Tag: Johnny Murtagh

Melbourne Cup Update

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The final field is gradually taking shape for the Melbourne Cup and the favourite Admire Rakti has been given the go-ahead despite picking up a 0.5kg penalty for winning the Caulfield Cup. Owner Riichi Kondo had warned that he may divert the horse to the Japan Cup if he received a penalty but those fears were allayed on Tuesday.

The last horse to successfully carry 58.5kg in the race was Think Big in 1975. Only Kingston Town in 1982 and Vintage Crop in 1995 have managed to carry such a large weight into a place since then. Connections cannot really complain as this is the lowest penalty given to the Caulfield Cup winner since Ming Dynasty in 1980.

Godolphin’s quest for a first Melbourne Cup success has been well documented and they have finished runner-up three times. This year’s hopes rest with the veteran Cavalryman and last year’s Ebor winner Willing Foe, both trained by Saeed bin Suroor.

Cavalryman could do no better than twelfth in 2012 but he has seemed better than ever this season. Craig Williams will take the ride on him with James McDonald partnering Willing Foe. A notable European absentee is Marco Botti’s Dandino who finished fifth last year. He missed his intended run in the Caulfield Cup through lameness and has not recovered in time to take his place. The stable will now rely on Seismos who was well beaten at Caulfield.

In last week’s Caulfield Cup Review we picked out Mutual Regard as the best of the European challengers and Damien Oliver has been booked for the ride. The Irish-trained gelding has not run since winning the valuable Ebor Handicap at York in the summer but runs well fresh and could provide former top jockey Johnny Murtagh with the biggest win of his fledgling training career.

The Group 3 Geelong Cup proved a farcical affair with a stop-go gallop but it eventually went to Caravan Rolls On, formerly trained by Peter Chapple-Hyam in England. Now with Danny O’Brien, he is very unlikely to get into the race at Flemington. Connections are hoping that he receives a 2kg penalty to boost his chances of sneaking in.

Junoob will still take his chance in the Cup despite finishing only seventh at Caulfield. He was pushed up early on to try to overcome a wide draw but ending up racing wide and did well to plug on into seventh place. Trainer Chris Waller is still chasing a first win in the great race.

Andreas Wohler’s German stayer Protectionist is still all the rage after his eye-catching run into fourth in the Herbert Power Stakes. Ryan Moore has the ride on the Group 2 winner and will be hoping for better luck than he has experienced on Mount Athos (2012) and Dandino last year. The market could get a further shake-up after Fawkner runs in the Cox Plate on Saturday.

*Ante-post Mutual Regard 20-1 Paddy Power

Japan Cup Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

European runners have failed to win the Japan Cup since 2005 and they appear to face a difficult task again this year. Melbourne Cup fourth Simenon and Canadian International winner Joshua Tree are joined by Dunaden but all three have been handed a double-figure draw.

Statistics suggest that this may not be too much of a disadvantage but it hard to be excited about the task facing Johnny Murtagh from stall 17 on Joshua Tree. Ed Dunlop’s horse has been around the block a few times and was chalking up a record third success in the International last month. He will presumably be chased up to the leaders early on as staying is his game.

Dunaden, winner of the Melbourne Cup in 2011 and the Caulfield Cup in 2012, has been unable to recapture his best form this season. He ran respectably without ever threatening to get involved at Flemington, eventually finishing eighth. He may have lost a little of his speed and it will be interesting to see what tactics are adopted by Jamie Spencer on him from stall 10.

Simenon ran a terrific race to finish fourth in the Melbourne Cup, looking a possible winner when looming up turning for home. He galloped on well enough under Richard Hughes but couldn’t go with Fiorente in the closing stages. As a horse that has won over two miles and six furlongs, you’d have to think that this mile and a half at the top level is going to be too short. However, I cannot resist the 20-1 put up by Corals as an each-way bet, even from stall 14.

The bookmakers have this race as a match between the grey Gold Ship and last year’s winner Gentildonna. Gold Ship won the Japanese 2000 Guineas and St Leger last season and won the Grade 1 Takarazuka Kinen in June. He is not a straight forward individual and is known to have his off days, notably when only fifth in the Tenno Sho Spring. Jockey Hiroyuki Uchida was quoted as saying “Sometimes he doesn’t feel like racing”. Hardly encouraging for anyone thinking of taking the 2-1!

When he does feel like racing he is very good indeed, as demonstrated by an easy victory over Gentildonna, a run which poses questions about last year’s winner. Ryan Moore has been booked to ride the four-year-old mare who is yet to win since this race a year ago. Japanese Derby winner Eishin Flash is another with the form to win this but was also well beaten last time.

Simenon (each-way) 20-1 Coral

Racing Preview Saturday 5th October

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Ballinderry Boy (tipped at 4-1) gave us something to shout about at Ascot on Friday and young Oisin Murphy certainly looks like a star of the future. It presumably won’t be too long before he is snapped up to ride for one of the leading owners. As anticipated, the rest of the card proved difficult although Blessington (2nd) ran a promising race and can win before the season is out.

I’m previewing the Arc separately but there is plenty of racing going on in the UK to keep punters happy this weekend. If you thought Ascot’s card was difficult on Friday, the bad news is that it looks even harder on Saturday! There is competitive racing throughout with the bookies going 8-1 the field in the Challenge Cup.

Ascription has not exactly been let in lightly with top weight but this trip and ground should suit him better than the nine furlongs of the Cambridgeshire, his intended target before the ground firmed up. There will probably be something lurking lower down the handicap to beat him but I’m hoping that he will give us a run for our money.

Nargys has been called a few names this season after turning in below par efforts. She is very smart on her day and things finally fell right for her at Doncaster last month when she won the Group 3 Sceptre Stakes. I’m hoping that the soft ground is the key to her and that she can repeat that performance on Saturday.

The Cornwallis Stakes looks wide open but I believe that Royal Mezyan is over priced at 11-1. He won very easily last time and had previously finished close up behind No Nay Never at Royal Ascot.

Over at Redcar, I’m surprised to see Emirates Flyer priced up as high as 7-1. If he bolts up tomorrow a few people will be kicking themselves for not believing his 2-length second to Kingman at Sandown. It is true that the 2000 Guineas favourite had a lot more up his sleeve but Emirates Flyer might just have more class than most of these.

Johnny Murtagh has been winning everything in sight since he obtained his training licence and he has a good chance of adding the Tattersalls Millions tomorrow. He rides Toofi for Roger Varian who landed a gamble when beating Jallota here 2 weeks ago. Oklahoma City is the obvious threat but 9-2 looks decent value.

Hopefully Luca Cumani’s Ajman Bridge can round off the day’s proceedings with victory in the closing handicap. He was having only his second start when winning nicely at Pontefract in a race that looked fairly decent. He shaped like a horse with a future and can take this on the way to better things.

Ascot 2.05 Royal Mezyan 11-1 Coral, William Hill

Ascot 3.50 Ascription 8-1 William Hill

Ascot 4.25 Nargys 4-1 William Hill

Redcar 3.30 Emirates Flyer 7-1 Bet365, BetVictor

Newmarket 2.20 Toofi 9-2 William Hill

Newmarket 5.15 Ajman Bridge 15-8 William Hill