Racing Review from Ayr, Newbury & Curragh 23/09/23
A Significant Success and Doyle Double Delight
There was some great racing over the weekend with plenty of group races over multiple meetings and some big field handicaps for punters to get their teeth stuck into. The feature race of the weekend was up in Scotland where 24 runners went to post for the Ayr Gold Cup. Julie Camacho would have been delighted to end her long losing run in a race as prestigious as this with a horse so unlucky in the Portland just 7 days before. He ran an absolute belter that day when he was narrowly touched off by Annaf and history was not about to repeat itself as he charged home to win by a neck despite being checked twice in the run in to restore a bit of form to the Camacho yard. I didn’t back him but was so happy to see him win after seeing just how much of a yard favourite he is when we turned up to see him on Malton Open Day. Of the placed horses, Ramazan ran a belter in second for a 3 year old (only 3 winners this age since 1995), Gweedore ran huge back down at 6f off a mark of 100 and Albasheer flashed home on the nearside after being last with just over a furlong to go, keep him on side for something like the Coral Sprint at York. Popular twitter talking horse Rohaan was very well backed but the draw seemed to cost him finishing higher than 7th and Summerghand, last year’s winner, finished stone last after suffering interference.
Elsewhere on the card, the Silver Cup went to favourite Wobwobwob (a name I love but Adrian Keatley seems to hate after speaking to him at Doncaster) who rattled home to deny 33/1 shot Tinto in the last half furlong. That brought up a double for Hollie Doyle who guided Revich to win the opening race from way off the pace. I think Snazzy Jazzy ran a particularly good race in the Silver Cup on his first start for new trainer Seb Spencer and could be one to watch now 7lb below his last winning mark.
Another jockey who rode a double at Ayr on Saturday was Ben Curtis who guided Cold Stare to win the 16:45 for owners Middleham Park who also celebrated a Scottish double. The first leg of Ben's double was Prime Art in the group 3 Firth Of Clyde fillies stakes at 10/1. She was beaten 7 lengths by Navassa Island on debut on the 13th August and reversed the form in no uncertain terms here by scything through the pack and picking apart this group 3 to win easily in the end, 2 lengths ahead of that reopposing rival. A remarkable improvement in just a month and a half now surely bigger things await her if she can replicate that performance. The only other notable race was the listed Doonside Cup where Royal Rhyme went on to back up his wide margin Goodwood win with a 1 ½ length win here, hauling back long time leader and John Smith's Cup winner Pride Of America who did very well to finish 2nd considering how hard he went up front. A very good performance from Karl Burke’s 3 year old who will now surely step up into a higher grade.
An Array Of Talent
Over at Newbury, Andrew Balding managed to win the group 2 Mill Reef with Array who was narrowly beaten in the group 3 Sirenia Stakes just a fortnight ago. This son of No Nay Never seemed to relish the heavy ground and just kept on finding more for pressure. New Wathnan Racing recruit Mister Sketch must have traded very short in running but just couldn’t do enough to get his head in front and Seven Questions may well have fared better than 3rd if granted a clear run. On the face of it, it was a gutsy performance but with 5 of the 6 runners finishing within 1 ¼ lengths of each other on heavy ground, I don’t think you can take the form too literally. Irish raider Thunderbear must have loved the ground aswell as the absolute rank outsider in the opening race managed to spring a surprise beating Nymphadora by a neck in the 5f group 3 contest. It was nice to see Sense Of Duty back in action, she was superb when last seen in the Chipchase at Newcastle and there were no guarantees she would handle the ground but she didn’t disgrace herself. Gallant old boy Not So Sleepy managed to win a nice handicap pot in the second race at Newbury. What an absolute joy he must be to own and train. He certainly has his own ideas about the game but was as good as gold and so game on Saturday to win for a 10th time in his career at 11 years old after a 193 day break and no flat run since winning last year’s Cesarewitch. He denied Salt Bay for the Valmont and Ralph Beckett team but they soon claimed revenge when their promising Balance Play bounced back to form to claim the 1m2f handicap.
Worth A Second Look?
In Ireland, we had some more group action as Deepone won the Beresford Stakes, a handsome compliment to Diego Velazquez who was 4 lengths ahead of him in a group 2 on Irish Champions Weekend. Aidan O’Brien will be wondering what has gone wrong after failing to win the race for either of the last 2 years after farming it consistently and winning 21 renewals since 1996. This year’s renewal went to Paddy Twomey, a trainer who enjoyed quite the day at the Curragh on Saturday after unleashing an absolute rocket. We’ve certainly saved the best til last here because if you haven’t seen the performance of One Look in the Goffs Million, you’re doing yourself a disservice. This performance was nothing short of spectacular and deserves all the plaudits. The Gleneagles filly was heavily backed overnight having been 16/1 in places 24h before the race and going off 5/1 SP against a few horses rated 96 or higher including even money favourite Cherry Blossom who was rated 101 after coming 2nd in the Group 2 Lowther Stakes. The confidence they must have had behind her to gamble her in that much is ludicrous but clearly they knew this was no ordinary filly and they were right. She travelled into the race seamlessly and powered clear for a 6 length success to land a mammoth prize. I have no clue where we will see her next but there is no doubt that it’ll be group company next for this 1000 guineas entrant.
Comments
Post a Comment