Equinties - Auguste Rodin

Gm Equinauts

We’d like to start by addressing our recent decision to charge for the weekender edition of the newsletter and firstly thank the majority of you for your support in this decision.

We spend a huge amount of time every single day writing the newsletter and in pursuit of the best content, it is now a small team of us that put this together every day for you. In order to sustain this and the quality you’re used to, we need to start giving something back to the team, who up until this point, have given their time totally for free.

We have said in the past that it would always be a free but the newsletter has grown into a bit of a beast both in readers subbed and in content produced.

We have kept it to a nominal £1 and it is only the weekender people will pay for (Monday-Friday is still totally free).

We really hoped that keeping it so realistic in price would mean that it wouldn’t have a huge impact on our readers but at the same time, give us the opportunity to make it worthwhile to our contributors so we can keep the show going.

In hindsight, there should have been more notice and for this we do apologise. We hope you can understand our reasoning, can justify the £1 per week for the content and successes we’ve provided and hopefully this decision cements the future of this great newsletter and aids us creating better and better content every day for our readers.

Now, let’s dive in.

MERCH

We’ve got merch coming and yes, Finndog themed tee’s will be available …and of course, very limited edition.

Stay tuned.

BGP FANTASY LEAGUE COMP

We’ve been hyping up the TOTE’s new Fantasy game since we found it. Why? Simply because there is nothing else out there now which can help people cage the betting chimp while maintaining an emotional interest in the big races of the day.

People bet way too much and the Fantasy allows you to get limited risk on, fill your brain up with the dope it craves and still be in the mix for a big win.

It’s bad racing today - perfect time to play it. If we hit 250 stables, top of the BGP private league get’s a new ‘GM’ cap.

HEADLINE ROUND UP

AOB

In Saturday’s newsletter Derby preview we stated that the record of Guineas flop to Derby victory was bad and too bearish to consider AUGUSTE RODIN.

Boy how wrong we were and oh how he had his day in the sun.

AUGUSTE RODIN delivered on the promises from Ballydoyle that he was the special one.

Having disappointed in the Guineas, he managed to reel in the tearaway 100/1 KING OF STEEL in the final furlong to land the ultimate prize in thoroughbred racing.

The historic win was probably more a relief to Aidan O’Brien and his team than anything else because they had been counting their chickens with this lad since before he’ even seen a race track.

Bar a few anomalies, the Derby normally sand bags a nice career at stud for the victor and given his beautiful pedigree, Coolmore will be licking their lips at the thought of continuing AR’s bloodline.

So what about the rest?

Well, WHITE BIRCH ran a great race in third to be staying on at the line. One would imagine if he doesn’t bump into AUGUSTE RODIN again, he’ll be winning soon.

The ‘unlucky’ on (there’s always one) might be Harrington’s SPREWELL who managed to bag fourth late on having trouble in running. He’ll go to the Irish equivalent hoping for more breathing space next time.

Frankie’s girls

He didn’t win the Derby but Epsom still his last weekend as he rode a brilliant fillies treble across the meeting.

Newsletter Oaks selection SOUL SISTER won the Oaks easily (the form will be up for debate) but it was EMILY UPJOHN who stole the show to beat last years Derby placing WESTOVER in the Coronation Cup. Wow.

Across the channel

ACE IMPACT remained unbeaten running out an impressive winner of the €1,500,000 Group 1 Qatar Prix du Jockey Club. In doing so he gave his sire, CRACKSMAN, a classic winner in his first crop from 115 named foals.

CRACKSMAN stands for £17,500 at Dalham Hall Stud, Godolphin. His numbers have dwindled drastically to only having 46 in his second crop which are now 2 years old. ACE IMPACT is flying the flag furiously for his father and he looks the best middle distance 3yo in Europe (arguably surpassing AUGUSTE RODIN on form and performance).

Similar to his father, ACE IMPACT has improved hand over fist as a 3 year old this year after not running as a 2yo and making his debut in January and his second run only 2 months ago. A tilt at the Eclipse beckons for this fast improving horse.

Trainer Jean-Claude Rouget was winning the race for an incredible 6th time, he has now won five of the last eight renewals while jockey Cristian Demuro, also victorious aboard Rouget's BRAMETOT and SOTTSASS improved his tally to three.

The winning time of 2:02.63 was a new record for the race, going under SOTTSASS’ previous best by 0.27 seconds.

“We've always liked him, I call him 'Monsieur Sans Souci' and he really is without a care in the world,” said Rouget. “I've never had any problems with him, apart from the fact that he managed to sport a winter coat in the middle of summer. We gave him all the time he needed as I saw something in him when he made his debut at Cagnes-sur-Mer this year. He sprouted wings in the straight that day, just like he did today. He's a very good colt and we thought he was good, but he needed to prove it. I think having three races under your belt prior to running in the Jockey Club is a good thing, but just two races is cutting it a bit fine. When Sottsass ran I didn't believe he was up to it, because of the ground, and yet he blew us away. Just like Ace Impact did today. Sottsass was exceptional, capable of winning on any ground, and Ace Impact has proved that he's very good. I'm very happy to see the colours of a French owner win the race.”

Jean-Claude Rouget comments after the race.

NEW FEATURE - YOUNG BLOOD

Notes on pedigree, attractive crosses and sales trends

18.15 Windsor

THE LINE is by CARAVAGGIO out of a SHAMARDAL mare. The dam as unraced and has produced one good winner from 5 progeny, that is 96 rated MILD ILLUSION for Jonathan Portman who was last seen winning some black type at HQ. THE LINE flopped out the stalls on debut and then was given an easy time behind unbeaten MAXIMUM IMPACT (who is entered for some big races this season).

BRAVE EMPIRE is by rocket sire DARK ANGEL and went for 450k at last years yearling sales. His dam achieved a rating of 101 even when only winning once on debut. From a good 2yo family and owned by Clipper Logistics who also run BATTLE CHARGE.

BATTLE CHARGE is by WOOTTON BASSETT and cost owners 180k meaning they’re runners today set them back a cool half milli. Dam sire suggests this lad, trained by Beckett, might need a mile plus.

CHIEDOZIE is another expensive one on this line up. By ADVERTISE (who is yet to make an impact as a first season sire), he was a 100k yearling probably because BATTAASH can be found close dam side.

Verdict: The market has found THE LINE at 13/8 who looked promising on debut given the bad start. There’s been a lot of money spent on this line up though and you’d think a lot of owners, none more so than Clipper, want their horses to go and win on debut so probably best to stay out of this one. The big stat for the race is for SONMARQ (14/1)for Woods who is 2 from 2 with 2yo’s at Windsor. It’s going to be rattling today and his lad will love it. Watching brief.

TODAYS RACING

RISK ON

Three bets, three winners last weekend. Let’s push on.

18.45 REMINDER

We had a small bet on this girl on debut but the market drift front ran the tame ride she was given. A nice intro to tracing. Buick onboard tonight and we know she’s alright - Hayley Turner rode work on her a few weeks back and said she’s nice. Half bet at 8/1 ew.