Hi all,
Inside today’s main piece, I’m looking back at the weekend’s big race action. Plus, there’s a look ahead to Monday evening’s Fitzdares Sprint Series Final at Windsor.
Saturday Review
Unlike the Racing League, which is dreadful and should be put out of its misery, the Shergar Cup is a one-off each year, and Ascot attracts its biggest crowd outside of the Royal meeting. It’s a very quiet period between Goodwood and York’s Ebor Festival, so the Shergar Cup has its place in the calendar.
Shergar Cup: King Wins For King
You didn’t have to bet at the Shergar Cup; you could have a weekend away from horse race betting. I had two bets at Saturday’s Shergar Cup, and I completely ignored who the jockey was or which team they represented. I almost had three picks but talked myself out of Badri in the opening race, which turned out to be a smart move. Insanity got a cool ride from Rachel King to land the Shergar Cup Challenge. She waited and waited before pushing the button on the progressive 4-year-old to win by a head. Insanity was also a winner selection Victor Value subscribers.
In the concluding race, I went with Bopedro rather than New Image. Unlike earlier, this proved a poor decision as New Image got up on the line. Bopedro fluffed the start again. He’s a bit like his owner Georginio Rutter—frustrating. He's got plenty of talent but just doesn’t convert his chances.
If you didn’t already know, the Ladies won, and Hayley Turner won the Silver Saddle for the top individual rider at the Shergar Cup. Personally, I think it’s time to get rid of the outdated Ladies team and have four teams—Britain, Ireland, Europe, and the Rest of the World—with each team having a female jockey.
Babouche Shines in Phoenix Stakes While Lake Victoria Impresses in Sweet Solera
Although it was all about the Shergar Cup on ITV, there was also a Group 1 race at the Curragh on Saturday and a Group 3 at Newmarket.
Babouche produced an authoritative performance to make it 3 from 3 when winning the Group 1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes. The winner followed through as the favorite Whistlejacket and proved too classy for the Aidan O’Brien colt in the closing stages. The ground would have been plenty quick enough for both the winner and runner-up.
Babouche, a daughter of Kodiac, will stay further in time, but connections will likely keep her at 6f and go for the Cheveley Park Stakes rather than step up to 7f for the Moyglare Stakes.
The market spoke volumes before the Group 3 Sweet Solera Stakes, with plenty of late money for Lake Victoria, who followed up her Curragh debut win with a comfortable success. The daughter of Frankel out of Group 1-winning sprinter Quiet Reflection got the run of the race out in front but looked like a Group 1 filly in victory. It was trainer Aidan O’Brien’s first runner in the race, and he’s got a good bunch of juvenile fillies in his care.
With Babouche, Lake Victoria, Fairy Godmother, Bedtime Story, and last week's striking Yarmouth victor Anna Swan, this season's crop of juvenile fillies across Britain and Ireland looks exceptionally strong.
Charyn Cruises To Prix Jacques Le Marois Success
There was drama at Sunday’s Group 1 Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville when Haatem was a late scratch. Two-time race winner Inspiral compounded the drama by walking out of the stalls, losing four or five lengths at the start.
Big Rock took the lead, grabbing the rail, with Charyn positioned perfectly in his slipstream. As the race unfolded, Charyn moved past Big Rock 2 furlongs from home and surged clear inside the final furlong, securing a comfortable 3-length victory. Metropolitan finished strongly for second, while Inspiral managed to claim third, just a quarter-length behind, with Quddwah back in fourth.
Charyn, who won on the opening day of the flat season, has made remarkable strides since, earning his second Group 1 victory. He is now the standout older miler in Europe, and it will be interesting to see how he performs against 3-year-olds like Notable Speech.
Despite a change of jockey, Inspiral delivered another disappointing performance. Like her stablemate Emily Upjohn, Inspiral seems to be taking the mickey of her jockeys as she ages. It might be time for her retirement, though a final appearance at the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf—where she triumphed last year—seems likely. Perhaps we’ll see her with a certain Mr. Dettori back in the saddle.
Monday Racing
I wouldn’t normally bother with Monday’s racing, but there’s a cracking sprint handicap at Windsor this evening. It’s the Fitzdares Sprint Series Final (7:10), and a maximum field of 16 has been declared for a race that has £38,655 on offer to the winner.
Windsor
7:10 – Fitzdares Sprint Series Final Handicap (Class 2) – 6f
The competitive nature of the race is underlined by the fact that 10 of the 16 runners were separated by just 1lb on unadjusted RPRs. This is a prime example of competitive handicap racing, where every small detail counts.
Contenders:
The William Haggas-trained Elmonjed, who gets the first-time blinkers, heads the bookies' early bird betting. The 3-year-old was a 1 ½ length 3rd of 8 over C&D 14 days ago and needs the headgear to sharpen him up. However, he does have races in him off a mark of 89.
Get It took advantage of the stands' rail when making all to win the Stewards' Cup at Goodwood 9 days ago. He’s 3lb higher here, and I’m not sure stall 16 will be as beneficial this time.
Haymaker has been in cracking form this season. A C&D winner, he’ll appreciate the return to 6f after his ¾ length 3rd of 17 to Fair Wind at Ascot (5f) last month. Off the same mark as last time, and he should do well in what is set to be another fiercely competitive handicap racing contest.
Under The Twilight, a winner over C&D in May, didn’t get the best of runs against the rail 2f out when a 3-length 6th of 8 over C&D (Haymaker 2nd) last month. Not knocked about when her chance was gone last time and can get closer here with better luck in the run. Aramis Grey finished one place and 1 ½ lengths in front of Under The Twilight in that Windsor race and didn’t get a clear run close to home. The mare can’t be totally discounted even though she’s on a losing run of 13.
Trefor looked like a progressive 3-year-old handicap sprinter when winning over C&D and following up at Newmarket in June. He ran like something was amiss when 13th of 14 at York 16 days ago. It may pay not to judge him on his York performance, as anything can happen in competitive handicap racing.
Monday’s ‘Lay or play’
There are four ‘lay or play’ qualifiers on Monday.
Aviemore won over C&D last time. The other three come from Iain Jardine’s yard, fresh off a four-timer at Ayr on Saturday. With Jardine's current hot streak, his runners might be overbet. In such a competitive handicap, are they ‘lay or play’ for you?
Good luck with your Monday bets.
John
Shergar cup.What a joke.
Racing is NOT a team sport,thank goodness.
John Gosden is a great trainer and seems like a real gent as well.
However, he is starting to get all very, ‘goody two shoes’ for my liking.
Just say it as it is for god’s sake man!
Inspiral is cleary regressing, he must see that. She didn’t lose ‘8l’s at the start’ and didn’t ‘run a monster race under the circumstances’ either Mr G.
She may have lost 4-5l’s, but the first furlong was very slow and she had latched on without over exerting herself in any way. Rousted to leave the stalls sure, but joined in easily enough.
Ok, so Inspiral has done it before, as did her mother, but would there have been further blame placed on KS if he had kept the ride? The racing community does love to stick the boot in when the opportunitity arises, so, I think we all know the answer to that one.
Stop making excuses for the horse though; she’s had a great career and is now having to give way to those which have the legs of her..simple.
She’s had her glory and now it’s surely time to let her enjoy retirement, she owes connections zip after all.
For what it’s worth, when Emily Upjohn fell out of the stalls in The Oaks, I felt that JG and Frankie (and a few pundits) made more of that than was warranted as well. She was on terms soon enough as well without any huge effort and whilst I accept that this is all just a matter of opinion, in mine, it def did not cost her the race, just as Inspiral’s antics, didn’t cost her the race either.
So, stop with the nonsense excuses Mr G..it’s not doing you any favours.