Equinties - double trouble

Gm Equinauts

Let’s dive in.

HEADLINE ROUNDUP

WILLIE IMPROVE IT?

As we move closer and closer to the start of the jumps season, more and more news and confirmations about certain horses heading to trainers. For example, two expensive point-to-point recruits – MINELLA MACHINE and LAZARE DE STAR – will sport the infamous silks of Robcour. The former is heading to Henry de Bromhead, and the latter will head to Gordon Elliott.

But there’s also one more horse (that we know of) who is heading to Ireland, and it’s one who has promised plenty on these shores already. The horse is BRECHIN CASTLE, as he will now be trained by Willie Mullins.

Why? Well, there’s more to the story than just a simple trainer change.

Ben Brookhouse, the man who has looked after him since his debut under rules in October 2023, is set to shut down operations in Newmarket at the end of next month before moving to Moor Hall Farm near Stratford in Warwickshire.vHe’s not going to move instantly, as he will have a year out, but the son of Roger Brookhouse is leaving HQ in order to focus a bit more on jumps horses.

On his reasons for moving, he said: “I’ve enjoyed my time in Newmarket but my lease on Saville House runs out at the end of October and as my home is in the Midlands and many of my owners are there, it makes sense to move. I’m planning a complete shutdown for a year and won’t be taking any horses or staff with me.

“We have a yard at home near Stratford called Moor Hall Farm, where Tony Carroll and John Spearing used to train back in the day, and the plan is to regroup and relaunch from the Midlands, probably in a year’s time.

"The yard has some decent facilities, but ideally needs a round gallop putting in – which we will have to get permission for –some schooling facilities and stalls; then it’s basically ready to go.”

“It’s a great jumping location as I'll be ten minutes from Dan Skelton and about the same from Olly Murphy. I like Newmarket, but it doesn’t suit proper jumpers as in winter it's more of a shutdown hibernation venue when most of the grass gallops you want to use are closed, but I get that as they want it for the Flat yards.”
For what Ben Brookhouse wants to do with his training career, this makes lots of sense. Good luck, Ben!

Now, back to BRECHIN CASTLE. He will now be given to master Mullins, and this is all a bit exciting. Yes, we haven’t seen the horse since LET IT RAIN, a nice Dan Skelton mare, beat him in a Listed Ascot bumper in December 2023, but he must be nicely on the comeback trail if Roger Brookhouse is sending him to Mullins.

While touching any horse who has had major setbacks comes with its own risk, Mullins will surely get this talented horse to improve further, and he is still only seven. He could well be a novice hurdler to watch this season, if all is sound with him.

A FRENCH HOLIDAY

Forget Ibiza in June and St Tropez in July, this year’s hot ‘girls holiday’ seems to be Paris in October, as a whole host of fillies and mares will he catching the Eurostar straight to France next month.

For starters, it’s the place we’ll next get to see MINNIE HAUK as she is heading straight to the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Aidan O’Brien has confirmed.

She could also be joined by ESTRANGE, who was second to her in the Yorkshire Oaks last month, as she will either head straight to Paris Longchamp or to Ascot for the Group 1 British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes.

And, to further add to the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe puzzle, KALPANA was confirmed for Saturday’s Group 3 September Stakes, which would give her exactly four weeks to get fully prepped for the first Saturday in October.

Girls, girls, and more girls!

In previous editions of the newsletter, we have speculated about what team Aidan O’Brien would be sending to the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. We knew LOS ANGELES would be there, but we also thought a combination of either MINNIE HAUK or WHIRL would be heading to France, and whichever one didn’t could go further abroad for the Breeders’ Cup or, in WHIRL’s case, Hong Kong.

However, at his press morning yesterday, we got a bit more clarity on the situation.
O’Brien said: "We haven't seen the best of Minnie Hauk yet. You're not going to see the best of her until the tempo is very strong all the way through a race. Physically, she's getting bigger and stronger. I thought we'd know exactly what she was at York, but I still don't know. She's relentless and she's on our Arc programme at the moment.

“Whirl's well. She’s a possible for the Irish Champion Stakes, but she’s there as kind of a protective in case Delacroix didn’t run, so it’s very possible she'll go to France for the Vermeille and then she’s had her run if she wants to go for the Arc. We have our eye on the Vermeille first, unless something happens to Delacroix.

"Los Angeles was only just starting back at the Curragh. He had an easy time because it was his first run back and the plan is to go to France for his next run [Prix Foy], where it will be a bit harder, but it won't be him all out. There'll be more to come. Then, hopefully he'll arrive in time for the Arc."

So, if this were a bit like the Ryder Cup, we’d say that LOS ANGELES and MINNIE HAUK are definitely in, and WHRIL is on the other end of the phone line, waiting for Keegan Bradley to ring through and give the all clear.

That is a very topical reference, but it is flawed, as Bradley could have picked himself for the Ryder Cup, and O’Brien clearly can’t. He’s a person, not a horse. Back to the drawing board. Anyway, that’s how we see O’Brien’s potential Arc team. Either way, it’s pretty strong, and when you add the likes of KALPANA, ESTRANGE, AVENTURE, SOSIE, ALOHI ALII, and GEZORA into the mix, it could be quite an interesting year for the race.
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DOUBLE TROUBLE, AGAIN?

In a flash of deja vu for the newsletter, we are talking about NEVER SO BRAVE and MORE THUNDER, the two improving seven-furlong horses for Saeed Suhail.

On July 22nd, there was news that both of these horses could head to the Group 2 Lennox Stakes at Glorious Goodwood, and at the time, the owner was happy to run both against each other because, well, why not?

Then, mere days later, MORE THUNDER was rerouted to the Hungerford, and NEVER SO BRAVE went to the Group 1 City Of York Stakes. How did that work out for the owner?

Well, they both won, and they now look like two horses to fear for the rest of this Flat season.

But will the owner have another tough decision to make again this season? We think so, as the obvious target for both horses is the Group 1 Prix de la Foret on Arc weekend because it’s a seven-furlong Group 1.

Need we say more?

We’d almost be certain that if these two were owned by different connections, they would both head there without a moment's worry, but because Suhail is the man who pays the bills, there is a decision to make.

So, what’s the vibe currently? William Haggas, trainer of MORE THUNDER, said: “It’s been decided that More Thunder is to target the Prix de la Foret at Longchamp; he deserves a crack at Group 1 level after his win at Newbury. If we feel he's getting a bit fresh at home beforehand, there is a possibility he could run in the Group 2 Park Stakes at Doncaster as well as France.”

So, that’s MORE THUNDER confirmed for the Prix de la Foret. What about NEVER SO BRAVE?

He is also entered in the QEII on Champions Day, but that will surely be a much hotter race than the Prix de la Foret. Yes, he won the Group 2 Summer Mile at Ascot in July, but that’s a completely different kettle of fish.

If he were ours, there would only be one place to go with him, and that would be to Paris in October.

RISK ON

A horrible day of punting yesterday as not only did our two Risk On selections both finish second (a length off combined!), but we also tried to punt the whole card and just kept getting beat by rags. One we backed yesterday to note would be ROSEMARYS ROSE who just set off too quickly - that horse looks a slop winner in waiting!

We dust off and go again. There’s an interesting gamble on Millman’s DEMETRIS MOUFLON in the 14.00 - she’s a half sister to the Millman winner we backed on Friday! Millman landed us a double Friday, and the horse who finished a close second behind his first winner is getting smashed in the Chepstow last - CALL TIME. The market is siding with the hot Millman form right now.

As for us, we’re backing:

14.00 EXCELLENT ECHO

He won very snugly under hands and heels last time out suggesting he’s not only trained on, but handicapped to go in again. His 2yo form in the mud at Newbury looks good ew to nothing. Single and ew double with the Chepstow stat horse - 20/1 ew double.

15.33 JUPITER AMMON

Fancied in the mud and despite the smash up on Beckett’s, his action appears to want quicker ground making Balding’s the play at 2/1.

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