Tag: July Cup

Racing Preview Saturday 12th July

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I don’t know what is going on at the Race Planning Committee these days? We’ve had a couple of weekends recently where there has been very little racing to get excited about, then suddenly we get Newmarket, York and Ascot all on the same day? I did not even get time to give serious attention to the York and Ascot cards on Friday and it will be the same tomorrow.

The rain continued to hang over Newmarket’s July meeting on Friday, leaving the going soft and sweeping away my selections. Having said that, I think that Ryan Moore’s riding probably had more to do with it than the weather. He stole the Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes on Arabian Queen while Monsieur Guyon was holding up the odds-on favourite High Celebrity. Newmarket is a deceptively difficult course to peg back the leaders, only becoming clear when you realise the steep rise at the finish. Asking horses to make up ground on horses that are still quickening is a recipe for disaster.

I then felt like ripping up my ticket for Rizeena in the Falmouth Stakes after they had travelled a furlong. She wasn’t settled for Olivier Peslier and he gave up the ghost and sent her to the front before halfway. This, after I had written in detail about her tendency to idle in front. Needless to say, Ryan Moore was in the right place on Integral and picked her off in the closing stages.

The opening handicap at Newmarket on Saturday can go the way of You’re Fired who overcame trouble in running to win last time and is still nicely weighted. Unlike many of these, he handles a bit of cut and should give us a run for our money.

Abseil never settled in the Hunt Cup and should be suited by the faster pace in the Bunbury Cup. I am concerned about the draw, not least because jockeys never do what you expect them to! James Doyle should be looking to bring him down the middle on today’s evidence because horses drawn high were doomed if they tacked over to the far rail.

My old friends Aljamaaheer and Gregorian look out of place in the July Cup and conditions seem to favour Slade Power. The Spanish horse ran well in the Guineas but now looks short enough at around 5-1.

The feature race at York is the Magnet Cup and Her Majesty The Queen could lift this prize with Bold Sniper. The half furlong extra should suit him better than Ascot and Moore will have him handy enough. I thought that Farraaj was very impressive at Epsom but I’m worried by a 9lbs weights rise. He probably deserves it so each-way is the advice.

You’re Fired 2.05 Newmarket at 7-1 Paddy Power

Abseil 3.15 Newmarket at 8-1 Ladbrokes, Totesport

Slade Power 3.50 Newmarket at 5-2 Bet365

Farraaj 2.55 York at 12-1 Bet Victor (each-way)

Bold Sniper 2.55 York at 5-1 Betfair

Horse Racing Preview – Saturday 13th July

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On Friday we suffered a bad case of Seconditis. The “Big Two” didn’t really fire after their victories at Royal Ascot. Rizeena seemed to hang fire and lug to her left when Doyle asked her to quicken. Perhaps the ground was too fast for her.

I’m not quite sure what to make of the Falmouth Stakes. As I mentioned in my preview, it is simply amazing how much trouble a jockey can find in a small field in the wide open spaces of Newmarket. There is no doubt that Elusive Kate would have been disqualified a few years ago for carrying Sky Lantern across the track. Apart from it being impossible to overtake something travelling diagonally in your path, the whip-cracking across the horse’s face just about put the tin hat on it!

You don’t realise how often this goes on until you see the head on footage. A classic case in point was the closing race of the Royal meeting when Shahwardi was swiped across the head by an exaggerated whipping action from Jimmy Fortune on the eventual winner. Apparently it is an accepted part of race riding. Because the jockey is facing forward, they are deemed to be unaware that they are smacking a rival over the face.

Anyway, not content with two seconds we finished off with Moviesta looking certain to win the sprint handicap and yet somehow failing to do so. Whether Mulrennan was over-confident I’m not sure but I suppose you have to hand it to Fahey’s filly, Heaven’s Guest. She has been on the go all season and just gives everything she’s got.

Our Saturday ante-post bets are on Shea Shea at 9-2 in the July Cup and Niceofyoutotellme at 12-1 in the Magnet Cup. I think the race planners have gone in for overkill this weekend as there is top quality racing at Newmarket, York and Ascot. The Magnet Cup is playing second fiddle to Newmarket which means Ascot’s Summer Mile gets third billing.

Aljamaaheer has been a good friend of mine, remarkable considering that he has still only won two races. I’ve backed him at big prices in the Lockinge and Queen Anne and collected handsomely on the each-way bet. Tomorrow he’s got to go and win a race and, on past experience, he will come second!

Godolphin’s two-year-olds are starting to get into overdrive and I think Outstrip could be one of the better ones. The horse he beat here last time bolted up on Friday and he should follow suit on Saturday.

I could write a book about the runners in the Bunbury Cup! There’s Brae Hill who seemingly likes to be alone in his races (as when winning last year), Dance And Dance trying to make up for being balloted out of the Hunt Cup and Excellent Guest who pops up when you least expect it. But I’m siding with the Irish raider Burn The Boats. He landed a gamble at the Curragh, stays a mile and could be less exposed than some of these.

Ascot also stages a £100,000 sprint handicap to open the card and last year’s 1,2,3 are back for more. I’m torn between Barnet Fair and Taajub as both ran eye-catching prep races last time out. I’m just going to go with Barnet Fair because he seems to finish his races better than Taajub.

Channel 4 are covering 10 races tomorrow. Apart from the fact that we get more racing, we also get less waffle!

Ante-Post
Niceofyoutotellme 12-1
Shea Shea 9-2

Aljamaaheer 5-2 William Hill
Outstrip 3-1 Coral
Burn The Boats 10-1 William Hill
Barnet Fair 10-1 Coral

Newmarket July Cup Preview

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Things didn’t quite work out for us last week even though we got great value with our ante-post prices. Albasharah (tipped at 6-1) was backed to 5-4 favourite but could do no better than third. Mars (20-1) finished fourth whilst I feared the chances of Wentworth when he was drawn in the car park. In the circumstances he didn’t run badly at all and surely has a decent race in him.

The show moves on to the carnival atmosphere of the July course at Newmarket with the July Cup on Saturday. This has all the makings of a championship race with three Royal Ascot winners set to clash.

Sole Power was overlooked at Ascot after his sub-standard run in Haydock’s Temple Stakes. There was a general opinion that he had gone off the boil from the dazzling form that he showed at Newmarket and perhaps his spring campaign in Dubai had taken its toll. Not a bit of it. He was brilliantly produced by Johnny Murtagh to cut down Shea Shea late on and reverse placings with those that had beaten him soundly at Haydock.

Among them was Reckless Abandon, third at Haydock but only fifth at Ascot. I was surprised that connections opted for the King’s Stand Stakes rather than the six-furlong Diamond Jubilee Stakes. Clive Cox also saddles Lethal Force who showed that his York run behind Society Rock was no fluke when winning at Ascot. The runner-up had to take an unusual route to throw down his challenge but appeared to be well held at the line.

Gale Force Ten is an intriguing runner having won the seven-furlong Jersey Stakes. He looked to be in trouble when Montiridge loomed up alongside but pulled out more in the closing stages. There has been plenty of money for him from 10-1 down to 7-1 but I’m just a little concerned that he will be tapped for toe early on.

Sovereign Debt is another curious participant having been racing over a mile. He was an 80-1 shot when second to Farhh in the Lockinge but ran well below that at Ascot. He ought to have been closer to the runner-up Aljamaaheer even if we allow for Declaration Of War’s improvement.

The bookies have made Shea Shea favourite after his run behind Sole Power and have no doubt that he will reverse the form. Sole Power is as big as 14-1 due to the fact that he has never won over six furlongs. The South African won his race on the far side fair and square but cannot even have seen the Irish horse arriving on the opposite side of the course.

Sole Power’s stable companion Slade Power missed the break in the Jubilee and did well to finish as close as he did. He then won well over five furlongs at the Curragh and could run into a place here. It is difficult to make a case for any of the others.

The draw may come into play again here but Shea Shea is just about the form pick and 9-2 still represents a little bit of value.

Shea Shea 9-2 Paddy Power