Flat Racing - 27th April

[BKI Punter]

2:20 Sandown Dubawi Gold 2pt win - 11/4 (WH) Hannon yard firing as usual and on top form there are two horses to focus on here, Famous Name and Dubawi Gold. Now Famous Name is a very likable horse but usually finds one too good at this sort of level. He certainly has the ability to win this, and given he stays further and enjoys soft ground, he'll have a huge chance tomorrow. I think the class edge goes to Dubawi Gold though and at the offered price a risk must be taken even allowing for heavy ground. Every time he's run with juice in the ground he's performed well, and his best form over a mile is ahead of everything he faces tomorrow.

[Edberg]

Re: Flat Racing - 27th April « 2:20 » Sandown FRI 27 APR 2012 BET365 MILE (GROUP 2) (CLASS 1) (4yo+) Winner £45,368 Heavy 1m14y Number of runners: 7 FAMOUS NAME 5pts to win @ 2/1 bog (Betvictor) Famous Name is a son of Dansili bred and owned by the Prince Khalid Abdullah who has had a fantastic career thus far. He's a 7yo now but looked very good as usual when making his winning comeback at Leopardstown 12 days ago when he won a Listed over a mile on good ground beating by a head Sharestan and 1.75L Northgate. Sharestan had won his seasonal comeback at the Curragh 3 weeks before in impressive style and does look a highly progressive horse as the John Oxx-trained colt is still only 4 and that Listed was just his 4th career start (won also at 3). Northgate bolted up next time out winning with ease at Dundalk and is now deservedly rated 106. Famous Name should come on from that performance as Dermont Weld and Pat Smullen expect and in his long career has won already in very testing conditions actually his 15 wins (in 30 starts) came on any kind of ground from good to firm to heavy and he's only missing a Group 2 win (won 1 nursery on his debut in 2007, 6 Listed and 8 Group 3 so far) to complete a perfect career. Actually his team is looking for a Group 1 win this year and Famous Name missed a few chances at the top level. For example last year he went really close (2nd) in a Group 1 in Germany and finished 3rd behind So You Think in two Group 1 at Leopardstown (over 1m2f and 1m3f) and he had finished a close 2nd both in the Prix du Moulin (Group 1, 1m, Longchamp) in 2009, in the Prix du Jockey Club in 2008 (Group 1, French Derby over 1m3f at Chantilly) and in Tattersalls Gold Cup in 2009 (Curragh, 1m3f, heavy). He really deserve to add at least a Group 2 to his fantastic palmares and this seems to be a big chance for Famous Name. His main rival should be Dubawi Gold, the horse who had finished 2nd behind Frankel in 2011 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and won the Celebration Mile (Group 2) at Goodwood in August before finishing three times 4th in the Prix du Moulin won by Excelebration at Longchamp in September, in the QEII Stakes won by Frankel at Ascot in October and again 4th in the Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin in December (all Group 1 over a mile). Still he made his seasonal debut at Meydan last month in the Jebel Hatta and finished 10th of 14 well beaten (he lashed out in the stalls and caught his hind legs). He has to overcome that bad experience and cope with a ground he face only once in his career (raced on good or good to firm but the Moulin) even if this is of course a step back in grade for him (raced only in Group 1 after his Celebration Mile success). Penitent and Questioning are both coming here on the wings of a nice success and should have no problem with ground and fitness but this seems to be a step up in class for both and they both looks a bit below the main two candidates and the same goes for Libranno who makes his comeback after a 6-month break and seems to be just the second string of Richard Hannon.