Equinties - the big buy back

Gm Equinauts

Yesterday, the idiot intern forgot to add our snippet showcasing Ryan Moore’s ride on TOWER OF LONDON. Here it is:

No words needed.

Let’s dive in.

HEADLINE ROUNDUP

THE BIG BUY BACK

Paul Nicholls, Tom Malone, and Nicholls’ loyal owners spent £1.5 million at the Doncaster Summer Sale as they picked the majority of Chris Giles’ horses to keep at Ditcheat.

The biggest of the lot was REGENT’S STROLL who is now the most expensive National Hunt horse ever bought at a public auction, surpassing the record set by stablemate CALDWELL POTTER at the Caldwell Construction Dispersal Sale earlier this year.

The fact this twice-raced unbeaten son of WALK IN THE PARK sold for a large sum of money probably didn’t surprise anyone, especially Nicholls who - at the time of his sale - said: “I don’t think I’ve ever been as nervous in half an hour in all my life.”

With that quote and the chat from Harry Cobden at the end of last season, it seems that there is a large amount of confidence behind REGENT’S STROLL.

As for the other purchases from Nicholls and Co, they are listed below.

STAY AWAY FAY is the one that caught a bit of attention after he sold for £325,000. Running down last season, he won fto at Exeter in a good race before winning at Sandown despite giving weight away to GIOVINCO.

That’s good form, though things took a bit of a turn in the new year.

His third in the Cotswold Chase isn’t the greatest piece of form on paper and then he pulled up at Cheltenham. Both those efforts were poor, though one can put a line through his Scottish Grand National effort as he had a lump of weight to give away.

Yes, his form book for 2024 doesn’t look great, but people in racing have very short memories.

He may not make that £325,000 back, but he’s a good horse who is just seven years old. He’ll come good.

JULY SELLS IN JULY

Speaking of the Doncaster Summer Sale, JULY FLOWER - third in the French Champion Hurdle - will now be trained by Henry De Bromhead after he she was “bought for a client in the yard”.

That French Champion Hurdle form looks strong as the winner, LOSANGE BLEU, is up there as one of the best French hurdlers currently in training. She also split HEWICK (2nd) and MAHLER MISSION (4th) which says enough.

JULY FLOWER also went off 10/3 when she came over for the 2023 Grade 1 Formby Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree on Boxing Day, and although she failed to finish, there must have been a good deal of confidence to bring her over to the UK so early in her career.

As for this mysterious client, it could well be Robcour. JULY FLOWER has a similar profile to IRISH POINT as both won the Prix Jacques de Vienne, a Grade 1 bumper for AQPS-bred three-year-olds, before moving to the UK, so this a proven area that Robcour look at for upcoming stock.

All we know is that De Bromhead and her new owner have a proven top-class five-year-old to go to war with this year before a broodmare career.

It will take time for her to adjust to life in Ireland, so she might be slow to come to hand, but once she’s ready, she’ll be one to watch.

More: https://www.racingpost.com/bloodstock/sales-reports/top-level-plans-for-july-flower-as-de-bromhead-goes-to-350000-for-grade-1-winner-at-the-goffs-uk-summer-sale-aCyGr7u7W26Q/

MINIMAL BLOW FOR COBDEN

From the highs of Champions: Full Gallop and winning the Summer Plate to the lows of an injury sustained at Stratford on Monday, the last few days have been interesting for Harry Cobden.

The champion jockey was chucked off KICK UP A STORM in the first contest at Stratford on Monday and was stood down for the day, right before Paul Nicholls fired in a treble.

It was uncertain as to how long he would be on the sidelines for in the immediate aftermath of the unseating, but after a consultation, it shouldn’t be too long until Cobden is back in the saddle.

He said: "I’ve got a bit of a swollen knee, but it’s nothing too serious. I’m walking on it and I won’t be out for very long.

"I felt that with a firm bit of strapping I’d be able to continue on Sunday, but I’ve certainly been in worse positions so I’m not too worried about it."

This is good for him, Nicholls, and the upcoming National Hunt season as it seems that Cobden is perusing a charge at retaining his championship this season.

With 18 winners to his name (16 off the pace setter Harry Skelton), that’s a good start to the summer for him and one that can give him a leg-up for the jumps season proper.

TWEETS OF THE DAY

RISK ON

A good day for the bets posted to our X account @equinties with two from three horses sauntering home easily. Today, well, it’s bad racing especially with no jumps but we think we might have found a couple of plays based on form only. The second bet is certainly low staking:

16.15 UNION ISLAND & 17.10 TAKE A PULL

Shortie double here paying about 1.4/1. Both should win.

15.45 GATHANFAR & 16.30 HUL AH BAH LOO

First horse due a win and can come good in these conditions today. The latter pretty much the same reasoning. 5’s and 6’s. Not wasting three bullets on singles and the double so a small play on the two ew at a massive 41/1.

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