Tag: John Gosden

York Friday Preview

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York stages a seven-race card on Friday with the going now officially soft after the midweek rain. There is a real end of season feel to the flat racing now with large fields as trainers try to get a run out of their horses before the winter sets in.

Acolyte looks as though he has the potential to be more than a 78 rated horse in the opening nursery for Roger Charlton. He finished third to the Group 2 winner Elm Park on his debut at Newbury before winning nicely at Kempton and he looks weighted to get us off to a winning start in the 2.00. The danger may come from The Wispe who was given a typically patient ride by Graham Lee last time out and sneaks in a the foot of the handicap.

The second race is a real cavalry charge with twenty runners over five furlongs. Bogart should go close under Amy Ryan after his excellent run at Ayr but I am siding with Long Awaited for David Barron. His “long suffering” supporters have been waiting for him to land a big sprint for some time but the omens were good at Haydock last time out when he stayed on well into fourth place and the yard are firing on all cylinders.

GM Hopkins looks very progressive for John Gosden and bids to defy a 9lbs rise in the weights in the featured mile handicap at 3.00. The horse was very impressive in a much tougher race at Newmarket last time out and will handle the soft ground without any problem. He certainly looks the least exposed in this field and can make it four wins on the bounce.

Kings Bayonet has been a good servant to the Alan King stable in the familiar Ponsonby colours and can land the 4.05 race under Hayley Turner. He was forced to switch around horses last time when a close fourth at Haydock and he is not the quickest animal in training. The danger is probably Emerahldz for Richard Fahey who has been very consistent all season.

Finally, Shouranour can provide the in-form David O’Meara with another winner in the closing apprentice handicap at 5.10. He got off the mark in fine style at Ayr last time over a mile but was pulling a cart with a furlong to travel and the drop back in trip won’t trouble him. The 9lbs rise in the handicap is more of a concern but he looks the pick of four runners in the race for the local trainer.

Acolyte 2.00 @7-2 Betfair

Long Awaited 2.30 @12-1 Bet365

GM Hopkins 3.00 @5-2 Ladbrokes

Kings Bayonet 4.05 @8-1 Ladbrokes

Shouranour 5.10 @13-2 BetVictor

Racing Preview Sept 6th

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Triple Chocolate (6-1) ensured another profit on Friday for Betcirca followers. Mistrusting duly landed the odds but our treble hopes were dashed when Master Bond was just run out of it in the sprint.

Saturday’s UK racing action is one of those days when you are left wondering why we have an embarrassment of riches one week and next to nothing the next. Ascot, Haydock and Kempton all feature top quality racing and there is even a Scoop 6 expected to hit a £3.5million jackpot!

Starting at Ascot, Cornrow looks difficult to oppose in the opening race for the Gosden and Buick team. He won impressively at Haydock over a mile and shouldn’t be inconvenienced by dropping back in trip as he raced keenly in front that day. The danger could be Safety Check who was given too much to do at Goodwood last time and is a real seven-furlong specialist.

You could make a case for a dozen different horses in the Heritage Handicap at 3.30. Most of the top yards are represented and Second Step, Montaly and Battersea all have sound claims. I am going to go with Rainbow Rock, one of four runners from Mark Johnston’s stable. I liked the way he stayed on at Goodwood over a mile and a quarter and the 5lb claim of Cam Hardie gives him a winning weight.

Over at Haydock, Chancery has been unlucky in his last couple of outings and could be worth each-way support in the Old Borough Cup. Havana Cooler is a worthy favourite but he lacks a bit of acceleration and the handicapper keeps pushing him up for being placed. I think 9st 10lb will prove too much of a burden while the free-running Nautilus and York winner Glenard are others with chances. The going looks to have gone against bottom weight Epsom Hill who has romped to victories in soft ground and been clobbered by the handicapper here.

Sole Power looks set to try and win over six furlongs for the first time in his career in the big sprint. The going is drying out for him but it must be doubtful whether he is quite as effective over this trip. You could have thrown a large horse blanket over the first ten at York in the Nunthorpe but G Force and Cougar Mountain both looked unlucky. They represent good each-way value against the favourite.

There is also a good card at Kempton with two Group 3 races. Godolphin run three in the September Stakes, any one of which could win. As all three have been off the track for some time, it is anybody’s guess and it could pay to side with our old friend Dandino. He finished second in the American St Leger in his double bid last time out but handles this surface and deserves a victory.

Hugo Palmer has been winning races for fun lately and has a high opinion of Home Of The Brave. He was impressive at Newmarket last time out and should get the better of Maftool in the Sirenia Stakes at 4.10.

Cornrow 1.55 Ascot @9-2 PaddyPower

Rainbow Rock 3.30 Ascot @10-1 Bet365

Dandino 2.20 Kempton @6-1 Coral

Home Of The Brave 4.10 Kempton @5-2 Bet365

Chancery 3.15 Haydock @14-1 PaddyPower

G Force 3.50 Haydock @10-1 BetVictor

Cougar Mountain 3.50 Haydock @14-1 BetVictor

York Friday Preview

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Tapestry (advised at 12-1 yesterday) put Betcirca followers well ahead for the week following Dutch Connection (16-1) on the opening day of the York Ebor meeting.

Friday’s action gets under way with an impossible looking handicap over a mile and a half. Semeen is the likely favourite for the in-form Cumani stable but I’m slightly worried about the quicker ground for that one. The one I like here is Stomachion from the Sir Michael Stoute stable.

Ryan Moore produced another perfectly timed challenge on Tapestry yesterday but has not ridden his best races on Stomachion on his last two starts. He was well off the pace at Epsom and was never going to get to Miss Marjurie at the Derby meeting. He did well to run through into second place and it was surprising to see him dropped back in distance at Goodwood.

He was again held up at the back and never looked like getting into the race won by Sennockian Star. He could manage no better than eighth place but was less than six lengths away at the finish. He may also want a bit of give in the ground but I’m prepared to take a chance that he will perform better with a more positive ride on Friday.

The Lonsdale Cup is a bit of a quandary with question marks against several of the leading protagonists. Admirable though Cavalryman has been this season, he is too short in the betting and I’d rather support the lightly-raced Irish raider Pale Mimosa. She has a bit to find on her overall form but usually travels well in her races and could have a bit of improvement in her.

The City Of York Stakes looks wide open at 3.05 and I’m going to take a couple of each-way bets against the field here in Windfast and Ertijaal. Both look ideally suited by seven furlongs and the International Stakes and Yorkshire Oaks results suggested the three-year-olds are not such a bad crop. Ertijaal was not up to 2000 Guineas class but he is a decent performer while Windfast was a close fourth in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot.

The Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes should go to Sole Power who has his ideal trip and ground. Shea Shea is probably better over six furlongs these days and likely dangers are Rangali and Cougar Mountain. The closing handicap can go the way of Sir Michael Stoute with Munaaser. I don’t usually like backing horses that have gone up 12lbs but he won so easily at Newmarket he is difficult to oppose. Maverick Wave had to make his own running last time and could give him most to do.

Stomachion 1.55 York at 8-1 Paddy Power

Pale Mimosa 2.30 York at 7-2 Coral

Ertijaal 3.05 York (each-way) at 10-1 Bet365

Windfast 3.05 York (each-way) at 14-1 Stan James

Sole Power 3.40 York at 7-2 Paddy Power

Munaaser 4.55 York at 11-4 Betfair

York Thursday Preview

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16-1 winner Dutch Connection gave Betcirca followers a great start to the Ebor meeting and Australia enhanced his reputation with a smooth win in the International Stakes.

The star of the show at York on Thursday is the unbeaten filly Taghrooda. Although I backed her at Epsom, I neglected her at Ascot last time in favour of an each-way bet on Mukhadram. She was very impressive in seeing off both he and Telescope and looks impossible to oppose in the Yorkshire Oaks.

Volume ran well in the Irish Oaks but a bigger threat may come from Aidan O’Brien’s Tapestry who was an unlucky second with a slipping saddle. Ryan Moore is aboard her and she could be the each-way bet but it will be a major surprise if Taghrooda is beaten.

When a horse wins for you at 25-1 it is very difficult not to invest in them next time. Sentimentality comes into it and I cannot ignore Red Avenger after his win at Glorious Goodwood. I backed him on a line through Abseil and their previous meeting at Epsom’s Derby meeting. Early on, things looked bleak for Red Avenger as he was shuffled back and it was a brilliant ride from Fortune to get him up to win.

He is only 3lbs higher at York but James Doyle has the ride. Another problem is that he is drawn 1 and does not possess a lot of early speed. Hopefully Doyle can keep him in touch just off the rail and deliver a challenge in the closing stages.

The early races look booked for the Richard Hannon stable with Kool Kompany and Tiggy Wiggy. Both have been on the go all season and don’t owe anyone a thing. Tiggy Wiggy was quite brilliant in the Newbury Super Sprint and I cannot oppose her, even against two Royal Ascot winners. There isn’t much value to be had with Kool Kompany on these weight terms and I’m going to have an each-way on Valley Of Fire.

William Haggas would not waste an entry unless he thought the colt was up to this class and he can improve on his course and distance win. The Galtres Stakes looks worth avoiding, although Haggas can go close again there with Arabian Comet. John Gosden could complete a memorable day by taking the closing handicap with Enraptured. She ran a lot better than her finishing position suggests behind Kosika last time and could be better value than Stoute’s Bragging.

1.55 Kool Kompany at 11-4 BetVictor

1.55 Valley Of Fire (each-way) at 8-1 Bet365

2.30 Tiggy Wiggy at 15-8 Paddy Power

3.05 Red Avenger (each-way) at 11-1 Coral

3.40 Tapestry (each-way) at 12-1 Coral

4.55 Enraptured (each way) at 16-1 Betfair

Goodwood Friday Preview

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Friday’s Goodwood card opens up with the return to action of 2012 St Leger winner Encke. The 25-1 winner put paid to Camelot’s Triple Crown hopes but has not been able to race since owing to a failed drug test. He has reportedly been working well over a mile but would prefer a bit of cut in the ground and will surely be a little rusty on his comeback.

The same cannot be said of Sir Michael Stoute’s Hillstar who will be  having his fifth start of the campaign and has finished runner-up in the last three. He seemed to do nothing wrong behind Cavalryman last time at Newmarket and renews rivalry with Pether’s Moon who finished just behind him. Ryan Moore can make sure that the Stoute bandwagon keeps rolling.

The second race pitches classic form against a mixture of promising handicappers and a real dark horse from Godolphin. The famous blue silks were notable by the absence in the winner’s enclosure at the start of the week but Rapprochement looks an exciting recruit.

He wore a hood on his debut and had the rest of the field beaten fully three furlongs out, eventually winning by 11 lengths. Of course, they could all turn out to be useless but it will be fascinating to see how he copes with the likes of Shifting Power and Lightning Thunder. John Gosden’s Wannabe Yours won by nine lengths off a mark of 84 and has been put up to an official mark of 100 so he too could be in the shake-up.

The Betfred Mile has seldom been kind to me over the years. It all goes back to a “handicap good thing” of Sir Michael Stoute’s called Desert Dirham who tried to overcome a wide draw and was just about on the floor in the home straight. I also followed Stoute’s Safawan throughout his career and inexplicably didn’t back him off a light weight when he won here.

I cannot see any Safawan’s amongst this lot but the Epsom form between Velox and Red Avenger is interesting. Both were knocked sideways by Abseil’s failure to negotiate the camber and they have good draws here. Velox has since won for the in-form Luca Cumani at Sandown while Red Avenger has done not a lot. Back them both to be on the safe side.

Hillstar 1.55 Goodwood Friday @9-4 BetVictor

Rapprochement 2.30 Goodwood Friday @6-1 BetVictor

Velox 3.05 Goodwood Friday @7-1 Bet365

Red Avenger 3.05 Goodwood Friday @25-1 BetVictor (each-way)

Goodwood Thursday Preview

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Goodwood Cup day opens with yet another tricky handicap for punters to unravel. Roseburg was impressive at Haydock last time out for the in-form Luca Cumani but I’m a little concerned about the quicker ground for him.

The one that catches my eye is Amanda Perrett’s Astronereus. I strongly fancied Razor Wind at Newmarket last time but he had no answer to Astronereus once Richard Hughes had extricated him from a pocket. Arable won well at Haydock but has been given a 10lbs hike in the handicap so I shall side with the Perrett horse for a Sussex-trained winner.

Ivawood should take the Richmond Stakes but the bookmakers are taking no chances by offering only 4-7 about the July Stakes winner. His form certainly looks far superior to his rivals with the exception of Jungle Cat who will probably give him most to do.

Estimate will start favourite for the Goodwood Cup and can get the better of Brown Panther, providing the rain stays away. The latter was beaten in heavy ground in France last time out but generally shows his best with a little cut in the ground. It was good ground last year when he won decisively and he is the danger to Her Majesty’s mare.

John Gosden’s incredible season continues and I think he could spring a surprise in the Lillie Langtry Stakes at 3.45. Stella Bellissima won her only start at Newbury despite falling out of the stalls. She made her challenge on the wide outside and did well to get up and win. What tempts me to have an each-way investment on the filly here is the fact that the runner-up came out and won by 19 lengths at Newmarket! Missunited is obviously the one to beat after her magnificent effort in the Gold Cup.

Finally, in the 4.50 I’m going to recommend another speculative investment on Andrew Balding’s Secret Hint. The filly will be having only her third start and is 2lbs out of the handicap but there are question marks about many of her rivals. She is also set to receive plenty of weight from Magnus Maximus who beat her at Kempton on her debut.

The draw is a bit of a concern with stall 12 far from ideal. David Probert can hopefully get her out quickly and tuck in behind the pace. Sir Michael Stoute’s Royal Seal is feared most after running over six furlongs last time at Newmarket. That was patently too short for him and he should go well under Ryan Moore.

Astronereus 2.05 Goodwood @5-1 William Hill

Estimate 3.10 Goodwood @9-4 Betfair

Stella Bellissima 3.45 Goodwood @8-1 Paddy Power

Secret Hint 4.50 Goodwood