Tag: The Fugue

Breeders’ Cup 2013 Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The Breeders’ Cup gets under way on Friday night at Santa Anita and the Europeans have a terrific record at this venue. Their main hopes of success on the opening night depend on the juvenile races where they are strongly represented.

I cannot remember three top class winners from Europe going for a juvenile race at the Breeders’ Cup before but Vorda, Chriselliam and Al Thakhira have all won important trials in the UK. Vorda is the clear pick on form having won the Cheveley Park Stakes and her prospects of staying the mile will be helped by the fast surface.

Of the other two, I much prefer Al Thakhira who was always travelling like a winner in the Rockfel Stakes. You never quite know how they are going to match up against the Americans but Vorda looks overpriced at 4-1. The European challenge is not as strong in the Juvenile but both Giovanni Boldini and Outstrip have been favoured by low draws.

Outstrip won the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster in great style and then finished third to War Command in the Dewhurst Stakes. That form matches up well against this field and he is tempting at around 6-1 to provide Godolphin with another Breeders’ Cup victory. On Saturday, the European challenge is spearheaded by two super fillies in The Fugue and Dank.

I was confident that Sir Michael Stoute’s filly would win the Beverly D Stakes but I was surprised by just how easily she did so. She looks a stand out bet in the Filly and Mare Turf. The Fugue has her ground at last after missing out on the Arc and the Champion Stakes. I’d say she was a certainty over a mile and a quarter but this mile and a half just causes me a bit of concern. William Buick got it all wrong in the Filly & Turf last year but can make amends here and land a cracking big-race double for the Brits.

I will be opposing Olympic Glory in the mile as his best form is on soft ground and a straight course. He gets neither here and has it all to do to beat Wise Dan. Declaration Of War has had a long old season and runs in a race that has not been kind to Aidan O’Brien over the years. Game On Dude looks very hard to fault and can send the punters home very happy!

Santa Anita (Friday) Outstrip 6-1 Paddy Power, Vorda 4-1 Coral Santa Anita

(Saturday) Dank 2-1 William Hill, The Fugue 9-4 William Hill, Wise Dan 11-10 888Sport, Game On Dude 3-1 Coral.

Coral Eclipse Ante-Post Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

It was great to get back to winning ways on Saturday courtesy of Lost In The Moment (11-2) and Nabucco (4-1). What a gallant effort by the Godolphin horse to get up and win after being clouted by the whips of rival jockeys! Don’t ask me how Barzalona managed to get himself boxed in with four runners at Newmarket but he got away with it.

Nabucco landed some big bets to return 9-4 favourite and he looks one to follow. As I mentioned on Friday, he is pencilled in for the Magnet Cup but it will depend how much the handicapper clobbers him. Gosden’s headline maker of the day was the debut performance of Remote’s half-brother Kingman.

The hot favourite was Man Amongst Men following his excellent run in the Newbury maiden in which Berkshire finished third. Ridden by Spencer and sporting the colours of Qatar Racing, he ran a race eerily similar to that of Beldale Memory at Ascot. That should not be allowed to distract from the six-length victory of Kingman who got better the further he went. Bookmakers have slashed his odds to 14-1 second favourite for the 2000 Guineas.

I must be getting old but that doesn’t sound a bad price to me? Up until War Command blitzed the Coventry field I had a healthy cynicism about quotes for the Guineas. Now here I am with two colts and still 9 months to go until the race! Perhaps next year will be a vintage classic season!

The Irish Derby seems to have confirmed initial impressions that this season’s crop are a modest bunch. I had expected far better from Ruler Of The World who was beaten with half a mile to travel and Godolphin will not be amused by the desperate performance of Libertarian. Galileo Rock emerged as the only one with his reputation intact and is justifiably 6-1 favourite for the St Leger. I think he will be even better with a bit of give in the ground and he looks the one to beat at this stage.

Our ante-post wager on Mars at 20-1 for the Eclipse looks ok with the horse quoted as low as 5-1 but there is still no confirmation from Ballydoyle that he will run. It does seem the most logical target but you couldn’t be too confident about the three-year-olds beating their elders.

Al Kazeem is too short at 6-4 after his hard race at Ascot. Roger Charlton may regret his decision to take this route rather than his first instinct to go for the King George. Mukhadram will be expected to adopt similar tactics that nearly paid off at the Royal meeting, forcing the pace from the outset. The Fugue finished well in third that day and Gosden has declared his intention to run. I think she is the most likely to improve from that race and is almost certain to be in the frame. I will take her at 5-1 and hope that the rain stays away.

Ante-Post Eclipse

Mars 20-1 Betfair

The Fugue 5-1 Coral

Ante-Post 2000 Guineas
Kingman 14-1 Coral

Ante-Post St Leger
Galileo Rock 6-1 Skybet