Weekend Racing Less Goodwood

ALL VIEWS ARE MY OWN

First things first and I want to “congratulate” Lord Allen on agreeing to take up the post of Chair of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) as of 1^st September after some pretty intensive negotiations. I am not high enough up the food chain to be in the know on such things, but if the media is to be believed then he drove a hard bargain to get the things he feels he needs to sort out the sport – and as we have been drifting along rudderless awaiting the next iceberg, I may not necessarily like what he will do next – but if it saves the sport I love for the next generation then I will learn to live with it.

On the bright side I found some good news stories this week, starting with Saeed bin Suroor winning a Group One again with Tornado Alert who took the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis-Bayerisches Zuchtrennen over a mile and a quarter in Munich. Now seen as the Godolphin  second trainer after the rise of Charlie Appleby, I have never heard him say anything negative in public and although he does not have the firepower of old, it made me smile to see him win at the highest level once more, proving to the racing world that if he has the ammunition he is still an excellent trainer.

In other news, Ascot announce rises to their prize money for next season which may (or may not) have placated some of the owners who can now get back 3% of their costs as opposed to 2.5% (Ok I made the figures up, but you know what I mean), and any help  wherever it comes from has to be warmly applauded.

Anyway, it’s been a busy week, so on to the racing – Goodwood now resembles a ploughed field and I am not throwing any more money in that direction, so I will look elsewhere.

Saturday racing

Galway 3.12pm

I am starting with something very different this Saturday and heading off to Ireland for a Listed handicap hurdle over two and three-quarter miles. I am not doing a full statistical analysis but I have noticed that six year olds seem to hold sway with seven of the last 10 winners, and that the one, the only Willie Mullins has won five of the last ten and placed with nine other runners – that seems to be telling its own story to me! Unlike most races where the stable go in mob-handed, he has kindly decided to only run the two this year, and Maughreen will do for me. The winner of her first two starts, one bumper and a maiden hurdle, she hasn’t really built on those as hoped with a last of four at Listowel over two miles when she was last seen in May, but she takes a big step up in trip here which may see her in a much better light with plenty of stamina in her pedigree, and a mark of 122 may well look laughable if she wins here as I hope.

Newmarket 3.20pm

I am not convinced this is the open and shut case the betting suggests and I am willing to take a chance on rank outsider Star of Light each way, who seems overpriced to me. Trained by the Gosdens, who have won this race four times in the last 10 years, the assumption by bookmakers is that Jane Temple is their first string, but I am not convinced. My suggestion made all to hold on by a head over a mile and three-quarters at Newbury, and with Tyler Heard keeping the ride I am hoping similar tactics are employed. If it turns into a sprint she has no chance in my eyes, but if she can draw the finishing speed out of her rivals, especially favourite Silent Love, then she could make all and provide another shock this week.

Thirsk 4.05pm

Having sung the praises of Saeed bin Suroor it would be churlish of me to desert him here, and with Dubai Beach the early favourite, I am not the only one thinking along those lines. A winner this season at Kempton and Chelmsford on the all-weather, he let favourite backers down when sent off odds-on last time out when pulling too hard and failing to see it out to finish in second place. Something or someone set him alight that day, but I haven’t seen that from the Blue Point filly before, and if she stays clam this afternoon she could get back to winning ways. 

Thirsk 4.40pm

Botanical is the class act here having placed twice in Listed company, but as a five-year-old he has to give a massive 22lbs to the unbeaten Big Leader who sits at the bottom of the weights. Geoff Oldroyd’s son of Mehmas looks pretty decent after coming from last to first on his Redcar debut over this trip, and following that with an all the way win at Southwell, so he is clearly very adaptable when it comes to tactics, a good weapon to have in your armoury in a small field like this, giving P J McDonald options should no-one take them along from the off.  

Hamilton 7.30pm

Disappointing fields all round this Saturday with only the six runners here, but if Classy Al keeps on improving, how can I resist? Trainer Jim Goldie  won this last year with Jordan Electrics at the age of seven, and who is to say he cannot repeat the feat with the eight-year-old gelding. A winner in lesser company at Ayr and Hamilton, this will be his biggest test yet bar none, but with none of his rivals in winning form, and only top-weight Venture Capital a winner at this level, his shrewd trainer may be able to sneak one more win out of the son of Fountain Of Youth.

Sean’s Suggestion

Maughreen each way 3.12pm Galway