Equinties - Ballydoyle battalion

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Headline roundup

Ballydoyle press day

The flat season only truly starts when Aidan O’Brien gives his out his 2yo to follow.

The Ballydoyle stable tour was conducted in front of Irish media yesterday and is if Aidan's nod wasn't enough, there was even some free stash in it for them.

As expected, there were plenty of horses to talk about but a certain 3yo grabbed the headlines...

Yes, the future (potential) star of Irish racing was confirmed to be AUGUSTE RODIN as the Master of Ballydoyle said: “If we have a horse to do it [the Triple Crown], he’s the one.”

For the newbs who aren't familiar the (British) Triple Crown, the history making treble is made up of the 2000 Guineas, the Derby and the St. Leger.

Following the comments, the three-year-old DEEP IMPACT colt was trimmed into 4/1 for the 2000 Guineas and 11/4 for the Derby and it seems like he may be above LITTLE BIG BEAR in the pecking order for the Guineas which is surprising due to how good LBB was last year.

So, which horses can we take out away from the obvious?

One name everyone should have in their minds is ALABAMA. A colt by NO NAY NEVER out of the same mare who produced top up and coming sire SIOUX NATION. Aidan mentioned this lad as his most forward 2 year old.

There have also been murmurs for ALEXANDROUPOLIS (catchy name) who O’Brien “likes a lot” and he is 16/1 for the Derby – listening to the Betfair Weighed-In podcast, Kevin Blake said this is the ‘under the radar horse’ to take out of the morning as there were some nice words for him.

On the fillies side of things, Aidan said that NEVER ENDING STORY is a “very good filly” and “could very much be one to show improved form this year” – she was beaten in her last three starts after her Group 3 Silver Flash Stakes win in July and is 33/1 for the 1000 Guineas.

Ballydoyle absentees

With the good news to come out of Ballydoyle, there was always going to be some bad stuff as well.

STATUETTE, a general 6/1 shot for the 1000 Guineas (fave?), will miss the first fillies Classic of the year due to a “hold-up”.

O’Brien said “she’ll be back for the second half of the season” which could be the same for Ballydoyle’s second absentee in KYPRIOS who is set to miss the Gold Cup at Ascot through injury.

He picked up an infection in a joint and it has not healed in time so he too could be back for the second half of the season like STATUETTE. The captaincy of the team for the Gold Cup now falls on EMILY DICKINSON as O’Brien said: “We were very impressed with Emily Dickinson at the Curragh on her last run. She grew another leg when we upped her to two miles.”

BROOME, a winner in Meydan at the Dubai World Cup meeting, will also enter the two-mile division with a strong chance.

Weekend entries

Well then, THE FLAT IS BACK and the Brocklesby kicks things off at Doncaster, a race we at BGP are hot af in.

25 debutant horses have been entered and it’s always a cracker to watch.

So how do you assess the field at this stage?

Amo Racing love to farm two-year-old races – it’s their MO.

They won the contest last year with PERSIAN FORCE, a future Group 2 July Stakes winner and a horse who went on to run well in four Group 1s after that while running into BLACKBEARD and LITTLE BIG BEAR – they field CUBAN THUNDER, a colt by PROFITABLE who sires decent two-year-olds (QUICK SUZY won the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot last year), and VALADERO, a STARSPANGLEDBANNER colt.

HAVANA GREY was the leading two-year-old sire in the UK last year thanks to EDDIE’S BOY, RUMSTAR, and SHOULDVEBEENARING – the only one of his offspring entered for the opening race on Saturday is HAVANA PRINCE for Tony Coyle (25% SR) under Harrison Shaw.

Out of a ROYAL APPLAUSE mare, a sire who went 4/4 in 1995 as a two-year-old and won the Coventry, Gimcrack, and Middle Park, this looks like a nice pedigree but he'd want it rattling.

The horse that has to be given a serious look at is LOADED GUN for Andrew Balding – he was bought for €75,000 in September 2022 and is by MAGNA GRECIA, a first-season sire who has already hit the ground running, and with David Probert already booked to ride for a good trainer like Balding, it’ll be interesting how the market prices him up.

We already have a firm understanding on the field and will be posting the Brocklesby bet in Saturdays newslett

Aga Khan hot shot to watch

The Aga Khan celebrated 100 years of breeding and racing in 2022. Fortunately it was celebrated in style as VADENI won the French Derby and Coral Eclipse, placed in the Irish Champion Stakes before running a mighty race in the Arc to come second to Alpinista.

2023 looks like it could get better. VADENI stays in training, surely the dream is to win the Arc. and EREVANN looks like he could also become top class. The latter was placed in a Group 1 last year and ended his season winning a Group 2. He started off his rise in the Prix Comrade, which is run today at Saint Cloud, 13.25, a race The Aga Khan target...

VALIMI is the warm order favourite for the Aga Khan and Jean-Claude Rouget today. He is entered in the French Guineas, French Derby (25/1) and Grand Prix de Paris so they’ll be hoping he makes an impact. By TEOFILO and closely related to VALYRA who won the Prix de Diane (French Oaks) on her third start for the same connections.

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Bumper preview

Hexham

This market is dominated by odds on CHARLIES NUMBER for George Scott. Yup, George Scott the up-and-coming flat trainer based in Newmarket… Hexham’s a long way to go for a FRANKEL. I think he’ll get stuck in the mud today and may prove a wasted journey for Scott who might, just might need to brush up on his pedigree’s. At 4/5 he’s a lay.

Nicky Richard often has them ready for bumpers and runs a half to Festival contender IN THE POCKET. Both sides of the pedigree suggest he’ll go in the mud.

Ruth Jefferson’s has a chance to take on the fave too. Russells horse is exposed and looks moderate and Menzies COURT CASE is blank dam side so nothing really to go on.

Summary: If not laying the shortie fave, CLOVIS ISLAND is the pick.

Risk On

14.15 WELL DICK

A SMALL bet here AT 2/1 in a two horse race. I don't think we've seen the best of WELL DICK yet. He looks slow as a boat but will love the conditions today and was an expensive Point winner in such ground. GROVE ROAD is 5/2 on for this race and he's miles clear on ratings but... big but... I think he needs better ground. Blood play so keep stakes to a minimum.