Good morning all,
Ulysses Wins Epic Eclipse
The word ‘epic’ is often used by horse racing journalists and pundits to describe a race but it’s often an over-used word. The front page of Sunday’s Racing Post used it when reporting on the Coral Eclipse, in this case the headline writer was right to do so.
Before the race the contest had all the makings of a good one and so it proved to be as the four year old Ulysses got the better of the three year old Barney Roy in a thrilling, heart stopping, head bobbing finish. The eventual winner looked to be cantering all over his rivals two furlongs out and once he took it up at the furlong mark the Sandown racegoers and those watching on TV were treated to top equine athletes battling for the lead inside the final furlong.
Just a few yards from the line it looked like Ulysses had finally got the measure of Barney Roy only for the latter’s jockey to manage to conjure up one final effort to almost grab the prize on the line. After 1m 2f there was only a nose between the pair and in a few more strides the runner up would have been entering the winner’s enclosure.
Trainer Aiden O’Brien once again provided the favourite for the race in the shape of Epsom Derby second Cliffs of Moher who was sent off at odds of 7/4. His race was over before it began as he was hampered early on, ironically by his pace-making stablemate. He did as well as he could to finish 4 ½ lengths behind the front two at the line. He can’t be measured on this run and should be able to get closer to the winner and the runner up if he meets them again.
Some had questioned whether the winner’s trainer Sir Michael Stoute had lost his touch. Well this performance showed there is life in the great man still. The scenes after the race showed just how much this win meant to Sir Michael, as the winner showed why the trainer had held him in such high regard. The pair pulled well clear of the 3rd and both look set to progress further. Hopefully racing fans will be able to look forward to a rematch in next month's Juddmonte International at York, add in the likes of Cliffs of Moher and others and that race has the potential to be the race of the season. It will certainly be a race worth travelling to see!
One For The Tracker:
This week’s horse for your trackers comes from the Old Newton Cup which was run at Haydock on Saturday.
Blakeney Point trained by Roger Charlton had begun the season by winning the Queen’s Prize handicap over 2m at Kempton beating subsequent Northumberland Plate winner Higher Power in the process. Hadn’t run to that form on his next two starts, probably didn’t stay when down the field in the Chester Cup, and was dropped back to 1m 4f here. He fared best of those horse’s coming from the rear to grab 4th on the line. He didn’t get the best of runs when slightly outpaced over two furlongs out but that didn’t make the difference to his winning chance although he could have finished second. The winner was a very well handicapped horse at his best, as I had advised to my subscribers on Saturday morning. I had thought he might be in the handicappers grip but this run suggests there could be another win in the gelding off his present mark of 95. The extra two furlongs of the Ebor Handicap look ideal for him.
Stat Corner:
This week I have focused in on Saeed Bin Suroor’s record at the Newmarket July Festival and also put trainer David O’Meara’s Ayr & Ripon runners under the microscope.
On Thursday, the three day Moet and Chandon July Festival begins at Newmarket. There a few trainer micro angles that you should have on side at this meeting. I will be sharing them with my subscribers this week but here is a taster.
Saeed Bin Suroor’s Juveniles Need Monitoring This Week
Trainer Saeed Bin Suroor is the second top trainer at the festival in terms of winners in the past 10 years with 13 winners from 64 runners 20% +10.73 A/E 1.16 31 placed 48%. But it’s his lightly raced runners that look worth focusing on:
Horses Age: 2 & 3 year olds
Career Runs: 0 to 2
Have provided 9 winners from 23 runners 39% +24.23 A/E 1.87 14 placed 61%
Drilling down even further we can see that the trainer’s record in Class 4, two year old races is a striking:
5 winners from 10 runners 50% +18.88 A/E 2.39 7 placed 70%
Clearly the trainer likes to introduce his nice two year olds at this meeting and they all need to be noted, particularly those in Class 4 races.
Trainer In Focus – David O’Meara
Trainer David O’Meara’s runners at Ayr in Class 4 races are worth respecting – 11 winners from 52 runners 21% +2.5 A/E 1.34 21 places 40% but the market is usually a reliable guide to their chances with his runners going off at odds of 6/1 or less being 10 winners from 26 runners 38% +18.5 A/E 1.66 16 placed 62%. He runs two today:
Ayr
2:45 – Muscika
3:50 – Lamloom
Ripon is another track where David O’Meara has plenty of winners at. If we focus in on his runners in Class 3 races at the course he has had 14 winners from 72 runners 19% +27.25 A/E 1,27 28 placed 39%. His record is further improved when looking at his 4-year-old’s that are running in the same race class or stepping up in class from their last race who are 7 winners from 18 runners 39% +29.5 A/E 2.49 10 placed 56%. He has one such runner today which is today’s key stat selection:
Monday Selection:
Ripon – 8:15 – Sunglider – 7/2
All that’s left is to wish you a profitable weeks punting.
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