Equinties - bc targets

Gm Equinauts

The Saturday racing was good, but the gambles were landed on the Sunday.

Two first time out horses landed the money plays - POWERFUL GLORY for Fahey at Ponte looked pretty special and, most impressively, LATTAASH, beating odds on shot LEADMAN.

Brave and rewarding gambles.

Let’s dive in.

HEADLINE ROUNDUP

BREEDERS’ CUP BOUND

Two horses who won in France yesterday could be aimed at the Breeders’ Cup after impressing on the track.

The first is WHISTLEJACKET who won the Group 1 Prix Morny, making up for his second to BABOUCHE in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes.

We argued that he went too hard at the Curragh and paid for that in the final furlong, and that was probably the case as he looked a bit more settled yesterday at the front.

He was one of the last horses off the bridle, and like his brother LITTLE BIG BEAR, he’s a battler.

This victory came just eight days after his second at the Curragh, which is pretty aggressive campaigning from Aidan O’Brien.

Could this mean he will only be racing as a two-year-old? Ballydoyle have done it many times before, most recently with BLACKBEARD, and LITTLE BIG BEAR was a much better juvenile than a three-year-old.

After six runs this season, he could well have two more runs (one of which at the Breeders’ Cup) and then be off to the shagging shed.

One can imagine AUGUSTE RODIN will be retired to stud, so they could do the same with this lad to give more life strength in depth to their sprinting stallion ranks.

As for the other Breeders’ Cup-bound runner, FRIENDLY SOUL might head over to the US after her win in the Prix Alec Head.

She’s a high-class animal. Remember her win over KALPANA at Newmarket at the start of the season? Yeh, she has always looked good, and that form is starting to look very strong.

The Prix de l’Opera is her next target, and then the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar could be a race for her. The Filly & Mare is over 1m3f this year, so that trip around a sharp American track could well be right up her street.

She’s a KINGMAN half to horses like WITH YOU, CALL THE WIND and WE ARE, so she has a great pedigree as well as the attitude to match.

There’s a lot to like about her.

AT HIS BEST?

AL AASY is one of the most interesting horses in the UK Flat scene.

Having finished second to PYLEDRIVER in the 2021 Coronation Cup, he’s not won a race better than a Group 2 in three years, but one can arguably say he’s at his best.

That theory is based on both of his last runs where, if we are being honest, he’s taken the absolute mick.

So, it’s also fair to say that he deserves his place in a Group 1 going forward, and a race that would suit him really well is the Irish St Leger, though he would have to be supplemented for it.

There aren’t many more races for him in the UK going forward, and he’s a gelding, so why not pay the price and get him to the Curragh?

WEEKEND EYE-CATCHERS

MICHAELA’S BOY – SATURDAY 14.25 NEWBURY

On his first run for 100 days, MICHAELA’S BOY could be one for a sprint handicap later this season.

It was a day of firsts for the four-year-old as it was his first run for 100 days, first run for Robert Cowell and first run since a wind-op.

When Mick Appleby trained the horse last year, he got him to nearly win an Irish Rockingham off 97, but the son of RIBCHESTER has a rating of 87 now.

On Saturday, he ran like a horse who needed the run. He went well and made his effort but just couldn’t maintain his effort in the final half a furlong.

WHEELS OF FIRE – SATURDAY 14.40 NEWMARKET

Richard Hannon’s two-year-olds have gone a little bit under the radar this year as none have won at the very top level like HAATEM and ROSALLION did last year.

OUR TERMS won a nice race at Ascot and is off to the Acomb, and WHEELS OF FIRE could be one to watch going forward based on Saturday.

Hannon gave this as a horse to follow ahead of Goodwood and he ran well to finish third. He did something similar at Newmarket on Saturday as he tried to make all but was picked up late.

With three runs under his belt, he should get a mark and could be one for a nursery handicap. Connections gave him an entry into the Group 1 Middle Park, so they must think plenty of him.

RISK ON

15.30 ALAN DE BANKS 

They say stick to your strengths, well, the jumps are back and we’re betting bumpers again. Bowen yard, summer, bumper, boys vs girls - it should all add up. Good bet at 15/8.

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