Equinties - Guineas pointers

Gm Equinauts

Racing is the only sport in the world where it’s governing body can produce reports like this:

Let’s dive in.

HEADLINE ROUNDUP

SCOTT FOR THE BIG POT

The future targets of LOSSIEMOUTH for the 2025 Cheltenham Festival are still unknown, but if the chat is to be believed, she might have the Champion Hurdle in her sights which absolutely would be the right move. Her performances this season have been perfect and she appears to be the only horse who might be able to give CONSTITUTION HILL something to think about.

‘But but but what about STATE MAN?’

No.

Anyway, this brave move by magic Mullins potentially opens up the Mares’ Hurdle division next season, and GOLDEN ACE laid down a marker at Cheltenham yesterday with a facile success. It was sexy!

We all know that her Grade 2 Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle form is rock solid having beaten JADE DE GRUGY and BRIGHTERDAYSAHEAD – two subsequent Grade 1 winners – but she had to show us all if she could back it up and yesterday, she did just that. Furthermore, although DYSART ENOS has already gotten the better of her in the 2023 Grade 2 Aintree Mares’ Bumper, it’s no certainty that DYSART ENOS would confirm the form with GOLDEN ACE as Jeremy Scott’s mare has certainly improved this year. 

The 6yo is now a general 12/1-shot to win the Grade 1 Mares’ Hurdle in 2025, and a pot which would give her trainer Jeremy his biggest win for a long time.

GUINEAS POINTERS

Yesterday’s Craven was an interesting race on paper coming into it but a bit of a damp squib with the race being ruined by a runaway winner, a clever ride by Levey.

Although HAATEM’s odds suggested he’d need to find a little bit on form, there were good moments that showed sparks during last season which included a win over IBERIAN in the Group 2 Vintage Stakes, a 5th in the Coventry, and a 2nd to CITY OF TROY in the Group 2 Superlative Stakes. His success was dominant yesterday, but this performance only added to the excitement of his stablemate ROSALLION who is a general 9/2-shot for the 2000 Guineas. 

ROSALLION, who won the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere on his last start, will head straight to Newmarket and Hannon has always said that he thinks the BLUE POINT colt is a machine, but yesterday’s result added to that opinion. He said: "Rosallion works superior to this fellow at home and when we took them to Kempton recently, but what matters is what they do on the track. Haatem is in the German Guineas but the owner Sheikh Abdullah Almalek Al Sabah won't be talked out of coming back here next month and rightly so.

"He could do no more than he has done here today and he gives us another nice string to our 2,000 Guineas bow. He's been doing all his work with Rosallion at Kempton and elsewhere and he may well do another piece with him beforehand. "

CITY OF TROY may have received a literal form boost yesterday – and he of course is deserved fave for the race – but the confidence of ROSALLION supporters will continue to grow as we head towards the first Classic of the season. His form in the locker is ridiculous - the Ascot form is red hot and then in France he beat BC Juvenile Turf winner and BEAUVATIER who is no slouch"

CITY OF TROY’s 4/6 for a Guineas…a Guineas!! is mad. There is a big argument in favour of ROSALLION as a genuine and value play at 5’s.

DECISIONS DECISIONS

After Paddy Brennan announced his retirement from the saddle on Wednesday, thoughts quickly turned to who would take over from the experienced rider as number one at Ravenswell Farm. Fergal O’Brien isn’t short of regular riders at the moment; Connor Brace, Liam Harrison, and Jack Hogan all do a solid job for the trainer, but it looks as if O’Brien has a decision to make in regard to his next stable jockey. 

On the topic, he told the Racing Post yesterday: "We've had lots of questions about what we'd do after Paddy but out of respect for him we didn't want to make any plans. He was still riding and it was never a certainty he was going to give up on Wednesday. From our point of view, it was going to be the end of the season but Wednesday was the perfect opportunity so we hadn't put anything in place.

"We've got Connor, Liam Harrison and Jack Hogan in and they're all there and Tom Broughton rode a winner for us at Cheltenham on Wednesday so we're not short of good jockeys. It's been put on the back burner. We'll get to Sandown then we've got a week with no runners so we can sit down and go from there."

However, despite O’Brien’s comments, the general consensus is that Johnny Burke – CRAMBO’s regular rider – is first in line for the gig. Burke has been riding out at O’Brien’s for a while, and the boss of Ravenswell Farm even referenced it in a pre-season interview when he joked about Burke and Kielan Woods being like “hawks waiting for Paddy to retire”, so this isn’t a new idea. 

News on this is sure to come out in the next few weeks. Watch this space.

YOUNG BLOOD

13.42 MAIDEN STAKES

HAWAIIN has seen a favourable and telling move in the market. Trained by last years winning trainer he is a KODIAC colt, out of a SHAMARDAL mare who will likely go well. A Royal Ascot gun being unleashed?

RUNNING QUEEN ia a homebred for David Howden who is making a splash with his sponsorship deals at Royal Ascot and Bahrain. By KINGMAN, her dam never ran as a 2yo but made up into a stakes winning 3yo.

REPOSADO by the extraordinary WOOTTON BASSETT. Amo normally have their 2yo’s ready to run and this one’s page is full of juvenile speed, his sister is TRILLIUM who won the Molecomb and Flying Childers.

STAR ANTHEM is by STARSPANGLEDBANNER who can get an above average 2yo, out of a DANSILI mare who is a full sister to Gr3 ZIBELINA who in turn has produced 2 stakes horses. Nice pedigree, but not the nicest looking foal.

TROPICAL STORM is our man PUROSANGUE’s half brother. A 22k foal to 50k yearling. In the hands of Oisin he looks of interest, but has been on the drift

SPRING is a KODI BEAR filly trained by Richard Hughes who has his string in good order. Out of a PIVOTAL mare, she won’t mind any cut in the ground but might find life against the boys tough today.

RASHABAR was a 120,000 euros purchase from France trained by Brian Meehan. His pedigree is littered with good German horses but probably wants further than this.

ANT COLONY is by Invincible Army and trained by Eve and seeing some support from his initial huge price.

Verdict: Follow the money. Hannon loves taking Newbury pots, he won this race last year and HAWAIIN looks like he’ll follow suit. His dam was a half million guineas yearling herself only running once but she won and has produced a couple of nice 2yo’s already.

RISK ON

SHOULDVEBEENARING disappointed a lot of punters yesterday, including us. ROYALE MARGAUX’s race was ran way too quicky for her and she will likely need a step up in trip. She will win before going to stud. Today we are playing four bets, three singles and an ew treble:

15.45 GRAND PROVIDENCE

Reports are she’s fit and pedigree means ground won’t be a problem. Really only METIER to beat today who has been a long time out of form. 11/4

15.55 RATH GAUL HILL

Hoping he wasn’t flattered last time out, because boy did his win look good. At the weights, he should take all the beating if he’s on a going day. 11/4.

18.00 BULLETS HILL

Top on bumper form and will appreciate the return to better ground. 11/4.

50/1 ew treble on the above three selections makes for our small, speccy (but NAP) of the day.

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