Equinties - Burkies girl

Author

BGP Capital
June 28, 2024

Equinties

Gm Equinauts

The winner of the ‘Equinties is finally on Facebook’ competition will be announced tomorrow. It’s not too late to enter, just find us on Facebook:

Equinties

To celebrate us finally joining Facebook, we’re running a competition. Win a £250 cash prize and a day out at Newbury races for 3 people - drinks and bets paid for! Simply: LIKE this post....

 

Let’s dive in.

HEADLINE ROUNDUP

MATNIE PROGENY SELLS

MATNIE is one of the phenomenon’s of the National Hunt game (and the sales ring).

The wonderful broodmare has produced the likes of BRIGHTERDAYSAHEAD, MIGHTY POTTER, CALDWELL POTTER, INDIANA JONES, and FRENCH DYNAMITE, all of whom have gone on to big things over jumps, with even bigger price tags.

So, when the DOCTOR DINO three-year-old half-brother to all of those black type horses came up for auction at the Tattersalls Derby Sale yesterday, one can imagine that plenty wanted to get their hands on him.

However, only one team took him back home, and that was – predictably – BRIGHTERDAYSAHEAD’s trainer Gordon Elliott as he went to €350,000 for Lot 283.

Some of the underbidders included Emmet Mullins, who was the final underbidder at €340,000, but the team of Elliott, Eddie O’Leary, and Mouse O’Ryan got the final say.

On the purchase, Elliott said: "Obviously I've trained a lot of the family and I'm delighted to get him too, they have been really lucky for us, so we are thrilled. The mare [Brighterdaysahead] is probably a bit bigger than him but he is not unlike Mighty Potter, a tall horse but not the broadest.

"He's very athletic and neat, so hopefully he could be one for the bumper next year.”

If any of his siblings are to go off, he is one to watch with close intent.

TRIPLE CROWN BONUS

Well, last week we got the news that Qipco would pull their sponsorship of the Champions Series, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, and both Guineas contests.

This was a bit of a hit to the Flat game, but yesterday, the full British Classic programme got a new sponsor as bookmaker Betfred came in to save the day.

Furthermore, the bookmaker will offer up a £2 million bonus to the connections of any horse that completes the British racing triple crown. Fair play.

Hopefully, this will attract more connections to aim their horses at doing the ‘age-old’ treble and Aidan O’Brien has backed this move, as he said: “It’s great that Betfred have put up a £2m bonus for any horse who wins the Triple Crown. All of us at Ballydoyle and Coolmore greatly appreciate all their sponsorship throughout the season and this bonus will make the Classic races even more exciting.

Barry Mahon, racing manager to Juddmonte, shares this level of excitement, as he said: "It's exciting news. All of these bonuses are relevant and are important in keeping the Classics at the high level they are. It's a great incentive and it could persuade plenty of owners and trainers setting out with a Classic horse to have a real go at it.

"If we have one good enough and can tick off the first couple of Classics, then we'd definitely be enticed into possibly having a go at it, for sure."

BURKIES GIRL - AN ANGEL RISING

Royal Ascot 2024 was amazing, but the absence of FALLEN ANGEL – this year’s Irish 1000 Guineas winner – was a sad sight.

Karl Burke has highlighted when he expects her to be back, as he said: “She's got a small bit of bone bruising, but it's nothing serious. We’ll leave her alone now and hopefully she'll be ready for September and an autumn campaign.

“She'll be back in steady work in the next week or so, but we won't rush her back. We'll prepare her from September onwards.”

Stablemate ELITE STATUS also missed Ascot due to a last-minute issue with his joints that he has had before, and Burke revealed the plans for him.

He said: “With Elite Status, it's exactly the same issue as we've had in the past with a knocked joint, but we've got him home and got on top of it. We've changed a couple of little things with how we train him day to day.

“I'm sure he'll be back out sooner rather than later and he's in the July Cup. I'm not sure the track will play to his strengths, the undulations there, but he is in it and it's a possibility.”

RISK ON

We think Saffie pushed the button slightly too early yesterday on the well punted GULF LEGEND. He was supposed to win that race!

13.20 CHIEF O’HARA, 16.15 OLIVER TRAVELS & 20.30 FINAL ESCAPE

>120/1 ew treble here based on pedigree’s only. First up we’re taking on the even money fave for Menzies who has had enough chances. Funnily enough, the last three renewals of this race have gone to Irish trainers and McConnell runs arguably the best bred for this sort of race. OLIVERS TRAVELS for the reasoning below and FINALE ESCAPE at Bangor because she is miles ahead of any of the others on pedigree… like, miles. She’s the best bred in the race, she just needs to be fit and ready for today (and NOT a day at school). In fact, FINAL ESCAPE is so well bred versus the others, she’s probably worth a single if going shorter than 3/1. 125/1 ew treble.

16.15 OLIVERS TRAVELS

Siding with James to beat up his brother in this race. We love Bowen horses in the summer and this horse is the best in the race and should be able defy the weight. 3/1 single.

17.15 BERONIA

Was supposed to win lto, not sure what happened lto. Small word for the Crisford horse which is pushing the price of Bougheys out creating value at 5’s ew.

19.10 GERMANIC & 19.45 TEN POUNDS

Two at Newcastle. Both debuted in the dame race at Newbury (we were there). Haggas’ expected to come a lot for the run. TEN POUNDS, like his name, is about that clear of the rest. Lot’s of unexposed horses so small singles and nearly 5/1 double.

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