Tag: John Gosden

King George 2014 Preview

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A busy sporting weekend had its ups and downs for Betcirca followers. Tiggy Wiggy’s brilliant win at Newbury covered our expenses on the horses while Jim Furyk gave us a handsome each-way return at odds of 70-1 in the British Open.

The racing is poor this week before the big Ascot card on Saturday featuring the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. I take it that it is no longer sponsored by the Oppenheimer family as the “Diamond” seems to have been removed.

The favourite is Sir Michael Stoute’s Telescope after slaughtering his rivals at Royal Ascot by seven lengths. There is a real sense of deja-vu about this horse as he is trying to repeat Harbinger’s victory in 2010 in the same colours. No sooner had Highclere believed that they had the best horse in the world than he was injured and packaged off to stud. There have been some strange King George’s in recent years and that was certainly one of them with Derby and Arc winner Workforce running a total stinker.

Telescope has been built up and knocked down a couple of times already in his short career. He was always struggling to make the Derby line-up last year and Stoute eventually gave up the ghost and then defended his charge after a shock defeat at Haydock. You would have thought that a nine length defeat at the hands of Noble Mission would have put paid to the “wonder horse” treatment but we are back here again after Ascot.

We will never know what John Gosden thought of Sheikh Hamdan’s decision to pull Taghrooda out of the Irish Oaks on Sunday but I’m guessing that he was not best pleased. JG now has three runners here if the supplemented Eagle Top and Derby third Romsdal take their places. All of the evidence suggests that Taghrooda would have won at the Curragh and she has a big chance here. Eagle Top needs to come out and prove that it was no fluke at Ascot while Romsdal looked more of a Leger horse at Epsom.

A more likely threat to the favourite is Mukhadram after his well-deserved Eclipse victory. This will be his first start over a mile and a half but he has every chance of getting it. He settled well at Sandown and there could well be pacemakers in here which will give him a good lead. You would just worry about the last furlong or so. The bookies aren’t giving much away with the front two so it may be worth going each-way Mukhadram at 12-1.

Mukhadram @12-1 BetVictor

Each-way ¼ odds, 1,2,3

Lingfield Wednesday Preview

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The victories of Farraaj and Slade Power on Saturday rescued us after a tough week at rain swept Newmarket. Farraaj was tipped at 12-1 so I hope a few of you were on before his price shortened into the miserly 6-1 SP return.

I haven’t enjoyed the best of luck at Sandown over the years so I’m steering clear of tomorrow  night’s card and concentrating on the all-weather at Lingfield. This track is all about being in the right place on the home turn. Horses that run wide can lose too much ground and it is a deceptively short straight, especially if the leaders are still quickening.

Jockey Adam Kirby has made great strides in recent months and he partners the hat-trick seeking Annaluna in the two mile handicap at 3.10. She is nothing out of the ordinary but has looked as game as a pebble in winning her last two starts at Chepstow. In both races she had plenty of time to chuck in the towel as challenges came at her.

She is well in at the weights and my only concern is that Kirby keeps her on the pace on this course. If he can kick on before the turn, she may be hard to pass and Aiyana looks the most likely threat. Hughie Morrison’s yard is not in great form so I’m siding with Annaluna to make it three on the trot.

The Paul Kelleway Memorial Classified Stakes at 3.40 revives memories of “Pattern race Paul”. If you are familiar with the phrase “Tilting at Windmills”, that was often the accusation levelled at Kelleway with some of his more ambitious entries. He often had the last laugh with the likes of Swiss Maid and Media Luna.

My fancy for this race is the impressive Kempton winner Tenor. Like Farraaj on Saturday, he is up 9lbs but won with such authority that he is worth another try. The favourite is Knavery but he was not entirely convincing first time out, even if he did come up against a handicap good thing.

Finally I’m going for Clear Mind to continue John Gosden’s great run. She tracked her stable companion Seagull at Newmarket on her debut and didn’t quite have the pace to get to him. Nicky Mackay was on board and didn’t give her a hard time and she can win for William Buick at 4.40.

Annaluna 3.10 Lingfield @5-2 Paddy Power

Tenor 3.40 Lingfield @11-2 BetVictor

Clear Mind 4.40 Lingfield

Newmarket Thursday Preview

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The Newmarket July meeting always provides the first real test of the Royal Ascot form and that is very much the theme on Thursday.

I have previewed the Princess Of Wales’s Stakes separately and expect Arab Spring to continue his progression. The card opens at 1.40 with the Bahrain Trophy which, if the current trend continues, they will be renaming the John Gosden Bahrain Trophy.

Mr G has won the last three runnings and has opted to run impressive Doncaster winner Forever Now in preference to Epsom third Romsdal. The Epsom form is starting to get that sinking feeling already with only Australia’s win in the egg and spoon version of the Irish Derby so far. No doubt there will be better tests to come but I am not jumping on the hype wagon just yet.

Forever Now should go close but I am worried about Hartnell who battled on well to win the Queen’s Vase at Ascot. I am utterly useless at predicting how the Mark Johnston horses will run but you’d think this one would be in the first two.

The juvenile form gets a test in the July Stakes with Jungle Cat, The Great War and Mind Of Madness among those coming on from the Royal meeting. I am going to bypass all of them in favour of the once-raced Belardo. Roger Varian seems to have his team ticking over nicely and this looked a very nice horse in the making when easily winning at Yarmouth. Hopefully he can cope with these more battle-hardened types.

Another yard that is sweeping into form is that of Luca Cumani. He has had four winners in the last four days and has taken the trouble to enter Mount Logan in the Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes at York. If he’s that good, he should be able to win the mile and a quarter handicap off a mark of 95. He seemed to win with plenty in hand at Sandown.

The one that worries me here is the William Haggas colt Mange All. He beat nothing last time at Beverley but was a promising third in a hot Newbury maiden before that. He is available at an each-way price so we can cover ourselves with a small wager.

Forever Now 1.40 Newmarket at 4-1 William Hill

Belardo 2.10 Newmarket at 13-2 Paddy Power

Arab Spring 2.40 Newmarket at 7-4 William Hill

Mount Logan 3.15 Newmarket at 3-1 Paddy Power

Mange All (each-way) at 7-1 Paddy Power

Coral Eclipse Preview

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The Irish Derby was void as a contest when Roger Varian pulled out Epsom runner-up Kingston Hill and the colt could be re-routed to the Coral Eclipse on Saturday. Commentators did their best to convince us that Australia was the best thing since sliced bread but he beat a couple of stable hacks in a virtual exercise gallop. I know that the horse could only beat what was lined up against him but it is ridiculous to keep hyping him up.

The Derby form proved disastrous last year and hopefully this year’s will prove stronger. At the time of writing, the sun is blazing down and there must be a real possibility of fast ground again at Sandown. Sir Michael Stoute has already suggested that Hillstar may miss the race for that very reason and I would not be surprised to see Kingston Hill do likewise.

One horse that won’t mind it fast is John Gosden’s admirable mare The Fugue. She will be racing over her best trip on ground that she loves (barring a change in the weather) and she was at her best when bolting up at Royal Ascot in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes.

The form of that race is open to question with Treve disappointing but The Fugue reversed Breeders’ Cup form with Magician and could be called the winner with two furlongs to travel. She is on offer at around 15-8 but could be closer to evens if more rivals drop by the wayside during the week. Last season she won the Yorkshire Oaks and the Irish Champion Stakes and can add another Group 1 to John Gosden’s collection.

It is always interesting to see how the three-year-old’s get on in this race and War Command is a possible runner for Aidan O’Brien. He ran on steadily without ever looking dangerous in the St James’s Palace Stakes and has a bit of ground to make up on runner-up Night Of Thunder. The extra two furlongs should favour him more than the Hannon horse but he does seem to have lost the sparkle of his Coventry Stakes win.

O’Brien also saddles American import Verrazano who was second to Toronado in the Queen Anne. He ought to get the trip having won over nine furlongs in the States but I didn’t think it was a particularly strong race at Ascot and I’m not sure he has a real turn of foot.

The Fugue at 9-4 BetVictor, Coral

Newmarket Saturday Preview

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Things have been very quiet on the racing front this week following Royal Ascot but the Irish Derby and some excellent action from Newcastle and Newmarket should bring some entertainment. Punters could do with a break from all of the amateur dramatics from the World Cup!

Ryan Moore and William Buick dominated proceedings at Royal Ascot and it would be no surprise to see them both among the winners on Saturday. Moore has a full book of rides and is employed by seven different trainers while Buick is kept busy by the powerful Gosden and Appleby yards.

There are some speedy fillies in the Listed two-year-old race at 2.20 with Moore riding Tigrilla for Roger Varian. The favourite will be Littlemissblakeney who was fifth in the Queen Mary but Zeb Un Misa and Accipiter also look smart. Moore’s mount is just preferred after travelling nicely last time out at Haydock.

Unless the rains arrive, I think Battalion will be taken out of the Fred Archer Stakes which would leave the way clear for Gatewood and Buick. The six-year-old has done well to get back on track after his abortive attempt at the Melbourne Cup and could have the class to defy his 3lbs penalty.

Richard Fahey has finally resorted to blinkers for Gatewood in the Group 3 Criterion Stakes and it remains to be seen if that makes life any easier for his jockey. Moore managed to get him home at Goodwood last season and this should be the right trip. Gregorian probably needed his run at Epsom last time and could be yet another for Gosden.

Manderley looks difficult to oppose in the Listed Eternal Stakes having followed up her fourth in the 1000 Guineas with an effortless win in maiden company. Gosden and Buick have another fine chance with Seagull in the 4.40. She won over a mile and a quarter and was always going to find it tough dropping back to a mile last time. She did well to finish second and should relish going up to a mile and a half on Saturday.

Llanarmon Lad struggled with the camber at Epsom last time but finished strongly to be second to Abseil. Kieren Fallon did the pushing that day and Ryan Moore takes over in the 5.15 here. Most of the opposition have been running below par recently and Llanarmon Lad can go one better.

Tigrilla 2.20  at 100-30 BetVictor

Gatewood 2.55 at 4-1 BetVictor, Paddy Power

Gregorian 3.30 at 11-2 William Hill

Manderley 4.05 at 11-4 BetVictor

Seagull 4.40 at 15-8 Bet365

Llanarmon Lad 5.15 at 7-2 BetVictor, Coral

Royal Ascot Thursday Preview

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The defeat of Treve on day 2 of Royal Ascot was not as big a surprise as the pundits would have you believe. The going is clearly riding good to firm with Sole Power able to use his blistering speed on the opening day and The Fugue relishing her favourite surface in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes.

Treve won a soft ground Arc over a mile and a half and it is little wonder she was running like a crab in the closing stages of a mile and a quarter race on quicker ground. Of course, we would not have taken a lot of encouragement about The Fugue’s prospects from her previous run or the typically downbeat Mr Gosden.

Thursday is Ascot Gold Cup day and a year ago we were celebrating an ante-post 1-2 as Estimate and Simenon fought out the finish. Both horses are back again tomorrow but they have had mixed fortunes since. Estimate has only managed one further racecourse appearance while Simenon has run in Australia, Japan, Hong Kong and Dubai!

According to the bookmakers, Leading Light is already past the post. The St Leger winner handles this quicker ground having won at the corresponding meeting and was impressive first time out this season. The ground is most definitely against Altano, Brown Panther and Tac De Boistron so each-way options against the favourite are limited.

One horse that will like the ground is Ahzeemah. This horse has been crying out for fast ground and looks worth a bet at around 25-1. The Godolphin horses haven’t been setting the World alight so far this week but one big win would put matters right.

Early birds have already snapped up the value with Cannock Chase in the 3.05 race. Sir Michael Stoute’s promising colt looked to have a few pounds in hand when winning the London Gold Cup and this doesn’t look the strongest race of the week by any means. Integral gave the yard a boost on Wednesday and Cannock Chase can follow suit.

John Gosden has a fine record in the Britannia Handicap and his horses are clearly running out of their skins with the victories of Kingman and The Fugue. Hunters Creek is his runner this year and you can ignore his recent form as he has not been getting home over ten furlongs. At the furlong pole he was bang in contention with subsequent easy winner Master Carpenter last time and that form gives him better than a 16-1 chance.

Cannock Chase 3.05 Ascot 5-2 Bet365

Ahzeemah 4.25 Ascot 25-1 Ladbrokes, Bet Victor

Hunters Creek 5.00 Ascot 18-1 Betfair