Equinties - king of racing

Gm Equinauts

The script was certainly read perfectly at Ascot on Saturday for Frankie Dettori saw his “final” ride in the UK turn into a winning one onboard KING OF STEEL in the Group 1 Champion Stakes.

And what a final ride it was…

The balls on Dettori to ride KING OF STEEL from the rear on deplorable ground was quite incredible and the crowd certainly made him how much he was appreciated:

As much as the whole Dettori retirement party has been long and tedious at times, there’s no denying that he is one of the greatest jockeys in the saddle ever and this year has been incredible for him.

From the Guineas to the Oaks; Royal Ascot to Champions Day, he has been there winning the big races. His victory in the famous silks of Godolphin made Champions Day extra special on Saturday and honestly, our sport will miss him.

Best of luck in America, Dettori!

Now, let’s dive in.

Our sponsor UK MEDS are the only online pharma-distributor to have the fat loss jab OZEMPIC in stock ever since Elon Musk tweeted about it creating a shortage.

Use code EQUINTIES50 for £50 off and free delivery.

HEADLINE ROUND UP

CHAMPION FORM?

Champions Day form is always up for question. The ground is typically horrendous and horses are tired after a long season.

But when the likes of BIG ROCK go and put five lengths on the field in a Group 1, do you take that with a pinch of salt or that the form to follow?

Well, let’s no deny he has always been knocking on the door of a huge win like that. Okay, his effort behind SAUTERNE when odds-on two starts ago was slightly disappointing but two second’s behind INSPIRAL and ACE IMPACT stamps him as a top, top horse. Plus, check this out:

Those in behind ran stinkers and excuses might be made but they were well beat. NASHWA found nothing, CHALDEAN didn’t turn up again and PADDINGTON will probably be getting a scope as we speak… that’s if he’s finished yet.

CRACKING BUY

A breeding right in CRACKSMAN sold for 105,000gns on Friday. The son of FRANKEL has had a tremendous year headed by the Champion 3yo Colt ACE IMPACT, winner of the Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

His progeny finished Tattersalls Book 1 with a top price of 280,000gns and an average of 156,000gns and Book 2 with an average of 107,000gns after 8 sold. He’s got 67 yearlings to turn 2 next year to run for him and 40 registered foals. The numbers will pick up next year after ACE IMPACT’s exploits.

Buyer Philip Baron Von Ullmann said, “We believe that Cracksman is the perfect stallion for Schlenderhan's philosophy because he fits perfectly with our Adlerflug (Ger) mares, especially those out of Monsun (Ger) dams.

What more can you ask of a stallion who in his first crop has bred an Arc winner? We have a couple of Adlerflug mares who could visit him next year. We will wait until we do our proper planning but he's definitely going to get a very strong mare from us.”

WEEKEND NOTES

SUNWAY 

The full brother to Champion Stakes and Lagardere winner SEALIWAY got the better of Alcantor in the Gr1 Criterium International over a mile. The race at Saint Cloud has had mixed results over the years, past winners include; PROUD AND REGAL, ANGEL BLEAU, ALSON and THUNDER SNOW.

SUNSAY is by GALIWAY, who is becoming an increasingly popular son of GALILEO. Shadwell brought a GALIWAY filly at Bk2 for example.

BLUE POINT 

The young gun by SHAMARDAL has dominated the first Season Sire table all year and on Sunday he notched up another stakes winner. WALDFRIEDA plundered Listed honours in Germany in the Alson-Trophy over 7f. In doing so, he became BLUE POINT’s 40th individual winner of the year and 5th black type winner. The German bred, is out of German Oaks winner WALDTRAUT, who is by OASIS DREAM, which is the same cross that has produced BIG EVS.

We called it early:

LOS ANGELES

The Coolmore and Westerberg owned son of CAMELOT fended off ISLANDSINTHESTREAM to notch up a Gr1 win in the Criterium dr Saint Cloud over 10f. Bred at Coolmore, he is out of FREQUENTIAL who has produced Gr3 placed horses HECTOR DE MARIS and BE HAPPY from a mating with the big man CAMELOT. CAMELOT’s BLUESTOCKING nearly got up to win the Fillies and Mares Stakes at Ascot on Saturday, and he has a live classic contender in DANCING GEMINI next year.

KING OF STEEL

A horse of a lifetime for Kia, now a much deserved Gr1 winner! He had to do it the hard way, from the back, which was the opposite to what had unfolded for most of the day when you had to be up at the front. He was a $200,000 yearling, and his page is mostly French group form. He is obviously by WOOTTON BASSETT who won the Lagardere as a 2yo. But his dam was a winner in France and she is a full sister to MOSS CRISSY, who placed in the Gr2 Prix de Pomone and the Prix de Royalllieu.

DERBY HORSE?

Amidst the attention of Ascot on Saturday, Leopardstown was treated to a superb performance in their concluding contest of the day as OCEAN OF DREAMS bolted up in the one-mile maiden under Seamie Heffernan.

The 2yo by FASTNET ROCK pushed aside INVENTION with ease to skate in and in the process earned quotes of 16/1 for next year’s Epsom Derby.

Trainer Aidan O’Brien now has four of the first six in the betting for next year’s Epsom Derby, further showing the potentially incredible year he could have in 2024.

STATS OF THE DAY

Only two standout stats today:

15.35 THE CALTONIAN hacked up lto. Yard 1 in 3 when travelling this far. Have two at the meeting but this one is turned out again quickly adding to the stats.

PUNCHBOWL FLYER is 3 from 4 at Windsor. He will love the slop and his last run days the drop to 5f will suit. 14.55.

RISK ON

18.40 DECEIVER

Cliff horse. Drift a concern - draw or yard expecting aa bounce? If he doesn’t bounce, he might prove very well handicapped. 12/1.

Subscribe using the link below to get access to our Weekender edition plus membership to the Weekender Racing Club, entry to the Vegas comp and other big news and invite-only events coming soon.

Become a paying subscriber of Premium to get access to this post and other subscriber-only content.

Already a paying subscriber? Sign In.

A subscription gets you:

• • The weekender edition (Mon-Fri still free)
• • The weekends best bets
• • That warm fuzzy feeling inside knowing the intern gets fed
• • Only £1 a week!