Equinties - the limited league

Gm Equinauts

The future of the Racing League really is up in the air. The company that runs it haven’t been turning over a profit and despite a lot of attention some people still think negatively of it and we don’t know why.

Although many will be against the artificial team-based nature of the competition, there is no denying that it creates a good stories, fine racing moments and more importantly - brilliant prize money.

Some would say it’s more for the owners than the punters and that’s fine by us! Unless you land a gamble in, racing in this country really won’t reward owners - something the Racing League is trying to address.

It really is sh*t or bust for the project now. Maybe one or two seasons to try and win over a few more fans. If that is unsuccessful, then we could well be seeing the end of it which really would be a shame.

Perhaps the organisers need more racing influencers promoting it? Just a thought.

Let’s dive in.

HEADLINE ROUNDUP

RACING LEAGUE REVIEW

Well, the Racing League has come to an end and despite the late efforts from Team East, Wales & The West were crowned 2024 winners.

Last night, Wales & The West kicked clear having been ahead going into the meeting thanks to a well-executed joker card, two other winners and two places.

Do you know why that happened? Because Jamie Osborne and the trainers around him have bought into the idea and actually care. Good prize money for a midweek card when there is nothing to clash with it and the winning team get a big bonus. How the hell do you not buy into that!?

And, just to top it off, Saffie Osborne was the leading rider (again) despite a spirited charge from Billy Loughnane (two winners on the night) and Danny Muscutt (one winner on the night although our new hire Norm would argue it should have been two!).

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

The Breeders’ Cup Classic-bound Derby winner CITY OF TROY is set to have a racecourse gallop at the Nottinghamshire-based track in an attempt to give him a nice simulation ahead of his American trip.

The Juddmonte winner is set to head to the UK on September 20th where he will travel over in the morning, settle into his stable, work in the afternoon with some stablemates and then head away in the evening.

It’s been done before by Aidan O’Brien as he took GALILEO to Southwell ahead of his stab at the Classic, but he came up quite short, so that didn’t work out for him.

Furthermore, it seems like the public will be able to come and watch him!

Although this trip to Southwell is interesting, the more pressing question is why does Coolmore have such an obsession with the Classic?

They mentioned the race for AUGUSTE RODIN last year (and it was potentially one of the reasons why he stayed in training as a 4YO) and they have sent the likes of GALILEO and GIANT’S CAUSEWAY to the contest in the past.

But why CITY OF TROY? Why is there a pressing reason to get him there when they could go Irish Champ and then the Arc (ground permitting)?

It’s all down to the Coolmore history. The Breeders Cup is their stallions rite of passage. If you revert back to our Breeders Cup edition of the newsletter from November 4th last year, we described why the Breeders Cup was so important to the stallion industry.

The Breeders Cup was important to Vincent O’Brien and Robert Sangster and now it maintains itself as the biggest target for Aidan and ‘the lads’.

LANDED IN FRANCE

A month ago, we spoke about how SHIN EMPEROR was heading to the Irish Champion Stakes and then on to the Arc in an attempt to win Japan’s first ever Arc.

Well, there is an update on him as he has landed in France ahead of a big few months for him.

Although it’s hard to work out his form if you can’t read Japanese, he was third in the Japanese Derby and that must be good form because we have seen a load of Japanese horses coming over and performing well. Case in point, DUREZZA in the Juddmonte International.

To be fair to SHIN EMPEROR, since we last spoke about him, we have had a small update about how the Arc could look like.

With CITY OF TROY heading elsewhere and the likes of CALANDAGAN and GOLIATH unable to run, it could be quite a weak Arc compared to the last few years.

So, if the Japanese are to win it, this year looks like their best chance of doing so if the ground stays quick.

RISK ON

Tough betting today with a few messages coming through for debutants who are clearly showing a lot at home, namely PLAY ME in the 13.40, TYCOON in the 15.00 and 17.30 SARAB STAR. The former works well but has the capable horse in MOONJID to beat, TYCOON is supposed to be a very nice horse (Oisin riding for his girlfriends dad) and SARAB STAR is a monster. Betting or no betting, these three are certainly horses to follow.

One little ew today, but there might be one or two more which will be posted to X @equinties. SMART HERO in the 16.45 can be added as leverage.

16.00 GLOBAL ESTEEM

This versatile horse is in good form and has zero stamina worries versus some of the others in the line up. At 5/1 he should be an ew to nothing.

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