Leger Festival - Day Two

Mediocre start to the Leger meeting yesterday. Having ploughed a lone furrow on the stands side for the first three furlongs Dubawi Gold stayed on at the same pace inside final furlong and was beat about a length and a half. To my eye it looks as if a little further might be the answer. Enabling duly obliged at odds-on over at Epsom taking it up at the three furlong marker and kicking clear at the two pole to win by a comfortable three and a quarter lengths. Odds-on shots aren’t going to make you a rich man though so here’s hoping I can find a better priced beast this afternoon.
At Doncaster today Audacious has an each way chance in the first race running for the Queen. The Motivator colt showed some promise on his debut though he did run green for most of the race and the slightly longer trip might help.
Unbeaten Wootton Bassett lines up in the 3.10 and should be able to continue his unbeaten run. He will be a short enough price for a sprint but had three of these behind at York and is the one they have to beat.
I spoke of my admiration for Dyna Waltz back in May following the Lingfield Oaks Trials and of my disappointment at her injury. I have been waiting for her return since so she must be the bet in the 3.45. Hopefully the Gosden trained filly will get the extra distance and she is still open to improvement if all is well following her four months on the sidelines.
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Leger Festival - Day One

Bit of a damp and dreary day for the start of the Leger Festival, hopefully I can find a winner or two and lift the mood.
I tipped Dubawi Gold in the Woodcote Stakes on Derby day where he finished a credible second. He has looked a little out of his depth the last twice in Group Two company, visibly eased by Fallon when his chance had gone over one furling out at York in August. The drop in class for the Conditions Stakes at Doncaster in the 2.35 could see the Dubawi colt back to winning ways today.
Over at Epsom Ryan Moore has a couple of rides and I like the look of Enabling in the 2.45. The High Chaparral colt has posted three promising efforts so far, improving each time, and he should be able to register his first win today.
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Weekend Of Near Misses

Close but no cigar at the weekend. So very nearly got the O’Brien treble home Lillie Langtry having got it off to a nice start and even though Cape Blanco beat Rip van Winkle it would have still counted but Starspangledbanner let me down; I can’t really complain about that horse as it owes me nothing.
Elsewhere I had a bit of seconditus with Secrecy and Measuring Time both finding one too good for them in their respective races.
Bit of a slow start to the week building to the big meetings at Doncaster and the Curragh at the weekend where it looks as though there should be a couple of decent bets to be had.

Secretly Waiting On Time

I talked of the O'Brien treble on Thursday and the bet is on, Lillie Langtry, Starspangledbanner and Rip Van Winkle. I have had the small saver on Music Show.
I have also had a little double of Secrecy in the 2.00 at Haydock, I am not convinced Awzaan is the same horse we saw last year and the Godolphin beast looks to be improving, and Measuring Time in the 4.45 at the same track. The Hannon two-year-old went close in a Group Three last time and should be capable of winning this Listed contest.
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Fearless At Lingfield

Bit of a late note today. I have been looking and looking and I can't get away from Fear Nothing in the 2.50 Lingfield. The chestnut gelding has proved expensive to follow and got turned over at odds-on last time but surely he has nothing to fear today.
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O'Brien Saturday Group One Treble

I don't usually get involved with bookmaker 'specials' but I have taken a bit of the 14-1 treble Stan James are offering that Aidan O'Brien makes a clean sweep of all three of Saturday's Group One races.
The trainer has 7-4 shot Starspangledbanner in the Betfred Sprint Cup at Haydock and odds-on jolly Rip Van Winkle as well as Cape Blanco and Beethoven in the Tattersalls Millions Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown. The bet kicks off with the weakest link of the the three at 2.40 with Lillie Langtry taking on Music Show in the Matron Stakes at Leopardstown. I personally believe the two are very closely matched and a little saver on Music Show, who I have been following all season, shall be invested just in case.
Here's hoping Irish eyes are smiling come Saturday evening.
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Sprinting, Dieting And A Bit Of An Improver!

Scanning the news today a couple of stories caught the eye.
First of all Golden Jubilee Stakes and July Cup winner Starspangledbanner is expected to line up at Haydock on Saturday for the Betfred Sprint Cup, a final decision on his participation will be made early today (Thursday).
It has been announced that the BHA are looking to implement a rule change limiting overweight to 3lb – that’s my chance of a spare ride ruined then!
The new rule will apply to Flat and Jump racing, and to professional and amateur jockeys alike and will finally bring Britain into line with most of the major racing nations across the globe. Under the new rules a jockey who is more than 3lb overweight at the time of weighing out will be replaced by a rider of similar status. A final decision on when to implement the ruling is expected later this month, with October 1st 2010 looking to be the most likely starting date. Best I get down the sauna.
I also noted that the massive gamble on Am I Blue winner of the Wyvern Ices Handicap Hurdle on Wednesday at Hereford is to be investigated. The beast was backed from 25-1 down to 5-1 during the day and duly romped home by nineteen lengths! It does appear to be quite an improvement in form with the filly having never won in sixteen previous starts and having finished last of twelve beat eighty-eight lengths last time out – the step up to two and a half miles certainly seems to have done the trick.

Mutayaser Money

The money has come for Mutayaser in the 2.10 at Leicester today.
The Stoute trained colt has a middle distance pedigree, by Shamardal (Prix du Jockey Club and St James’s Palace Stakes winner) out of Borgia (ran credibly in the Arc twice as well as the Breeders Cup Filly and Mare Turf) and it could pay to take the hint and back him to make a winning debut - get on quick as the price is going down faster than a Romford birds G-string on a Friday night ;o)
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Time For Bed

Regressing back to childhood today and the old Magic Roundabout (what the feck was that all about?) and backing Zebedee in the 3.55 at Newmarket.
Over at Goodwood the much talked about Date With Destiny lines up in the 3.40 and the filly is fancied to take this on the way to bigger things.
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Taking A Dip At Bath

It will be very difficult to find winners at Newmarket today with so many unexposed two and three-year-olds and the racing there is best watched rather than punted on.
Over at Bath I like the look of Minikin. The Montjeu filly won well at Folkstone and with further improvement to be expected she is fancied to win the Rajpoot.com Handicap at 5.45 despite having to shoulder a penalty.
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Wash-out, Non-runner, King and VIP's Only

Bit of a wash-out today, literally down at Goodwood where by all accounts the jockeys would need a rubber ring and the meeting is cancelled.
I was thinking of having a little investment on Daniel Thomas at Lingfield but the gelding has been declared a non-runner.
Elsewhere Richard Hannon appears to be plotting a trip to France for King Torus, 20-1 for next years 2,000 Guineas, with the Group 1 Prix Jean Luc Lagadere at Longchamp on Arc weekend likely to be the colts target rather than the Racing Post Trophy and the Dewhurst Stakes.
Victor Chandler is shutting their Gibraltar based telephone betting service. The company are now taking ninety-seven per cent of all bets via online or mobile services according to reports and only VIP punters will be able to place bets by phone – I shall have to ask if my regular Saturday 25p Yankee makes me eligible for the ‘Elite’ service?

St. Leger Entries

Sixteen horses remain in the St Leger field at the latest forfeit stage with current 7-4 favourite Rewilding standing his ground. Dual Oaks heroine Snow Fairy is second favourite with Midas Touch, Artic Cosmos and Dandino next in the betting. Cape Blanco is also listed but O’Brien has stated that no decisions have been made yet and the stable are looking at the Tattersalls Millions Irish Champion Stakes as a possible alternative for the Irish Derby winner.

Variety Is The Spice Of Life

I had a slightly disappointing York with Sariska refusing to race and Starspangledbanner finishing second sandwiched between two 100-1 shots in the craziest Nunthorpe result for years. There has apparently been only two 100-1 winners of Group One races in Britain the other being a horse called Hittite Glory who won the Flying Childers in 1975. When your luck is out your luck is out!
So I am looking to get back to winning ways today at the Variety Club Day at Sandown.
In the first Long Lashes lines up for Godolphin. I backed the filly at Goodwood and she looked as though she needed the run. the filly had looked a good prospect last year and with cheek pieces for the first time on today I shall be giving her another chance in the Listed event. Seta is the big danger.
Native Khan can put himself into contention for next years Derby by taking the Group Three Solario Stakes at 2.35. The grey won his debut nicely at Newmarket and may well mature into a very nice horse.
Up at Chester one of my favourite handicapers Jedi takes his place in the 2.50. The Stoute trained gelding has been running well this year, the soft going will suit and as is all important with a track like Chester he has course form having won here back in May.
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Ebor Festival - Day Four

I was unable to write this morning but no-one who reads this site would have had to ask which horse I was backing in the big sprint, and I can confirm tonight that I am starspangledstunned by the result at York.
Sole Power recorded the biggest upset of the Flat season by a country mile with an amazing win in the Nunthorpe at 100-1. I had of course backed Starspangledbanner and for a while it looked as though he might reel in the Edward Lynam trained colt but it was not to be. Another 100-1 shot, Piccadilly Filly, finished third.
Some days the formbook doesn't just get torn up it is torn into a million pieces, set on fire and the ashes scattered to the four corners of the world.

Ebor Festival - Day Three

I am at the Oval hopefully watching Anderson, Broad and Co. giving the Pakistan team another lesson in swing bowling; the teams batting on the first day having resembled the Recorder Select XI when we played Old Parkonians XI last year and lost by 76 runs.
Beaten in the Yorkshire Oaks at odds-on last year I expect Sariska to make amends for that today. It should be a cracker of a race with Midday an obvious danger but the Breeders’ Cup Fillys & Mares winner hasn’t been able to get the better of Sariska in three attempts. Dual Oaks winner Snow Fairy represents the Classic generation and is also a big threat. This should prove to be one of the highlights of the week if not the season. The dvd recorder is set.
The Lowther Stakes sees some nice two-year-olds lining up. Maqaasid ran a big race at the Royal meeting when winning the Group Two Queen Mary Stakes (beating my tip Meow) and is expected to take this despite having to give three pound to her rivals.
Yours truly from Silly Mid-Off
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Ebor Festival - Day Two

A couple of really difficult handicaps again today at York, including the Ebor of course. I was planning on backing Ask in the Lonsdale Cup but he has been declared a non-runner.
In the 4.05 it is difficult to get away from Face The Problem, though at 6-4 Barry Hills' colt is short enough. He has won his last three starts, including a course and distance success, having finished third on his debut and to my mind is open to further improvement still.
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Tuesday Review

Close but no cigar!
A great finish to the Juddmonte between Rip Van Winkle, Twice Over and Byword. Unfortunately my selection finished third of the three but the race was yet another advertisement for keeping horses in training.
Rewilding was impressive in the Great Voltigeur giving my selection Midas Touch a four length beating and the Godolphin colt now looks likely to take his chance in the St. Leger.

Ebor Festival - Day One

Some tough Handicap and Nursery races for the first day of the big meeting at York this week, but we are in for a treat with the Juddmonte and Great Voltigeur.
We have some very good horses lining up in the Juddmonte and with the going and distance a slight worry for Rip Van Winkle, Twice Over and Dick Turpin the preference is for Byword. The Fabre colts only defeat in his last four starts came at the hands of Goldikova over 1m 1f at Longchamp. He showed the benefit of an extra furlong when bating Twice Over in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot and has won on softer going.
In the Great Voltigeur I fancy Midas touch to turn around Epsom form with Rewilding. Having reviewed the race several times the O’Brien colt never really looked happy at Epsom and showed how good he could be when chasing home Cape Blanco in the Irish Derby. He has winning form as a two-year-old on softer going and a big run is expected.
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Potential Stars - Update

Having mentioned Janood in the ‘Potential Stars’ editorial 11th August the colt maintained his unbeaten record and earned a 20-1 quote for the 2,000 Guineas with victory at Newbury on Saturday in the Listed Matalan Stakes (Registered As The Washington Singer Stakes). As mentioned earlier in the month the Medicean colts dam Alluring Park won as a two-year-old and is a full sister to Japanese Group One sprinter Shinko Forest (Green Desert-Park Express) and half sister to the top class Derby winner New Approach (Galileo-Park Express). Sire Medicean won the Lockinge Stakes and Eclipse Stakes during his racing career for Sir Michael Stoute and this bay colt definitely now looks like one to keep an eye on.

Ante-Post Bets - Update

2000 Guineas

Strong Suit 5-1

Janood 20-1

1000 Guineas

Memory 8-1

Helleborine 20-1

Blue Day At Newbury

I wrote here recently about Godolphin two-year-old Janood and the Medicean - Alluring Park colt has a chance to follow up on his debut win at Newmarket in the 2.00.
Another horse I have talked of is Kite Wood. I lost a few quid on the beast at Ascot when he did not get the 2m 4f but he won this race impressively last year and the rain will help him more than some of the others. Bin Suroor has stated that the Galileo colt has been working nicely leading up to this race.
My lil buddy Frankie picked out Dashing Doc in the 4.50 this morning whilst we were having breakfast. Now I wouldn't advise you to pawn the family silver and have a punt on the advice of a 21-month-old but I mention it as it might prove interesting to see if we have a budding tipster on our hands.
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