Well sadly this is my last column for The Sportsman, and I must give everyone involved with putting this together a lot of credit. It’s been terrific writing weekly and for the Derby and Royal Ascot, and I hope that you’ve enjoyed reading my thoughts on racing.
This week was my second in Newmarket, and it really has been fantastic. I’ve met some top people from the industry, being able to learn about everything that goes into our great sport. Newmarket is a terrific town with a quirky atmosphere with racing’s big names everywhere. I went to watch England’s semi-final in a pub, and only a yard away stands Grand National winning trainer Gordon Elliott. Racing’s stars are just everywhere you go, it’s crazy. I would highly recommend a trip to Newmarket, especially on a raceday, it’s a cracking town.
I also spent a morning with Hugo Palmer which really was an insightful experience hearing from a top trainer. His knowledge of his horses, their form, breeding and everything there is to know about them is absolutely exceptional and it’s quite special to watch a horse go through the process of leaving the yard to hurtling down the Warren Hill gallops at a rapid pace. Keep an eye out, he’s got some very good horses this year!
I was over the moon at Sandown last weekend watching Roaring Lion fly home in the Coral Eclipse. It was a proper race, and the crowd really felt the adrenaline of two top-class horses battling for a prestigious Group One prize. How good those two compare to previous winners, I wouldn’t be totally sure, but it will be interesting to see how they develop over the season. I must give credit to young Oisin Murphy who gave Roaring Lion an excellent ride to overcome the Ballydoyle race tactics.
Let’s hope for a winning send-off with tips from Ascot, York and from the final day of Newmarket’s July Festival.
12:45 Ascot
Polybius was second in this contest last year, and I am quite hopeful he can go one better this time around for David Simcock. He wasn’t really at his best in a stint in Dubai and struggled at Epsom last time, but he is on a really handy mark now and will totally relish these conditions in this competitive sprint opener.
1:05 Newmarket (Superlative)
Charlie Appleby really has been in fantastic form recently and he can extend that success with this really smart looking two-year-old Quorto. He looked extremely talented when running on to a comfortable win on debut, and I’d expect him to improve significantly now upped another furlong. He’s extremely exciting.
1:20 Ascot (Summer Mile)
I’m very stuck between Beat The Bank and Lord Glitters, but the former gets the nod here. Andrew Balding’s four-year-old hasn’t quite delivered on the big promise he showed at the end of last season but I think he’s starting to put it all together now and could return back to his best here. The conditions at Ascot will be spot on, hopefully he can bounce back.
1:40 Newmarket (Bunbury Cup)
These big handicaps are always very competitive but the one that stands out for me is George Scott’s Gilgamesh. He’s a seven furlong specialist and will totally relish the conditions of this race. His midfield effort at the Wokingham was decent form, and he should go much closer today. Elsewhere for a bit of each-way value, Love Dreams could outrun his odds.
1:55 York
I’m really quite keen on the chances of the Andrew Balding-trained Stone Of Destiny, who comes to this listed contest off the back of a very strong fourth in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot. The step back to the minimum trip should work in his favour, he’s clearly got a lot of class and receives weight from his market rivals.
2:15 Newmarket
This is a really quality race, and it’ll be interesting to see how good the form of the Commonwealth Cup compares with the Diamond Jubilee. Sands Of Mali is a horse I have always liked an awful lot and he could run a big race here, but Redkirk Warrior has been kept in the UK and I think his connections will try and bag this prize before heading home. He’s a classy horse, but he’ll need to be win this renewal.
2:35 York
Dal Harraild is clearly the one to beat on the form here, and I do think it’s very hard to look past this very smart stayer. He won some good races last year, including at this venue in May last year. He needs to bounce back after a poor run in Dubai last time, but if he brings his best form he’ll win.
3:10 York
I really fancied the Owen Burrows-trained Waldilsafa to win at Royal Ascot last time, but he just got stuck in behind and didn’t quite pick up towards the end of the race. That was a good Group Three and now he’s in an average handicap, so he has to make a very strong case on the form. He’ll need a big bounce back, but he has huge potential and to be perfectly honest I would be very surprised to see him lose.
3:20 Newmarket
I was fortunate enough to spend Tuesday morning with Hugo Palmer, and he’s really keen on the chances of Curiosity here. He was second in the Britannia at Royal Ascot, in a race where no one ever got close to the frontrunner so that form looks really quite strong here. He’s only 4lb higher, and with his trainer thinking he has group-class potential it is hard to look past him here.
3:40 York (John Smiths Cup)
Roger Varian’s Appeared is a horse that I am really excited by and I think he could take a lot of beating in this historic and competitive handicap. He was a respectable fourth at Royal Ascot and has to be fancied to go well off the same mark. The shorter trip should be fine, and he’s won a big handicap at York before which will bode well.
