Tag: Cirrus Des Aigles

Ascot Saturday Preview

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If the forecasts of doom prove correct, the runners at Ascot on Saturday will be strung out like three-mile chasers. The going was officially described as heavy by midweek and more rain is forecast across the UK.

After Friday’s supposed “Future Champions’ Day” at Newmarket where a sharp pin would have had more chance of yielding a profit than a form book, can we expect more of the same on Saturday? There is certainly something wrong with the race planning in trying to promote these racecards as the cream of racing when they are invariably run on soft ground. The decision to move the Champion Stakes from Newmarket was a bad one and the attempt to build a supporting card around it is looking very dubious.

We have previewed the big race separately and expect Cirrus des Aigles to fly the flag for France with Noble Mission most likely to follow him home. If the feature race is struggling to live up to its title, the QE II does at least provide an interesting clash between 2000 Guineas winner Night Of Thunder and his Longchamp conqueror Charm Spirit. It is a measure of the strength of Richard Hannon’s mile division that he has been forced to take out Toronado and Olympic Glory but still saddles the favourite.

Charm Spirit got first run on Night Of Thunder last time but looks the sort to keep pulling out more. I wouldn’t be confident of Hannon’s colt gaining his revenge and will side with Olivier Peslier’s mount. The Fillies & Mares provides Albasharah with the chance to follow up her Newmarket win from last weekend. She has an extra two furlongs to travel here and it may just pay to side with Silk Sari who has bottomless stamina.

The sprint race looks like a good opportunity for G Force to land yet another major prize for David O’Meara. He was unlucky in the Nunthorpe and gained handsome compensation in the Haydock Sprint Trophy. Soft ground should not be a worry and he may have most to fear from Viztoria who was third here last year.

In the opening stayers race I am going to take a chance on Pallasator, if only because he is built like a chaser and should handle the ground. In the closing Balmoral Handicap I have gone through the form and Gabrial’s Kaka looks a cracking bet at a big price. He won the Spring Mile at Newbury and was also a good third at Sandown. He now finds himself more than a stone better off with Velox. He was badly hampered in the Cambridgeshire and the form could easily be turned on its head. It wouldn’t be the first time this week!

Pallasator 1.45 @8-1 Paddy Power

G Force 2.20 @9-2 888Sport

Silk Sari 2.55 @5-1 Bet Victor

Charm Spirit 3.30 @7-2 Skybet

Cirrus des Aigles 4.05 @13-8 Coral

Gabrial’s Kaka 4.45 @33-1 Coral

Champion Stakes Preview

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The Group 1 Champion Stakes is the feature race on Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday with a maximum field of eleven. That number is likely to be reduced further after persistent rained turned the going to heavy by midweek.

The quality of the race is certainly not up to standard following the enforced retirement of Derby winner Australia. Several other leading contenders have also fallen by the wayside and second favourite Free Eagle could join them unless the going improves by Saturday morning. Dermot Weld has already said that his lightly-raced colt will not be risked on heavy ground.

One trainer who is not overly concerned by the weather is Madame Barande-Barbe who has aimed Cirrus Des Aigles at this race for some time. Formerly the top rated racehorse in the world, the eight-year-old won this race in 2011 and has finished runner-up for the past two seasons. He has been first past the post in his last four races, although he was subsequently disqualified at Longchamp for causing interference.

His winning margin of a head over Fractional is not earth-shattering form but it was his first run since beating Flintshire in the Coronation Cup at Epsom in the summer. He pulled up with an injury that day and will surely improve for his comeback race. Last year’s Derby winner Ruler Of The World gained his first win since his classic triumph when winning the Prix Foy under a front-running ride from Frankie Dettori. He was unable to repeat that effort in the Arc when finishing fifth behind Treve and I am not convinced that he really likes deep ground.

Noble Mission has lived under the tag of Frankel’s brother throughout his racing career but has not done too badly himself. He is probably not within 20lbs of his brother but could follow his sibling into the history books in this prestigious race. He has won two Group 1 races this season and was just beaten in a slog last time out. He has been the mainstay of Lady Cecil’s yard in a disappointing season and will put up his usual game display.

Free Eagle has a lot to prove even if he does run and it is very difficult to make a case for anything else. Al Kazeem does not seem to be the force that he was last season while Sheikhzayedroad and Pethers Moon are grand servants to their respective connections but have never looked up to Group 1 class. Cirrus Des Aigles may be in the autumn of his illustrious career but he should still be too good for these.

Cirrus Des Aigles @6-4 Skybet

Hong Kong Cup Preview

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Bookmakers Sportingbet are featuring the four main races from Sha Tin this weekend and they are offering some great value bets on the European runners.

I have already previewed the prospects of The Fugue (Vase) and Moonlight Cloud (Mile) and am confident that they will give us a great run for our money. I am concerned about the prospect of fast ground for Moonlight Cloud but her class may see her through.

The Hong Kong Cup sets a similar poser with Cirrus Des Aigles clearly the best horse in the race but not certain to reproduce his best form on a fast surface. Sportingbet offer him at 5-1 which is very tempting! I would love to see him win this at the age of seven but I am haunted by his performance at Ascot in the King George where he patently hated the fast ground.

Normally I wouldn’t put Grandeur in the same league as Cirrus Des Aigles but the going can be a great leveller and the grey absolutely bounces off fast ground. Five of his seven victories have been on a fast surface and he comes here on the back of a light campaign.

He looked to have a leading chance in the Arlington Million this year before drawn in the car park. He made late headway into seventh place and can be rated a lot better than that. He went on to win nicely at Goodwood and Jeremy Noseda has had this race in mind for him all season. He is priced as high as 40-1 with Sportingbet and must have an each-way chance.

According to the bookies, the Sprint is going to be won by Lord Kanaloa. Admittedly he has an impressive wins to runs ratio and will be tough to beat, especially as the Europeans have never won the sprint here. However, I think that the two Irish horses are overpriced on their best form.

Sole Power won at Royal Ascot and Slade Power won on Champions’ day. Both of them like to hear their hooves rattle but the fact remains that Sole Power has yet to win beyond five furlongs. For that reason, I prefer the claims of Slade Power at a generous 14-1 with BetVictor.

Sportingbet also seem to be underestimating the claims of Galileo Rock in the Vase. They have priced him at 9-1 whilst he is a top priced 6-1 in the UK. The colt was third in the Epsom Derby, second in the Irish Derby and third in the St Leger. He is lightly raced and loves fast ground so I could see him sneaking into the frame.

Hong Kong Vase – Galileo Rock (each-way) 9-1 Sportingbet

Hong Kong Sprint – Slade Power (each-way) 14-1 BetVictor

Hong Kong Cup – Grandeur (each-way) 40-1 Sportingbet

King George 2013 Preview

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Last weekend we managed to pop a few winners in with Heeraat (3-1), Midnight Flower (100-30) and Waila (9-4). I was cursing myself for not tipping Peniaphobia in the Newbury Super Sprint after taking the trouble to find out that her name means a fear of poverty! I even watched a video of her previous race but was not overly impressed. Clearly Mr Fahey had left a bit to work on.

My dalliance into the golf betting market for the Open looked like paying off briefly on Sunday when Adam Scott found himself at the top of the leader board (tipped at 22-1). He really doesn’t like the closing holes does he? Fortunately he held on for a share of third and an each-way return. Ian Poulter was the only one of my pre-tournament picks to make a decent show and it certainly made it more interesting viewing.

Racing is gearing up to the King George on Saturday and Glorious Goodwood next week so plenty to look forward to. The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (whatever happened to the Diamonds?) Stakes is usually a clash of the generations and this year we have two three-year-olds pitched in against their elders.

The verdict on this year’s classic crop is that they are a moderate bunch. In fact, the best of them could even have won at Leicester last week (Telescope). Sir Michael has persuaded his owners to dig deep in their pockets to supplement Hillstar. He was beaten in a handicap at Newbury first time out, entirely due to failing to settle. He wasn’t that keen to settle at Royal Ascot either but Ryan Moore did a fine job of bringing him through late to catch Battle of Marengo.

To my mind, that form looks very weak and I doubt that even Ryan can get him home in front on Saturday. Irish Derby winner Trading Leather is more likely to be the standard bearer after seeing off the Epsom 1,2,3 at the Curragh. Having said that, only Galileo Rock ran his race so the form is debatable.

The best horse on official ratings is Cirrus des Aigles and he looks the logical answer here. The only question mark is his modest effort first time out. Trainer Corine Barande-Barbe is adamant that he just needed the run and that he will be a different proposition on Saturday. He will need to be if he is to overturn Novellist on Saint-Cloud form but he has won at Ascot before and finished second to Frankel. He would probably want a bit of rain by the weekend and there is still a suspicion that his best distance is a mile and a quarter.

I liked Ektihaam before his Ascot slip up but I am a little concerned as to how that may have affected his confidence. I wonder if Hanagan will allow him to bowl on again on Saturday. Mark Johnston’s Universal is as tough as old boots but I’ve opposed him so many times that there seems no point in giving him the kiss of death now.

St Nicholas Abbey is the main market rival to Cirrus des Aigles after another easy victory in the Coronation Cup at Epsom. The opposition was poor and his form at Ascot isn’t nearly so inspiring. He has been third here twice previously and he does seem a better horse going left handed.

Aidan O’Brien has pulled a few rabbits out of the hat this season with Magician (Irish Guineas) and Declaration of War (Eclipse) catching pundits off guard. I just wonder if he has another trick up his sleeve with Ernest Hemingway here at a massive price. I had virtually written him off until I saw him trounce some seasoned stayers in the Curragh Cup.

He was held up on the rail and then brought wide up the straight to mow down Royal Diamond and win going away by five lengths. It was an astonishing performance that almost certainly suggests he will be a Gold Cup horse next season. I never know what O’Brien’s running plans are but he is currently 150-1 on Betfair and 40-1 generally for Saturday’s race. If he runs he is capable of staying on into a place and you won’t get anything like that price.

Ernest Hemingway 150-1 Betfair, 40-1 Stan James

 

Tipsy Tipsters Sunday tips

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

With Royal Ascot being over I am now able to come out hiding. Royal Ascot was an absolute disaster for me personally, horses either slipped over, got pipped in the final half furlong or just didn’t feel up to racing (see Animal Kingdom). I’ve been keeping my head above water by finding winners elsewhere thankfully, so not all is lost. At least the big priced Shropshire (advised at 33-1) got into the frame to reward us with at least some profit, it wasn’t going to win, as I’d tipped it!

Thankfully, the temptation to back horses at Royal Ascot is over! We can return to the daily grind of trying to find low grade winners.

Going to throw together a small double for Sundays racing, there are only two horses that standout, so here goes.

Cirrus Des Aigles – Saint-Cloud (France) 2:55 6/4 William Hill & Kikonga – Pontefract 4:40 6/5 William Hill

Cirrus Des Aigles doesn’t need much introduction. This multiple group 1 winner has traveled the world and picked up Group 1 victories in the UK, France, UAE. Along side this a respectable 5th in the Hong Kong Cup. His last race was against Frankel, where he gave him the toughest group race of his career, losing by a length and 3 quarters. He hasn’t gone well fresh in the past, but i’m not going to let that put me off as the opposition he’s up against today isn’t anything “special” as it were.

Kikonga is a progressive horse out of the Luca Cumani yard who, after 2 maiden defeats, was stepped up in distance twice, winning both times. His last run was especially impressive, tearing apart a 4 runner field at Nottingham by 3 lengths, turning over a hot 8/11 shot easily enough.

Fingers crossed both of these horses come in for us! A change of fortune is definitely on the cards for us I feel.