M M Stables Pulling Clear of the Field with Armando Duarte

Owners M M Stables have done some astute business this year and even though it has been a challenging year with the coronavirus causing havoc everywhere racing manager Armando Duarte has been busy finding talented 2-year-olds to give owners M M Stables something to shout about, well from their own home for most of the time anyway. 

NIGHT ON EARTH was out first in a Windsor maiden when showing inexperience coming out the stalls and never involved. The Kodiac bay colt was purchased for 56,000 euros at the 2019 September Yearling Sales by M M Stables and is trained by Andrew Balding. Night On Earth's second run was totally different when champion jockey Oisan Murphy had Night On Earth out the stalls like a bat out of hell, and he never looked back, winning easily. 

Next was the Group 3 Molecomb Stakes at Goodwood when finishing down the field in a competitive race but I’m sure Night On Earth will be winning again this season. Next up is a horse I definitely don’t think we have seen the best of yet, JACINTH is a New Bay filly trained by William Haggas. M M Stables racing manager Armando Duarte purchased Jacinth at the 2020 Craven Breeze Up Sales for a cool 120,000 gns and started her career in a nice fillies maiden at Newbury when staying on into third place. Jacinth was again at Newbury for her next race when battling on well to again finish third against a nice Andrew Balding filly called Alcohol Free. I don’t think it will be long before we see Jacinth in the winners enclosure after two decent efforts so far this season. 

Another nice one for the Haggas yard is ALENQUER who was again purchased by Armando Duarte this time at the 2019 October Yearling Sales for 80,000 gns. The son of Adlerflug made his debut at Newbury and won in impressive fashion and in doing so won the £25,000 October Book 1 Bonus which was a great start for owners M M Stables. 

The next one will be a favourite of mine forever as I actually backed this Andrew Balding Buratino colt at 20/1. ROUND SIX was a £60,000 purchase by Armando Duarte and was given a nice introduction at Salisbury by David Probert when staying on without threatening the leaders that day. Round Six made no mistake next timeout at Kempton with Oisian Murphy taking over in the hot seat was quickly away and never looked back to win a shade cosily in the end. Interesting to see what Andrew Balding will do with Round Six next.

Round Six made all, landing today's opening contest in convincing style for @oismurphy and @AndrewBalding2 pic.twitter.com/JBsgofvLAs

— Kempton Park Racecourse (@kemptonparkrace) August 18, 2020

Armando Duarte says: 

I have been in this business for 20 years - a bloodstock agent and racing manager for M M Stables. I buy good horses for little money. In addition, I buy horses for Australia and HK. 

I bought this Unnamed Starspangledbanner colt Tattersalls Book 1 for £100.000 Sterling. 

He is a big strong horse but is taking time to come to hand. Mentally and physically he wasn't here. We gave him 2 weeks in the paddocks and he come back a different horse. 

Hopefully, he will go forward and run later in the year. However, he will see more next year. We like him enough at the moment.

He is in training with William Haggas. 

Also, I bought a Vadamos colt at Tattersalls book 1 for £120.000.  We like him a lot and he give him plenty of time to develop. 

He will be out in October if everything goes well. 

He is in training with Andrew Balding. 

Also, I bought this beautiful big well-bred colt Landing System at Tattersalls Craven breeze-up sales for £75.000. 

I like him a lot too. 

He is for next year but whatever he does this year will be a bonus. 

He is in training with Andrew Balding. 

M M STABLES are very nice people and successful operation. If the money is right, they sell horses too.

Follow Armando Duarte Twitter

If Carlsberg did Tuesday's...

What a day for me personally Tuesday was, I know a few people who don’t like hearing about people winning but I guess having my own blog so you guys have no choice, haha and to be honest it doesn’t happen often. 

Monday night I shortlisted a couple I liked and yes I took a gamble on taking an early price and hoping for the support I needed for one of them to have a chance. The Kevin Ryan trained ROMAN ENCOUNTER was the first I had my eye on for owners Hambleton Racing Ltd XVIII. The Holy Roman Emperor filly was purchased for £25,000 at the 2020 Goffs Arqana & Breeze Up Sales. I do like to follow these owners and Roman Encounter was available at 14s on Monday, I did get a bit worried as the money didn’t come till five minutes before the start. I did manage to tweet this with a few minutes to spare and Roman Encounter got the job done with an excellent ride by jockey Kevin Stott. The bay filly ended up 8/1 so sometimes that gamble on the price does work after all. 

The next horse I had marked down was the Andrew Balding colt ROUND SIX who I also shared on a few of my social media sites because I didn’t have time to write a post, just on a side note I don’t really feel comfortable giving my selections out and never have as I’m sure you know these days don’t come around often and selecting losers does weigh on my mind for a while afterward but I really do enjoy trying to find angles on 2-year-old races and I also enjoy writing my weekly blog but please be careful and don’t go mad if following my trackers or selections, anyway back onto Round Six who cost £60,000 at the 2019 Premier Yearling Sales and is owned by the excellent M M Stables who have been having a great time of late with a few nice looking 2-year-olds, going off subject again sorry but some exciting news is that racing manager for M M stables Armando Duarte will be kindly forwarding me some information on three unraced 2-year-olds that I will add to a future post. I had my eye on the Buratino colt after a pretty nice introduction at Salisbury earlier this month and with the champ jockey Oisin Murphy taking over this time and Andrew Balding liking a winner or two at Kempton with 2-year-olds I thought Round Six looked a nice each-way bet at 20/1. 

I was, of course, worried about the hot favourite Guru but with the extra weight, life would be tough for the John Gosden Kingman colt. It doesn’t often happen but things went perfect as Round Six made all to win by over 2-lengths and make it a day to remember. 

EYE-CATCHERS:

16:40 Newbury 16 Aug 2020 

It’s been a busy week, so I only have two for today and I guess they won’t be much of a price next time. I had two speculative each-way bets in this race last Sunday and to be honest I was pretty gutted one didn’t win. GENERAL LEE ran a stormer first timeout to finish second for Paul Cole and should be up to winning soon. My other selection was the Ralph Beckett trained ORGETORIX who will come on a ton for that nice debut and should be followed next timeout. Thanks for reading and stay safe.