A frighteningly quick post today, as once again we face more midweek racing as attention turns to The July meeting at Newmarket and the Dante at York (both courses racing GS). You have to be strong to keep up this sort of relentless pressure and, as I showed in my last post, PROFITABLE! Even I find it slightly unbelievable and as Madame says, perhaps it would help if “…you followed your own advice as well as avoiding the more Exotic punts”. Pah – what does she know? Meanwhile, on the telly, we have the following…
1:50 NEWM (JULY) Bahrain International Sir Henry Cecil Stakes (Listed Race) Cl1 (3yo) 1m 8 Run
I am hoping that AL SUHAIL will come good following a disappointing run in the 2000 Gns, incidentally a race which has so far not provided any winners. Prior to that, he had run well in the Autumn Stakes with Molatham, Johan and Persia all behind, and had run a brace of perfectly respectable maidens. The favourite is LORD CAMPARI who ran a perfectly nice Newbury novice by 4½l and almost didn’t need the services of Atzeni in the plate. 350,000gns and he’s patently on the up, with 2nd and 3rd both going on the win – a maiden and a Handicap. The long-shot might be ROPEY GUEST who is finally being allowed to run at the correct level – he is not a Group horse. 4th in the Jersey Stakes, 2nd in the Horris Hill, 3rd in the Autumn Stakes – he’s been paying for his training fees – maybe even the horsebox – but he deserves a win in this pretty ordinary company. I could make a vaguely cogent case for MYSTERY POWER, who has won on GS, has the front-running maestro Sylvestre de Souza in the plate, and found the ground in The Jersey Stakes too soft. Three tips are too many, however!
AL SUHAIL win ROPEY GUEST e/w (if 8 runners)
2:05 YORK EBF Marygate Fillies’ Stakes (Listed Race) Cl1 (2yo) 5f 6 Run
SARDINIA SUNSET
2:25 NEWM (JULY) Bahrain Trophy Stakes (Group 3) Cl1 (3yo) 1m5f 7 Run
Al AASY was 10l clear in his Newmarket maiden LTO in early June and was priced up for The Derby – where he didn’t go. Maybe Haggas sees him as his Leger runner – he is certainly a Group horse. DAWN RISING also won by a decent 12l in his LTO Limerick maiden, while AL DABARAN turns up following a disappointing run in the Queen’s Vase (1st-time blinkers) and might just have needed the run. My attention is drawn to the first-time hood for SOUND OF CANNONS, who ran too freely in the King Edward VII, going clear after a couple of furlongs and was then swallowed up as the tank emptied.
AL AASY wins SOUND OF CANNONS e/w
2:40 YORK Tattersalls Musidora Stakes (Group 3) (Fillies) Cl1 (3yo) 1m2½f 7 Run
14:42pm. I have just noticed that the page had not updated the balance of some four races on the post. Tragiclly it means that I can’t count ROSE OF KILDARE who I had suggested e/w as another huge win on what is an oustanding day for the tipping. You’ll just have to take my word for it.
3:00 NEWM (JULY) Tattersalls July Stakes (Group 2) (Colts & Geldings) Cl1 (2yo) 6f 9 Run
Twixt QAADER and TACTICAL, the latter won the listed Windsor Castle Stakes (5f) on similar going in a thoroughly professional manner. QAADER was 2nd in the Coventry, albeit that it might turn out to be a moderate race this year – but there again it might not. When in doubt, I try to find a horse that should have done better LTO and riding to the rescue of my indecision is YAZAMAN who was 2nd behind TACTICAL, and who is a lazy sort. He got behind early on having been squeezed up and was then switched stand side, where he again ran into trouble. Then, in the final furlong, he was again blocked and just got up for a second. He’s in the yellow colours on the far side.
YAZAMAN e/w
3:15 YORK Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante Stakes (Group 2) Cl1 (3yo) 1m2½f 6 Run
14:47 Again a race that had not updated with my workings – and here I suggested JUAN ELCANO e/w
3:35 NEWM (JULY) bet365 Handicap (Heritage Handicap) Cl2 (3yo 0-105) 6f 17 Run
A tricky race which I, to be totally honest, started to confuse me, but apart from being worried by Prescott’s SUNSET BREEZE, I suggested we would not abandon DANCIN INTETHESTREET who we had historically backed at Royal Ascot and who had served us well with a 9/1 3rd, plus HAMISH MACBETH and PROGRESSIVE RATING both e/w.
4:10 NEWM (JULY) Princess Of Wales’s Tattersalls Stakes (Group 2) Cl1 (3yo+) 1m4f 7 Run
Finally I suggested COMMUNIQUE e/w