Hi all,
No eyecatchers for the tracker this week, but a few Saturday winners at the Curragh and Market Rasen impressed and are worth keeping onside.
Curragh – Saturday Standouts
Despite a underwhelming Irish Oaks, there were several smart performances across the card.
New Zealand took a big step forward from his debut to win the opening 7f maiden. He was still green and needed every yard of the trip to hold off stablemates Isaac Newton and Action, both debutants. New Zealand will stay further and looks a potential Group horse for the autumn and even should do even better at three.
Isaac Newton is crying out for a step up in trip and should win a maiden at a mile.
Action, a half-brother to dual Derby winner Lambourn, also shaped with promise and is another to watch at a mile and beyond.
True Love followed up her Queen Mary win with a hands-and-heels success in the Group 2 Railway Stakes, proving she stays 6f well. She’s Group 1 juvenile on this evidence.
Arizona Blaze, runner-up in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, franked that form with a Group 2 win in the Sapphire Stakes (5f). He’s now Nunthorpe-bound, with the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint a likely end-of-season target. Last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint runner-up is all speed and thrives on fast ground, so the latter race looks ideal.
Visually, Al Riffa produced the standout performance on Saturday. The dual Group 1 winner was too classy for his rivals and quickened up nicely to win the Group 2 Curragh Cup over 1m 6f. Now proven at the trip, he heads next to the Irish St Leger, with the Melbourne Cup also under consideration. That race could be right up his street.
Market Rasen – Summer Plate Day Recap
Cavern Club, race-fit from the Flat, made it 3-7 over hurdles with a good win in the Summer Handicap Hurdle. He’ll go up in the weights, but he still looks progressive and should remain competitive of his revised mark.
Ballysax Hank landed the Unibet Summer Plate with a well-judged, patient ride from Harry Cobden. The well backed favourite was having just his fourth start over fences, and he’s improving fast. He faces a sterner task when the better handicap chasers return in the autumn. But there should be more to come from him over fences this season.
Almeraq Announces Himself in Style at Ayr
The rain arrived just in time for Almeraq, who produced a dominant performance to win Monday’s Ayr Gold Cup Trial Handicap. Despite late market weakness, he made a mockery of his opening mark of 90, powering clear of 17 rivals. Still green when hitting the front, he was so full of running his jockey struggled to pull him up after the race.
This was just his fourth career start, and the Group 1-entered Almeraq clearly has more to come. He holds an entry for the Stewards’ Cup at Goodwood, and under a penalty he’d look very well handicapped. He’s already as short as 3/1 with William Hill for that race and has outstanding claims.
However, caution is advised with any ante-post bets as ease in the ground looks essential for him.
Trainer William Haggas usually takes a patient route with his better horses, so it’s unlikely we’ll see Almeraq pitched straight into the Group 1 Betfair Sprint Cup. But if he did, I’d be very interested, ground permitting. He’s a best priced 20/1 with Coral & Ladbrokes for the Haydock race.
Hour By Hour ran a solid race in fourth and is gradually working back to form. He came good on soft ground last September, and he’ll be of interest when the going turns properly testing.
Tuesday Racing
In tomorrow’s column I'll be previewing Saturday’s big race the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.
Good luck with your Tuesday bets.
John