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Equinties - bumpers are back
Gm Equinauts
It’s Thursday, and you know what they say about Thursdays - they’re the new Fridays, which basically means it's nearly the weekend…nearly Arc day.
Let’s dive in.
HEADLINE ROUNDUP
STOCKING UP THE ARC
It was a bit of an accepted rumour that BLUESTOCKING was going to run in this weekend’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe with conditions coming her way, but yesterday we got confirmation as the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes winner was supplemented for €120,000.
BLUESTOCKING HAS BEEN SUPPLEMENTED FOR THE ARC! 🇫🇷
She was BRILLIANT in the Prix Vermeille 🤩
🎬 @AtTheRaces
— The Winners Enclosure (@TWEnclosure)
10:09 AM • Oct 2, 2024
Connections were awaiting a gallop on the weekend before deciding to reach into their pockets and stump up the supplementation fee, and they were also awaiting to see if the ground was going to soften up for her.
Well, the gallop went well and the ground is set to be good to soft, so it’s all systems go for the Arc.
To be honest, you would have to give her a fair chance.
Firstly, she has been a model of consistency. She’s won three races, two of them being Group 1s, she chased home GOLAITH in the King George, and she also finished fourth to CITY OF TROY, CALANDAGAN, and GHOSTWRITER in the Juddmonte International.
The two previous races mentioned were on good to firm as well, so she managed to put that to one side and still run well.
Spellbinding performance ... 💫
𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 (11-10f) and @Rossaryan15 time things to absolute perfection in the @CommunityGames1 Pretty Polly Stakes @curraghrace
@JuddmonteFarms | @RalphBeckett
— Racing TV (@RacingTV)
2:37 PM • Jun 29, 2024
She’s also shown that she is a fast finisher (the Pretty Polly proved this) and her form with WARM HEART from last year is strong considering she will get weight from the geldings.
However, she is 0-5 over 1m4f, so this would have to be a small worry.
Elsewhere, we got confirmation that OPERA SINGER would miss Arc weekend altogether despite being a 7/2 favourite for l’Opera.
❌ Opera Singer has not been declared for Sunday's Prix de l'Opera
— irishracing.com (@irishracing)
9:44 AM • Oct 2, 2024
GOOD GONE
The weather and ground will be a big talking point ahead of the Arc on Sunday.
We’ve covered it already regarding what the track is predicting, but there was an interesting development yesterday.
Longchamp had a very cloudy day on Wednesday, so no moisture could come out of the ground and a splatter of 0.8mm hit the course.
TurfTrax have conditions in the good to soft area with just one small patch of soft. However, the official French reading is still reading ‘tres souple’, though their readings are on the slower side.
With potential showers on Sunday morning, good to soft looks like the bet currently.
BIG BATTLE
“He has the pedigree of a stallion.”
That was the quote that came out of Day 2 of the Goffs Orby Sale as Coolmore and Godolphin did battle in the sales ring.
The horse they were fighting over? A FRANKEL colt out of the INVINCIBLE SPIRIT mare LOCH LEIN, making him the first product of the mare.
Lot 323: Croom House Stud's Frankel colt out of the Listed-winning Invincible Spirit mare Loch Lein becomes the first seven-figure lot of the sale, making €2 million to Godolphin.
The bay hails from the family of triple Dubai Turf winner Lord North, also a winner of the Prince… x.com/i/web/status/1…
— Racing Post Bloodstock (@rpbloodstock)
11:38 AM • Oct 2, 2024
LOCH LEIN won a Listed race and placed in two Group 3s, but her dam (ASHLEY HALL) is a half to the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes winner BANDINI and she cost Epona Bloodstock (Croom House) $825,000 at Keeneland November Sale in 2007.
By all information available, he was a beautiful foal and he is a beautiful yearling, so with the pedigree alongside him, this is why he sold for so much. Croom House has also produced a notable number of good horses over the years including MAYBE, ZOFFANY, and DAMSON.
As expected, he’s off to Charlie Appleby with a big weight of expectation on his shoulders as a lot think he will be a horse that has a huge future.
Denis Brosnan of Croom House Stud said: “He was always going to be between one and two million, it’s just a case of the last few bids taking him there. We weren’t surprised when we saw him passing the one million mark.
“He was an outstanding foal and yearling all the way through. The pedigree is there, he has the pedigree of a stallion, so let’s hope he goes and does it on the track. I’m delighted Anthony Stroud bought the horse because they have missed out on some of our really good ones over the years. Let’s hope this is another good one.”
Lot 465: Staffordstown's Frankel half-sister to multiple Group winner and Group 1-placed Sandrine is another seven-figure lot, selling to Godolphin €1 million.
The bay is out of the Pivotal mare Seychelloise, a daughter of Group winner Starlit Sands.
— Racing Post Bloodstock (@rpbloodstock)
5:40 PM • Oct 2, 2024
Godolphin were certainly busy yesterday as they also bought the FRANKEL half-sister to SANDRINE from Kirsten Rausing’s Staffordstown for €1,000,000 and a SEA THE STARS filly from the family of the 2004 German Oaks winner AMARETTE.
WARWICK BUMPER
It feels a long time since we’ve done one of these…the bumper previews are BACK!
Like as we do in Young Blood, we shall only highlight the standout pedigree’s which are ultimately horses you should be keeping an eye on for further down the line.
KAYLAN heads the market. Ripped from Pauling’s yard a few months ago over the golf club scandal, this well bred German horse should do well in this sort of race. He cost £50k as a 2yo and is likely the most expensive in here. His dam side is littered with NH winners and his late dad, sire PROTECTIONIST. Fergal O’Brien could have been crowned the the bumper king in recent years but Pauling took that title last season. Let’s see if Fergal can take it back, starting with an ex-Pauling horse!
BITS N PIECES is by a good sire in SOLFIER OF FORTUNE but his dam hasn’t produced a winner yet. Likely to need further and handicapping. That said, Twiston Davies loves winning bumpers.
DEEP PURPLE is another SOLIDER OF FORTUNE. A point winner and reps the Skelton yard who are mob handed today. Dam side stamina laden so it’ll be interesting if whether totally tuned up for today but definitely one to keep on side… there is a Welsh National winner in the immediate family tree. Bit of a drifter.
Chris Gordons MOON MONARCH was cheap enough at £7k but is related to some good winners. His first run was shocking though so perhaps Chris is handicapping him in bumpers?
MOONSHINE MAN reps Henrietta Knight who hasn’t had a winner since her return to training. Now, unless her late husband did all the work, it’s hard to believe she can no longer train a horse… a win surely has to come soon. Could it be here today in the bumper? This one is by SEA MOON (same as Gordon’s) who is producing good bumper horses.
Verdict: You won’t find highly rated horses on the dam side of MOONSHINE MAN but at least they all knew how to get their head in front, but his dad is nice and probably deserves a lunch money play at 33/1 for the just in case bet! The real bet in this is Fergal’s KAYLAN who is bred to be useful in both codes - flat and jumps.
RISK ON
Three bad bets yesterday, we’ll try get back on track today.
We’re still studying the cards and will post any bets on X @equinties.
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