Equinties - thunder down under

Gm Equinauts

Racing X is NOT happy with the Aussies… Are they cheating in the Melbourne Cup before the race has even started!?

Let’s dive in.

HEADLINE ROUNDUP

BANNED BRUEGHEL

Will Aidan O’Brien ever send another horse to Australia?

That’s the question we are left asking after JAN BRUEGHEL was scratched from the Melbourne Cup on vets' advice.

Why was the horse scratched?

Well, Racing Victoria released a statement that upon a compulsory CT scan, they decided that the unbeaten St Leger winner was at “heightened risk of injury” having seen a couple of shadows on the horse’s legs.

The shadow from the scan has now transcended over the race, cast from the moody cloud above the minds of those the decision affects.

Rarely do we see such emotion from Aidan O’Brien, but when he uses such words as “disgrace” and the fact the horse would have been a “handicap blot”, one can see how much distaste O’Brien has for Racing Victoria and the rules that are in place.

In recent years, O’Brien had refused to have runners in the Melbourne Cup due to the strict vet checks, so for him to give another chance to the race only to be turned away may just put the final nail in the coffin for Ballydoyle runners at Flemington.

And he’s not the only one who feels these checks are too far.

Ultimately, the string of fatalities that the Melbourne Cup had attached to it wasn’t good, but there is general consensus among the British and Irish ranks that these checks are bordering on extreme and reek of corruptness.

If Australian racing has such big concerns about foreign runners coming over for their races, why do they import so many horses in training from the UK and Ireland for themselves?

They all seem to be able to run when in the hands of the home nations care.

It all seems rather bizarre, and this incident has only compounded the hurt Aidan will be reeling from with YLANG YLANG now out of the BC.

Watch out Brian Ellison - they might come for ONESMOOTHOPERATOR next!

NO SHALLOW CHALLOW

We already have one potential Challow Novices’ Hurdle contender with POTTERS CHARM, and we could have two others on our hands with a couple of horses who won at Chepstow yesterday.

The first came from Warwickshire as Dan Skelton unleashed THE NEW LION, the full brother to Skelton’s useful KATEIRA.

For a Chepstow race that tends to ride on the slower side of the official description, he travelled on the bridle throughout and jumped that second-last hurdle quite smartly for a debutante.

The second, BELLIANO, bolted up in his point-to-point, so the form might be worth something, and the performance certainly looked good.

However, 30 minutes later in the second division of the same novice hurdle, Somerset battled back thanks to Paul Nicholls with QUEBECOIS.

Arguably, this performance can be massively upgraded due to Nicholls’ stable form and he jumped with plenty of zest.

Furthermore, do you remember the chat about this horse last year? He was sent to the Champion Bumper due to the ability he was showing at home, so one must take that into account.

QUEBECOIS is likely to follow the STAGE STAR route of Newbury and then back to Newbury for the Challow, so if THE NEW LION joins and potentially even REGENT’S STROLL, this year’s race could be a hell of a race.

HOLD YOUR BETS

The Breeders’ Cup is on this weekend and that meeting should be pretty straightforward.

However, the action in the UK and Ireland is slightly more complicated, as we touched on yesterday with Gordon Elliott’s runners.

GERRI COLOMBE could run in the UK, he could run in Ireland, or he could not run at all. It’s all dependent on the ground.

The same can be said for GREY DAWNING as Dan Skelton is eager to run him in the Charlie Hall, but if the ground gets too quick, he might head to the Colin Parker on Sunday at Carlisle instead.

So, if we have a dry week (which is likely), we could have quite a small field in the Charlie Hall.

One horse that is likely to run is the public marmite horse BRAVEMANSGAME. People either LOVE him or HATE him.

BMG probably has a preference for slightly better ground without it being too quick, and he goes well fresh (just look at last year).

So, our advice right now? Keep your powder dry. Good ground and national hunt racing is a recipe for non-runners left, right and centre.

Anyway, we have the Breeders’ Cup to worry about instead!

BUMPERS

NEWTON ABBOT

SUPREME MALINAS is the short fave here at 2’s. She get’s weight for being a girl. She’s a point winner in the deep mud but that form is muddling as most pulled up and nothing has come out of it.

ELYSIAN KNIGHT has had two runs, the last being the better one when placing behind a subsequent maiden hurdle winner. We love his sire CHAMPS ELYSEES for a race like this but his dam side is fairly weak and the ground might be an issue.

GENTLEMAN TOBOOT will love the ground and the owners had a bumper winner yesterday. They don’t buy bad horses. He’s a point winner and one for the shortlist.

KOSAC D’OUDAIRIES is interesting - like SUPREME MALINAS he won a point (albeit the likely winner fell) in which most pulled up but at least he was racing the boys. He was subsequently sold for 90k and has a good pedigree for this sort of race for a yard who target bumpers.

FORTUNATE FELLA was raced in three bumpers and we imagine the trainer was pulling his hair out over continuously bumping into one or two. A nice enough pedigree for a bumper but he went fairly cheaply and is liekly one for later down the line.

IDAHO SUN needs better ground, COPPER JACK will be a winner in time but likely not today and KRIPTICJIM is by a sire who has produce nothing yet so can only be watched.

OURBROWNEYEDGIRL is the only other girl in the line up so like Skelton’s, gets weight from the boys. She’s one to keep an eye on next season handicapping as she has a useful pedigree for jumps, assuming she isn’t wound up right for today.

SURE TO BE SURE is very interesting at 80/1! He’s by our new favourite bumper sire (sire of TENNESSE TANGO who won at 12/1 for us last Sunday) but one of the cheaper purchases in the field at 8k. Still he’s one of the better bred for this race - his half sister is a Listed bumper winner! He couldn’t, could he?

Verdict: We have no idea who Helen Nelmes is but she just posted a 25/1 winner last week so perhaps today’s 80/1 odds aren’t indicative of how SURE TO BE SURE will run but the bumper market normally knows though. He’s worth a lunch money bet. KOSAC D’OUDAIRIES would be the next pedigree pick at 11/2.

BUMPER RESULTS

03/10/24 KAYLAN 2/1 (11/8 SP) - 1st

08/10/24 LAURA LOU 11/1 & PLAYAWAY GIRL 14/1 - 6th & 9th

09/10/24 JOTO 2/1 6th

09/10/24 ID GO MANIAC 5/2 - 4th

12/10/24 MONEYGARROW 5/1 (13/8 SP) - 1st

16/10/24 KINGSLEY 7/1 - 8th

18/10/24 STRONG RUN 5/1 - 2nd

22/10/24 SECRET SNIPER 5/1 - 3rd

23/10/24 THE LONG WALK 100/30 - 3rd

27/10/24 SIOG GEAL 5/2 - 2nd

27/10/24 QUINNS REWARD 9/1 (14/1 SP) - 7th

27/10/24 TENNESSE TANGO 9/1 (12/1 SP) - 1st

28/10/24 ALLSTITCHEDUP 12/1 - 9th

RISK ON

After firing more blanks than a gelding in a fertility clinic, we thank Norm for saving the day:

14.38 FIREBLADE

A shortie but should be a goodie as his pedigree is standout in this race. He’s no where near as good as his full brother CRACKSMAN (hence the sales entry), but this trip in the mud will see him hard to beat in a field where many will prefer faster ground. They’ll be desperate for a win for the sales. 13/8.

15.50 CATBOY

We think Christian Williams could have them lined up today, but with him you just never know if they’re off. This lad will be and is best in the race.

Singles and little double.

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