Racing Chat - Saturday 21st August

[The Brigadier]

The final day of the York Ebor meeting where we’ve seen some terrific action from the likes of Mishriff, Snowfall and Stradivarius. There is plenty of rain around tomorrow and its just a case of how much gets into the ground.

 

York 1.50

The 9F Strensall Stakes is a Group 3 event and has attracted a field of 7 this year. Lord Gliiters is a terrific old campaigner but may struggle to get competitive here under a 7lb penalty. The two to be interested in are favourite Real World, trained by Saeed Bin Suroor, who did us a favour in the Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot when bolting up on the far side at 18/1 and has stepped up in grade successfully since when winning the 10F listed Steventon Stakes at Newbury. This is a further step up the ladder and is officially the best horse in the field. He must go close on ground he’s proven on. Roger Varian saddles the second favourite El Drama and this one has plied his trade in better company this season finishing placed behind St Marks Basilica when 4th (and last!) in the Eclipse and then runner up at Goodwood behind mile sensation Baaeed. I think the winner will come from one of this pair and I’ll stick with Real World. 

REAL WORLD 2 points win @ 5/4 Bet365

 

Sandown 205

The Group 3 Solario  Stakes has only attracted a small field of 7 with a skinny favourite in the Gosden’s Reach For The Moon who will take plenty of beating. He was impressive when booting clear from subsequent dual winner Harrow at Newbury under identical conditions and with Dettori in the saddle can follow up. At his odds he’s not worth a bet so it’ll be a sit back and enjoy race. Mark Johnstone’s Austrian Theory is actually officially rated a pound better horse than Reach For The Moon and could be the horse to chase him home.

 

York 2.25

A maximum field of 22 go to post for this years renewal of the Skybet Melrose handicap which looks as competitive as it’s ever been. Dhushan heads the betting and must go close. This lightly raced William Haggas trained colt steps up in trip following an excellent runner up spot at Ascot in July when jockey Daniel Tudhope came from too far back to worry the winner. He’s up 3lb for that but can be competitive. Regular readers will know I’m a big fan of Sir Mark Prescott’s Summer’s Knight and having won 4 of his last 5 starts should run well. Plenty of others have chances in the wide open handicap including Imperial Sun and the Roger Varian trained Moshaawer who wasn’t suited by the steady pace at Newcastle last time so I’ll split my stakes between Dhushan and Moshaawer 

DHUSHAN 1 point each way @ 7/1 1/5 123456 William Hill

MOSHAAWER 1 point each way @ 11/1 1/5 123456 William Hill

 

Sandown 2.40

Indigo Girl is the highest rated of these today in this Group 3 Atalanta Stakes but does come with questions to answer following her re-appearance defeat when similarly highest rated at Ascot and only finishing 4th beaten 7 1/2L by Dreamloper. She ran far too freely that day and will need to settle better here to have a winning chance. She comes with too many questions now so is worth opposing. Maamora is two from two here including this race last season but has failed to fire at Epsom last time and is another with questions to answer. Sir Michael Stoute runs two in Ville De Grace and Potapova who both missed a run at Haydock a fortnight ago when the ground turned soft. The latter has always been highly rated by the Newmarket stable and was not only slightly out of her depth last time in a Group 1 but reportedly hated the soft ground. Back on a better surface she can be backed to fulfil her earlier promise. I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that the rain stays away from Esher. 

POTAPOVA 1 ½ points each way @ 15/2 1/5 123 BetVictor

 

York 3.00

Space Blues had the soft ground against him on his re-appearance at Goodwood but still ran a stormer to finish 4th beaten under a length to Kinross and back on a sounder surface and likely to strip fitter now will be hard to beat in this Group 2 Skybet City Of York Stakes under William Buick riding for chief Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby. Ed Walker saddles the big danger in his smart 3 year old filly Primo Bacio who got no sort of run in the Prix Rothschild earlier in the month ending up coming home beaten only 2L by Mother Earth. She’s currently rated 5lb interior to Space Blues and can chase him home. 

SPACE BLUES 2 points win @ 11/8 William Hill

 

York 335

A terrific turn out for one of the best and most competitive handicaps of the year The Skybet Ebor handicap run over 1m 6F. Yorkshireman William Haggas has yet to win this prestigious handicap and is going all out to take this year’s renewal by saddling four. Hamish may well be the best of the quartet despite not being seen for over a year but he ideally needs to get his toe in and unless the ground changed dramatically I’m happy to pass on him. Ilaraab is the other fancied one from team Haggas although he too would have appreciated easier ground. His other pair are Pablo Escobar and Roberto Escobar with the latter having a definite chance on his latest run when 4th in Group 3 company. Last year’s victor Fujaira Prince is back to defend his crown but is 6lb higher now and has it to do on recent form with the aforementioned Roberto Escobar who was only 1/2L behind him over course and distance last month and is now 7lb better off (although that was Fujaira Prince’s first run of the season). Tribal Craft would be very interesting IF the ground turned soft as he’s 4lb well in here today following his good 2nd to the smart Wonderful Tonight at Goodwood whilst Max Vega is another who ideally needs if on the slow side. Godolphin’s Global Storm is a consistent stayer that shouldn’t be overlooked but is creeping up the handicap. It’s a wide open race and many have chances but at the prices I’ll take William Haggas’s lightly raced handicap debutant Roberto Escobar to triumph with a saver on Tribal Craft who will appreciate any easing in the ground. 

ROBERTO ESCOBAR 1 point each way @ 16/1 1/5 123456 William Hill

TRIBAL CRAFT 1 point each way @ 12/1 1/5 123456 William Hill

 

[ipswich45]

some good racing tomorrow around the globe starting off in Australia and finishing early on Sunday   Prices William Hill unless stated

0525 Randwick (Silver Shadow Stakes)  6 Swift Witness   6/1    WON 13/2
0605 Randwick (Show County) 5 Chat      11/2    Unplaced
0645 Randwick (Winx Stakes) 3 Cascadian  15/2                   14 Hungry Heart  14/1 E/W   Both Unplaced
0701 Gilgandra  (Collie Cup) 4 Vertical   7/2  4th 
0810 Belmont (Blue Spec Stakes) 5 Kelly's Callisto   7/2  Unplaced
0815 Mooney Valley (Carlyon Stakes) 9 Miss Albania  3/1  Unplaced     10 Esta La Roca  11/1 E/W  2nd

Will Post UK / US prior to racing

Edited August 21, 2021 by ipswich45
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