Hi all,
It was a frantic weekend of racing. We had Group 1 action at Haydock and some real quality on Arc Trials Day at Longchamp on Sunday. I’ll cover an informative Longchamp card in tomorrow’s column.
Today the focus is on Saturday’s action from Betfair Sprint Cup Day at Haydock.
Betfair Sprint Cup Day – Haydock
Zeus Olympios stretched his unbeaten run to three in the Group 3 Superior Mile Stakes. Well backed beforehand, he travelled strongly and ran out a good winner. He’s clearly improving with racing. The Night Of Thunder colt looks the type to make an even better four-year-old. You can watch his win here and I must say I was impressed.
In the Listed Ascendant Stakes, early favourite Publish was notably weak in the market, while Bow Park was backed. The betting told the story.
Dropped in from his high draw, Publish was ridden differently to his Sandown win. He had plenty to do, hit top stride in the straight, and led inside the final furlong. But his effort flattened out, he hung left and was reeled in by the rallying Bow Park.
Bow Park is now two from two and a nice prospect, but he isn’t the biggest. You’d question how much progress he can make at three. Publish, by contrast, is a big colt with the scope to improve with time. If they meet again this season, plenty will fancy the runner-up to turn the tables, though his hanging late on was a bit of a concern.
Haggas Handicap Double
William Haggas dominated the two 1m6f handicaps with Valiancy and The Reverend. Valiancy took a big step forward in first-time cheekpieces and should have more to give. I sided with Dramatic Star in the Old Borough Cup, thinking The Reverend needed softer ground.
When Dramatic Star hit the front inside the final furlong, he looked the winner, especially with his stablemate under pressure 2f out. But The Reverend found plenty and powered home to snatch it late. He’ll now head to Willie Mullins for a hurdling campaign at the end of the season.
Sometimes the simplest route is to go for an in-form horse, from a yard with a strong race record. That approach pointed you straight to those two Haggas winners.
Draw Bias Decides Sprint Cup
A big field assembled for the Group 1 Betfair Sprint Cup, with French raider Lazzat heavily backed into even money favouritism.
The morning going stick suggested the stands’ side was quickest — 7.6 compared to 7.0 in the centre and 6.9 far side. For once, the much-maligned tool was right. The first four home were drawn in stalls 15, 19, 16 and 13.
Rage Of Bamby set a good pace for the small group that went stands’ side and teed the race up perfectly for Big Mojo. The winner had the run of things and proved the best on the day, seeing off Kind Of Blue and Flora Of Bermuda.
The draw was key to Big Mojo’s success and the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar a possible end-of-season target.
Both Kind Of Blue and Flora Of Bermuda shaped well from further back and will head to Ascot for the Champion Sprint – a race in which they were first and third respectively last. A return to Ascot’s stiffer track and easier ground will also suit the pair better. Kind Of Blue was also second in last year’s Betfair Sprint Cup and looks primed to retain his Champion Sprint crown. He’s a best priced 12/1 for the Ascot race and Flora Of Bermuda is 16/1.
Lazzat finished a 2 ½ lengths fifth. He probably found things happening to quickly over 6f here. As he showed at Royal Ascot a stiff 6f suits him better. He was pushed out to 7/1 for the Champion Sprint and can’t be ruled out.
The wait for a superstar sprinter continues. Big Mojo was yet another first time Group 1 winner in a sprint.
Where will the Group 1 sprint roulette wheel land next?
Kempton: Kalpana Left Wanting in September Stakes
Besides Haydock, there was Group action at Kempton on Saturday, and the track will have been delighted to stage the Group 3 September Stakes with two Group 1 winners in the line-up.
Last year’s winner Kalpana was sent off a hot favourite to repeat the feat. She had the benefit of a pacemaker who set the gallop until Giavellotto took over two furlongs out. For a few strides it looked like the 1/2 favourite would go past, but once again this season she didn’t find much off the bridle. Giavellotto was always doing enough and ran out a tidy winner. Ironically the use of the pacemaker benefitted the winner.
Not surprisingly, Kalpana was pushed out in the Arc betting afterwards. Was that too quick a reaction from the bookmakers? Possibly. Andrew Balding has trained her with the Arc as the endgame, so she may have just needed the run. If that’s true, her Arc claims remain intact. But the nagging question remains: is she simply a bit soft? If so, the market drift is justified.
Murphy’s Four Timer
There was a swift return to the winner’s enclosure for Oisin Murphy, who followed up just 30 minutes later in the Unibet London Mile Series Final Handicap guiding Sky Safari to victory.
It looked like Superposition back on the all-weather had skipped his field 2f out, but he was caught late by the winner and runner-up Local Hero.
It was a strong handicap performance from the progressive 4yo filly. Sky Safari is now 4-4 on the all-weather and 3-3 at Kempton, with the promise of more to come.
Those two winners plus two more gave Osin a Kempton four timer.
Monday Racing
Monday’s racing isn’t great, but the quality improves as the week goes on. Doncaster’s four-day St Leger Meeting kicks off on Thursday, and ITV will be there to cover the best of it.
For today, I’ve homed in on a few that look well handicapped.
Windsor
5:34 – Handicap (Class 4) – 6f
Rage Of Thunder has held his form since winning at Salisbury, finishing runner-up at Newbury and again over C&D. Up 2lb, but with a good pace and decent ground, he should be in the mix. Coul Angel, a C&D runner-up on soft last time, is seemingly ground versatile and sits on a good mark.
6:04 – Handicap (Class 4) – 6f
This second division looks the stronger of the two. Law Of Design looked the winner when quickening clear 1f out over 7f at Ascot on Friday, only to be collared late. Blinkers have helped, and if the quick turnaround isn’t an issue, he’ll go close again. Shiplake pulled too hard when fourth over C&D last time. Better judged on his earlier Epsom second, he’s handicapped to strike if he settles better.
Galway
6:52 – Handicap Chase – 2m6½f
Cheerful Chap was pulled up at Kilbeggan last time and is best judged on his 4½-length second to Canal End in the Listed EBF Novice Handicap Chase Final at Navan. That was his best run over fences, it came on soft, and a return to easier ground makes him the form pick.
Monday Free Tip
Windsor
6:04 – Shiplake – £1.60 win – 9/1
Running Total: £76.80
In tomorrow’s column I’ll look back at an informative Arc Trial Day on Sunday. Plus, there will be a couple of eyecatchers for the tracker.
Good luck with your Monday bets.
John