Merry Christmas You Filthy Animals!

Over the next few weeks I will take a look back at a few posts from earlier this year to keep the brain ticking over until the new flat season starts. 

I wrote a post back in May this year about a few expensive purchases made at the Tattersalls’ Premier Yearling Sales so thought it would be worthwhile checking if they actually made the grade or just disappointed. 

BLUE PLANET was the first and was purchased for 1,800,000 Guineas. A nice pedigree, expensive purchase and trained by the master Aidan O’Brien himself. The Kingman colt Blue Planet made his debut at Dundalk towards the end of October when starting 9/1. That was a pretty satisfactory debut when finishing third so it will be interesting to see what plans Aidan has next year. 

MAGIC HOUR and ESPANIA are still to make their debuts so the next was ST MARK’S BASILICA another for the O’Brien team who had a tremendous 2020 despite taking a few runs to get off the mark. St Mark’s was purchased for 1,300,000 Guineas. The Siyouni colt is a half-brother to Magna Grecia and won his maiden third time of asking before going on to finish third in the National Stakes and then went on to win the Group 1 Dewhurst at Newmarket in October at odds of 10/1. 

A different story for the next two 1,000,000 Guineas purchases who have both disappointed to date. The first MANASSAS comes from a nice family and has only ran once so far but finished stone last for the Kevin Ryan team. Next up is the John Gosden Dubawi colt MAHOMES who has looked pretty average to say the least in all three races this season. DRUMMER GIRL another who has yet to set foot on the racecourse. 

Next up a few Godolphin horses I marked down as 2-year-olds to follow back in May. NOBLE DYNASTY won second timeout at Kempton at odds on and looks a nice prospect for Charlie Appleby. DHAHABI got off the mark at Newmarket on debut and has run to a decent level in his last two races. ACT OF WISDOM was unplaced on debut but the Galileo colt has won three on the bounce including a couple of nice handicaps. Last one to mention is CREATIVE FORCE who won on debut but was soundly beaten next timeout in the Coventry Stakes back in June at Ascot. Creative Force hasn't been seen since, so I wouldn't be giving up just yet on this €400,000 Dubawi gelding. 

Keep an eye out for more of the same this season when I will add a few more Godolphin newcomers and a few expensive purchases to keep a track of for the 2021 season. 

Rewind back to January and I identified a few unraced Michael Stoute and owner Cheveley Park horses to keep an eye out for and out of the three that have ran POTAPOVA looks a star for next season after a demolition job at Chelmsford when winning by over 6-lengths in what was an impressive debut.

I will continue looking back at a few more horses in my next post but one bit of exciting news for next season is that all being well I will be previewing a few unraced 2-year-olds from the Roger Varian team which I am so excited about and I have been also invited to go down to have a look around the Carlburg Stables in the heart of Newmarket which is just brilliant and hopefully all being well I make the long trip from Liverpool some time in 2021. 

Time to get back to watching Home Alone with the family so stay safe and have a Merry Christmas.

A Day for Champions (23rd September)

Looking back at last Friday’s post It should have been called Gosden firing blanks(no sexual pun intended) as the hot favourite I mentioned Mithras disappointed. It wasn’t a betting opportunity at the price but surely the Gosden colt is better than he showed at Newbury. I always bang on about stats and form lines well the lot was torn apart as we had another big priced winner in the name of Oo De Lally for Andrew Balding, any regular readers will know I love a Balding second timeout 2-year-old but I wouldn’t of gone near this one at 125/1. It’s been a funny season with big priced winners popping up also I have seen plenty of odds on shots stuffed. I did have a small each way on Rifleman who I should have left alone after taking a bit drift from the overnight price and it showed as slowly away and ran green. On a positive note my tracker DECISIVE EDGE won well at Chelmsford under a great ride from William Buick, sent off 4/1 the Brian Meehan colt who had a group 1 entry made all and stuck on gamely to give me a nice winner. Another nice winner from my blog was ACT OF WISDOM who won at Goodwood today who was one of my Godolphin 2-year-olds to follow. 

13:00 Pontefract 24 Sep 2020 

BURSCOUGH was well-backed on debut for the Michael Dodds team at Redcar at the end of August. The Garswood colt was backed from 11/1 to 7/1 at the off and looked pretty professional for the first time at a racecourse. Burscough was in midfield and going pretty well but behind a wall of horses and was then taken back to try to find a path through but the leaders had well-flown by then, I know it wasn't the strongest race but this isn't either. Burscough is a full-brother to Edgewood who has done well since joining Julie Camacho. Owner David Armstrong and Dodds teamed up with a couple of nice 2yo winners back in 2018 in the names of Bartle Hall and Heath Charnock and hopefully Burscough could be in the mix to make it another. 11/2 at the time of writing, so I will be having a small each way but if drifting it will be a negative. 

13:15 Newmarket 24 Sep 2020 

What a race we have in prospect here. I have two trackers here first is ROYAL CHAMPION for Roger Varian who is a half-brother to the 106 rated Simon Crisford runner Outbox who has been consistent throughout his career and won first timeout then we have the Roger Charlton Frankel colt *KEEPER who is related to plenty of nice types including 13 rated Peril and 112 rated Set Piece who finished third in the Craven Stakes last year for Hugo Palmer. Plenty of other dangers lurk but I’m going with two win bets on my trackers.  

* NR

Another tracker to note: 

12:30 Pontefract 24 Sep 2020 

*BAKERSBOY for Tom Dascombe. (NR) 

Thanks for reading and stay safe.

Line Of Duty won here as a two-year-old and his little brother follows directly in his footsteps! https://t.co/wGidmd26e9 pic.twitter.com/EVyfAp9Ave

— Goodwood Racecourse (@Goodwood_Races) September 23, 2020

Weekend Post (5th September)

Well, of course I’m disappointed in not getting a winner with the horses I mentioned in Friday's post but I always like to look at the positives and not get too down about it. MUAY THAI was up first and I don’t know why but when Pat Dobbs is in the saddle I never seem to win and as you may have seen it happened again. The Richard Hannon newcomer looked professional from the start and cruised along nicely on the rail before Dobbs had to go between horses to challenge but by then the two in front got first run and Muay Thai finished third but it was definitely a promising debut. Must go close next time out so one for the trackers. 

ACT OF WISDOM is definitely better than seen today and the drift told the story that it wasn’t going to be his day. All his family needed a little time to get fully tuned so it didn’t surprise me too much and sometimes a bad first run could be a good thing for a punter as I might get a half decent price next timeout. It’s alright saying after the event but I did have my eye on the Richard Hughes winner Lightening Shore after a great debut when third to the Round Six here a few weeks back but these things happen. PURE BUBBLES was a non runner but I thought it was Gary Moore's day when his other runner CHAMPAGNE PIAFF had every chance the last furlong until tiring and finishing fourth at 66/1. 

DECISIVE EDGE was well-backed in the later race at Kempton and I thought my 33/1 bet was looking good for a place until being swamped inside the last furlong but hopefully another who will be entered in a smaller easier race in the next few weeks or so. 

Saturday looks like another nightmare for punting with some nice 2 yos making their debut, so I will be leaving it alone and just watching I think. 

One tracker who will be a short price who I expect to definitely be in the mix is LIPIZZANER who runs in the 15.30 at Naven. The well-thought of Aidan O’Brien runner ran a blinder last timeout in the Norfolk Stakes at Ascot despite being slowly away.  

13:00 York 06 Sep 2020 

We have a few here that have run to a decent level including Mamba Wamba and McManaman plus the Queens runner Inveigle but I will take a chance with the Roger Varian colt BATRAAN to make a winning debut for a team in great form. Batraan is an 85,000 gns purchase for owner Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum and is out of unraced Dam Testimony. Roger has a great record at York with Molatham, Sardinia Sunset and the winner of this race last year Clan Royale all recent winners. The only negative would be if drifting to over 9/2. 

14:30 York 06 Sep 2020

Roger Varian has the favourite here Athers who could be hard to beat but them favourites are there to be taken on, so I will hopefully have a small each way on the Mark Johnston newcomer REAMS OF LOVE who was a 80,000 euro purchase at the 2019 Orby sale for owners Crone Stud Farm who had a winner with Love Is Golden the other day. Sire Frankel and Dam Night Of Light both enjoyed a bit of cut in the ground so hopefully Reams Of Love will too. 

Thanks for reading and stay safe.

Friday's Horse Racing + Updates & Eye Catchers

It’s been a while since my last post because I’m just far too busy at the minute but I know you are missing me so here we go. Jason Coote wrote a post for the blog this week about should we bet with all this rain making the ground soft or heavy and I have to say I’ve had a nightmare with my bets this week but I’m not making the ground an excuse I think it’s just been one of them weeks that discipline should have been on my mind but a year on I’m still struggling with that one. 

UPDATES:  A few I mentioned on twitter finished nearer last than first, I did mention a horse called Ziggy who was running at Kempton on Tuesday for trainer James Eustace, I noticed the champion jockey Oisin Murphy was in the saddle instead of riding Scampi for Andrew Balding and threw a speculative each way bet on at 40s, fast-forward to race time and the gamble had took place and Ziggy was 13/2, surely it would place at least but yeah wishful thinking hey as Ziggy crawled out the stalls and was outpaced and ran green, I will still keep an eye out for the son of Sixties Icon next timeout. Next was Cottam Lane for Kevin Ryan who ran a decent enough race to finish second behind the Karl Burke runner Bickerstaffe who is owned by David Armstrong. Next was Amal who was another who was well-supported but didn’t turn up. I thought one of my eye-catchers from last week would win easily yesterday at Newcastle and go onto better things, Bellissime was a short price favourite to take the class 5 event but winner Montassib had different ideas and got up in the dying strides to deny the Ryan filly. 

Onto a few positive notes it was nice to see one of my Mark Johnston 2-year-olds to follow finally winning when the well-bred LOVE IS GOLDEN put in a much improved performance to win with a bit in hand at Ripon on Monday at 9/1, did I back him? Of course not!!. Another of Eve Johnson Houghtons 2-year-olds to follow won on Wednesday at Bath, Soldier Lions won impressively and can hopefully step up a level and win again before the seasons out. It was nice to see M M Stables Night On Earth win again after my post with Armando Duarte last week. Really pleased for him as he’s a lovely fella and I wish him the best for the future.

EYE-CATCHER:  

I haven’t really had much time to go through the replays just yet but one I’m pretty confident will be winning sooner rather than later is Zinc White for the Ralph Beckett team who was seriously backed for his debut at Salisbury yesterday from 12s into 4/1. The 50,000 euro purchase definitely looked in need of the race when running green but hopefully he will settle next timeout. 

IRISH TRACKERS:  

My last venture into the Irish racing saw Moon Daisy finish fifth in a nice looking maiden. My next tracker Is the Joseph O’Brien trained Ulster Blackwater who is owned by Sun Bloodstock and should be up to getting off the mark before the season ends. As I mentioned earlier the 2-year-old races are coming thick and fast so I will mention a few trackers and a speculative bet. 

14:30 Ascot 04 Sep 2020 

The favourite Lockdown has ran well despite not winning for Hugo Palmer but I will take a chance with my tracker MUAY THAI who is a Richard Hannon newcomer by Acclamation and owned by Mr Saeed Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi. The £42,000 2yo has a nice pedigree and will hopefully be tuned up first timeout. 

17:50 Kempton 04 Sep 2020 

I won’t be backing this short priced tracker but really looking forward to the well-bred Godolphin runner ACT OF WISDOM, the 1,100,000 gns yearling is a brother to the very smart Line Of Duty and comes with a big reputation but plenty of dangers first time out here. 

18:20 Kempton 04 Sep 2020 

Favourite MEGALLAN is one of my John Gosden 2yos to follow and hacked up on debut, could easily win this doing handstands but Brian Meehan has a nice filly in the name of DECISIVE EDGE who cost £52,000 as a yearling, I will have a small each way on this No Nay Never colt but whatever she does here I’m sure this well-thought of colt will improve and not one to discard if disappointing. 

15:05 Ascot 04 Sep 2020 

I could be off my rocker for even mentioning this next one. *PURE BUBBLES is a 50/1 shot at the time of writing(00.52 and yes I should be well away) but you may or may not know trainer Gary Moore once popped up with a 100/1 winning 2-year-old back in August 2017 called The Children’s Trust, now Hector Crouch was on that day but is on the other Moore runner CHAMPAGNE PIAFF here, anyway whatever Bubbles does here another who will be worth keeping an eye out for further on down the line. 

*NR

Thanks for reading and stay safe.