Racing Chat - Saturday 10th August

[The Brigadier]

Ascot 1.35

The first of six races televised by ITV from this year’s Shergar Cup meeting which feature four teams made up equally of male and female riders for the teams of the Rest of the World, Ladies, GB & Ireland and Europe. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea but there are six winners to be found so heres my thoughts on the first race the 5F Shergar Cup Dash, a class 2 race run over 5F with the maximum field of ten down to run. A few of these are dropping in trip and may not be suited by that including the favourite Apollo One who was an excellent second in last weekend Stewards Cup at Goodwood. One horse who is an out and out five furlong horse and is undoubtably well handicapped having won a handicap over course and distance last October from a 8lb higher mark is Badri. He bounced back to form for a new yard in Michael Herrington last time out at Hamilton when a creditable 1 1/2L second to the re-opposing Jordan Electrics and is 6lb better off here. Jockey Marie Velon will be making her Shergar Cup and Ascot debut here but has plenty of experience in her native France having won 495 races at the age of just 25.

 

BADRI 1 point each way @ 6/1 William Hill 1/5th 1234

 

Ascot 2.10

The class 2 2M Shergar Cup Stayers Handicap is up next run over 2M with another maximum field of ten. The race really is all about the reserve of Gordon Elliott’s Samui who needs one to drop out up until 45 minutes before the actual race to get a run. He’s 13lb higher than when he ran away with a 2M 1F handicap at Killarney last month and would be hard to beat if getting a run. He’s worth a saver if he gets into the race but as it stands the pick is the Ian Williams trained Sheradann who is having just his third run for the trainer having won twice at around this trip in France for Francis Graffard on soft ground. He belied his 100/1 odds when running well to finish seventh (beaten only 2 1/4L) in arguably a better race than this at Goodwood behind Align The Stars at Goodwood at the beginning of the month, his first run on genuine fast ground and a reproduction of that stepping up in trip should see him thereabouts under his jockey Bauyrzhan Murzabayev who is riding at the Shergar Cup for the first time but has plenty of experience in Germany having ridden 776 career wins.

 

SHERADANN 1 point each way @ 15/2 888Sport 1/5th 1234

 

Haydock 2.25

The first of three races from the Lancashire track covered by the ITV cameras today is this 1M class 3 handicap which has attracted a dozen runners. Ed Dunlop’s Sterling Knight is two from three at the track and is a possible but it’s Nigel Tinkler’s Theme Park that is the selection. The four-year-old bounced back to form in a class 4 handicap at York last month when, despite dwelling at the start and finding trouble in the run, ran on well to win by a neck with the fourth just beaten since and the sixth Zozimus winning earlier this week franking the form. A 4lb rise still leaves him 5lb lower than this time last year and with regular jockey Rowan Scott on board can follow up.

 

THEME PARK 1 point each way @ 7/1 William Hill 1/5th 1234

 

Ascot 2.45

A maximum field of ten run in the class 2 1M 4F Shergar Cup Challenge Handicap. The two that I like here are the Ian Williams trained Dancing In Paris and Alan King’s Insanity. The later, who will be ridden by Rachael King, ran well over course and distance last time and has been upped 3lb for that effort whilst the former ran well at Goodwood over further and may appreciate dropping back in trip to a distance that he was impressive at in a twenty runner handicap at York in May. He’s a better price than Insnaity so he’s the selection and will be ridden today by Albert Sanna for team Europe. He too is making his Shergar Cup debut but is a multiple classic winner in his native Italy so there should be no problem from the saddle here.

 

DANCING IN PARIS 1 point each way @ 7/1 William Hill 1/5th 1234

 

Haydock 3.00

Just seven run in the Group 3 Betfred Rose Of Lancaster Stakes run over a distance of 1M 2F. The one they all have to beat if he’s straight enough is Owen Burrows’s Anmaat who was last seen winning the Group 1 Prix d’Ispahan at Longchamp some 439 days ago. He has no penalty to carry here and has shown in the past that he can win fresh having won the valuable John Smith’s Cup Handicap at York first time out last season. He goes on any ground and as the highest rated horse in the field is the pick with the owners retained jockey Jim Crowley here to ride. The only three-year-old in the field Richard Hughes’s Bracken’s Laugh may give Anmaat the most to do.

 

ANMAAT 2 points win @ 2/1 BetVictor

 

Ascot 3.20

The class 2 6F Shergar Cup Sprint has attracted the maximum field of ten (with two reserves) and features one of the two best bets on the six race card in the shape of Owen Burrows’s Jarraaf. Dropped in trip he looked a sprinter going places when a cosy 2 1/2L winner over course and distance in July from Fresh. The handicapper has had his say by putting him up 8lb but with his handler in his usual top form can defy the rise and win again with the assistance of local jockey Billy Loughnane who is making his Shergar Cup debut.

 

JARRAAF 2 points win @ 15/8 Boylesports

 

Newmarket 3.40

The 7F JenningsBet Sweet Solera Stakes is a Group 3 contest for two-year-old fillies and has attracted a field of just seven this year. The two that stand out to me is the Aidan O’Brien trained Lake Victoria by Frankel out of dual Group 1 winner Quiet Reflection who won on her debut at The Curragh in June from subsequent easy winner Red Letter. She has stacks of improvement to come and although she doesn’t have Ryan Moore on top today (he’s riding at Leopardstown) she still looks to have a great chance under Sean Levey. Her big danger is surely the Godolphin runner and form horse Mountain Breeze who put a slightly disappointing run at Royal Ascot behind her when a decent 3/4L second in the Group 2 Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes here at the July meeting over 6F. A run that has already been franked. Both the protagonists are stepping up a furlong and it was a hard call between with the form of Mountain Breeze against the potential of Lake Victoria but the selection is Mountain Breeze who has the assistance of Pat Dobbs with Godolphin’s favoured jockeys in America this weekend.

 

MOUNTAIN BREEZE 1 point win @ 15/8 William Hill

 

Ascot 3.55

Only nine (one short of the maximum which is disappointing) have declared for the class 3 1M 4F Shergar Cup Classic Handicap. There is a horse here who could be way ahead of his mark in the shape of the William Haggas trained Soloman. He carries no penalty for his cosy victory in an apprentice handicap over 10F at Haydock last weekend under Ethan Jones and this looks a shrewd piece of placing by Haggas for this £39,344 first prize. He will be ridden by Albert Sanna who rides my pick Dancing In Paris in the 2.45 so let’s hope the Italian is in for a good day.

 

SOLOMAN 2 points win @ 7/4 William Hill

 

Ascot 4.30

The final race of the Shergar Cup meeting is the 1M Shergar Cup Mile, a class 2 handicap with a maximum field of ten participants. Top weight Carrytheone won at Chepstow in the Racing League on Thursday evening so theres a chance that the first reserve may get a run. I’m hoping so as it’s our old friend from Goodwood in Orbaan. He’s one of five that ran in the Coral Golden Mile eight days ago and although it was Bopedro who did the best of the quintet in finishing fifth he did have a clear run down the outside whilst his stablemate Orbaan was locked away on the rails having no sort of run. His finishing position of twelfth can be seriously marked up and in the hope that he gets a run (it’s money back if he doesn’t don’t forget) I’ll be with David O’Meara’s nine year ago at a double figure price. Another stablemate of his New Image is an interesting runner who ran a blinder here last time in a better race but that was over 7F and he has to prove his stamina today.

 

ORBAAN (1st reserve) 1 point each way @ 12/1 William Hill 1/5th 1234

 

Haydock 4.45

A field of nine have declared for the listed Irish Stallions Farms EBF Dick Hern Stakes run over a mile for fillies and mares. It’s been seven years since the Classic generation took this event but they appear to hold a decent chance this season with the progressive Juddmonte owned Indelible. The Ralph Beckett trained daughter of Shamardal out of the top Group 1 mare Midday has run well on all three starts this season winning at Doncaster prior to a creditable fourth in the Sandringham Handicap at Royal Ascot and a career best 1 1/4L second to Spiritual in the listed Coral Distaff at Sandown on Eclipse day. She acts on any going it seems and as this is only her sixth career start may well be still improving. Hector Crouch has been on board for three of her 5 starts and is in the saddle today.

 

INDELIBLE 1 point win @ 11/4 BetVictor

[richard-westwood]

135 asc 

Badri. 400. 5/1 

Jordan elecs. 397 9/2 

 

210 asc. Beamish. 367 16/1 

Spirit mixer.  362 5/1 

 

245 asc 

The goat.  377 7/1 

Dancing in Paris. 371 7/1 

 

320 asc 

Jaaraaf.   343 7/4 

Action point 333 14/1 

24x 1 PT win doubles all above