring selection.

Looking elsewhere on the Newmarket card Oldjoesaid should give us a run for our money in the 3.50 while Carleton and Fantasy Explorer are others with possibilities.

Mutamaashi dead heated for 2^nd with Firebet at Ripon last month and with that run under his belt he should be able to go one better in the 5.35 although Opinion Poll is another I like in this race.

Hajoum did enough in his two runs last season to suggest he can win races and he is my selection in the 1.45 at Salisbury, while the in form Dark Mischief will take some beating in the 2.15.

Clowance House was 3^rd to today’s winner Your Old Pal last season and looks the form pick in the 3.25 while Bagber is my each way choice in the 4.00.

At Hamilton the 5.20 looks an open race. Woodsley House could go well at a decent price but he wouldn’t want the ground too firm.

 

Newmarket 2.30 – Casual Conquest

With the first UK classics of the season the flat finally replaces national hunt racing tomorrow. For tonight’s preview the starting point has to be Newmarket and the 2,000 Guineas. Of the horses that have taken part on the various trials already this season Delegator has been the most impressive. He was held up in the Craven over course and distance and quickened away from his field nicely. He sets the standard. Cityscape (pictured below) is an attractive colt who put up a taking performance when runner up in the Greenham. He will be fitter tomorrow and will also appreciate the step back up to a mile.

I am not convinced that Finjaan is a miler and I would rather think that 7 furlongs will turn out to be his trip. Evasive won his last two starts as a juvenile and has apparently wintered well. He certainly comes into the picture although he has had a couple of training setbacks according to reports. On Our Way is probably better than the bare form of his 4^th in the Fielden Stakes last month but he has a fair bit to find with the main contenders on the book. Monitor Closely was 2^nd in a valuable sales race over 10 furlongs at Newmarket last month so stamina is not a problem although he is another that would need to find some improvement. Sea the Stars is a half brother to Derby winner Galileo and landed the Beresford Stakes at The Curragh last season. I know it is rather a boring selection but I have to go with Rip Van Winkle in this, probably at the expense of Sea the Stars and Delegator. The stable have won the race 3 times in the last 4 years and the horse probably has greater potential than his rivals.

The Palace House Stakes at 3.45 sees the return of that great old warrior Borderlescott. He has won first time out in two of the last 3 seasons and I would again hope for a big run from him. Dandy Man is one to consider if the ground is riding fast while Judge ‘n Jury steps up, from handicap company and is an interesting runner, although more give in the ground would improve his chance while Chief Editor and Amour Propre are others with big chances. Borderlescott gets my vote though with Dandy Man and Amour Propre another that will love the ground the main dangers.

Palavicini and Our Old Pal both failed to live up to the promise they had shown last season when 4^th and 5^th respectively at Newbury a fortnight ago. It is much too soon to write the pair off and I will eb interested to see how they perform in the 4.55 tomorrow. For my selection though I am going for Spring of Fame. A winner twice on the all weather last year he lost nothing in defeat when a fast finishing 2^nd at Kempton recently.

The big race at Thirsk is the Thirsk Hunt Cup at 4.15. With track and going in his favour Majuro should give us a run for our money in this and looks value at around 8/1. Dig Deep looks well handicapped at the moment and there should be a nice race in him before too long. He runs in the 4.50 but the form of the stable would be a slight concern. Last season’s winner Blazing Heights and the evergreen Bo McGinty are others to consider.

At Goodwood I would keep an eye on Mabuya. This colt showed a bit of promise last season in a couple of maidens and runs in the 5.15 tomorrow. After this run he will qualify for handicaps.

There is certainly no shortage of arcing tomorrow and there is an evening card at Doncaster. Cape Vale won on his first 2 starts as a juvenile but has not troubled the judge since. A half brother to Moss Vale I feel that there is more to come from him and he should be picking up some decent sprint prizes during this season. He runs in the 7.15 tomorrow. The 7.50 is an interesting little race. Border Patrol won on soft ground at Newbury on his seasonal reappearance e and looks a nice colt. That win was over a mile though and he drops back to 7 furlongs tomorrow. As he may also find the ground a bit too lively I will pass him by on this occasion. If the ground rides on the fast side as is expected then I would be interested in War Native who is a talented sort capable of better than he has shown on his last couple of starts.

Hawk Mountain, who is partly owned by Nick Luck, was a model of consistency last season. He looks one to consider in the 8.20. The other one that catches my eye in this race is Dansimar, trained by Venetia Williams, better known of course for her national hunt horses. Dansimar is on a mark of only 61 and hasn’t raced on the level for ages but his form over hurdles has been far superior and he might just be a blot on the handicap. He may need some give in the ground though so keep that in mind.

The Punchestown card looks pretty difficult. My thoughts are as follows; 1.45 Oscar Rebel and Shirley Casper; 3.30 Nenuphar Collonges: 4.05 Taravada and Smoking Aces.

Good luck

The photograph of Cityscape is by courtesy of British 2YO Racing.  The top picture (parade ring at Thirsk) is by Ruth Buchanan and the second picture “The mile start at Goodwood” by Sarah Aspinall.  My thanks to both artists for allowing me to use their work.