Quiet Week But With Three Likely Winners

ALL THOUGHTS ARE MY OWN

Ahh the excitement of my life – I have to nip off to Spain to replace a fridge freezer (living in the fast lane eh) but thankfully it’s the Shergar Cup this weekend as the “highlight” and not an event I take too seriously to be honest – all handicappers, jockeys who have rarely or never ridden Ascot before, or the horses they are on Saturday afternoon – not for me I’m afraid though if it brings our sport good publicity I won’t be whinging either.

The big news today (Monday) is that the Jockey Club have seen fit to leave the Racecourse Association later in the year, joining Ascot so far with the expectation that others may well follow suit – so can the RCA now truly claim to be the representative organisation – I doubt it.

Reading between the lines it feels like the Jockey Club have chosen to swallow the bitter pill of cuts to racing fixtures and a more powerful BHA as the only way forward for the sport long-term and I have to agree with them, it can’t simply muddle along as it has in recent years, small fields with odds-on favourites are not seeing swarms of racegoers knocking down the door to get in, and something has to change – as long as the status quo continues we will never make the most of a great sport and I am delighted to note that some can see that – hopefully the others will shortly rally round (by the way, I do NOT believe this is the fault of the RCA, or any of its leaders, more a case of the influence it currently holds) and I hope that more good comes out of this than bad – time will tell on that one.

Sad news to report this week with the passing of Monty Roberts at the age of 91. I remember reading The Man Who Listens To Horses decades ago and watching TV programmes on getting horses to follow your wishes with kindness (as opposed to the cruelty of the bad old days) and being enthralled – his legacy will live on with all those he trained to follow his methods that are now widely used throughout the equine world.

On to the racing…and it’s a quiet one

Saturday Racing

Newmarket 1.55pm

It looks like it could be a Saturday for short prices across the board (sorry), starting here with the Charlie Appleby trained Graceful Song who steps from maiden to Group Three on only her second start. A daughter of Dubawi out of Tranquil Lady (by Australia), she debuted here over course and distance last month where she made a favourable impression to win by two and a quarter lengths, despite wandering around under Billy Loughane and looking as if the experience was badly needed. She will need a step forward to win this but that seems highly likely, and if she comes home in front we can all expect some silly quotes for next year’s 1000 Guineas.  

Haydock 2.25pm

Sadly, Sallaal keeps in shortening in the betting as I write and is now a fraction of odds-on, but he does look the likeliest winner of the Rose Of Lancaster Stakes so what can you do? Roger Varian’s gelding is looking for his hat-trick after wins at Epsom and Sandown over the mile and a quarter he faces here, taking another step up the ladder after a handicap and a Listed race. He clearly handles the good to firm going expected this afternoon, has no issues with the trip, represents a stable in good form, and is officially rated 2lb the superior of Convergent, who has to give him 3lb and is probably better over further anyway.  All in all he looks the likeliest winner here, and that’s about all I can add!

Haydock 3.00pm

This is getting repetitive but we have three class races on Saturday – and all of them have a pretty short priced favourite who I cannot oppose. Karl Burke hasn’t has the best of weeks with the news that Venetian Sun is out for the season at least, but he may get some small recompense if Fallen Angel wins the Dick Hern Stakes as expected. Remembering that this is a Listed race, we are talking about a drop in class for the five time Group One winner who took the Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket last Autumn by over two lengths, with Blue Bolt in second, and she has won the Falmouth Stakes and the Prix Rothschild recently to frank the form. Her return for 2026 at York did see her finish last of four at York, but she clearly failed to see out the mile and a quarter that day at the second attempt, but back at the mile here she ought to find this little more than an exercise canter.   

Sean’s Suggestion:

A win treble on the three named above.