Equinties - Longchamp awards

Gm Equinauts

There’s plenty to talk about from the weekend just gone, so as normal protocol after a big weekend, we are going to fire up the Equinties Newsletter Awards covering the best of the best…and the worst of the worst.

The flat has only one set of awards left, Ascot’s Champions day, which will be the denouement of the season.

And then we’re just full blown jumps!

Let’s dive in.

HEADLINE ROUNDUP

PRIX DE L’ARC DE TRIOMPHE WEEKEND AWARDS

RIDE OF THE WEEKEND – ROSSA RYAN

Ride of the weekend gives us a good excuse to talk about Rossa Ryan as his effort on BLUESTOCKING in the Arc was very good. Big race and a bigger ride from a sterling jockey.

LOS ANGELES made the running and Ryan (Rossa that is!) realised that the pace wasn’t overly strong so he could sit near the front and be ready to kick.

It was ballsy considering the horse has never won over the trip, but that’s why this was one of the standout rides of the week just due to the stakes at risk.

As for BLUESTOCKING herself, she gave Juddmonte a seventh Arc and also gave another boost to a horse selling on Tuesday in Tattersalls Book 1.

Well done Rossa and well done to her groom who celebrated at his local!

TRAINER OF THE WEEKEND – CHRISTOPHER HEAD

This could have been easy to give to Aidan O’Brien, but Christopher Head is a bit more fun, and he deserves the accolade.

He won a Group 3 at Saint-Cloud on Friday before RAMADAN won the Group 2 Prix Wildenstein on Friday and RAMATUELLE bolted up in the Group 1 Prix de la Foret yesterday.

Head fancied her in the build-up to the contest, but the manner of her success probably still surprised him. She brought the 1000 Guineas form into the contest, a piece of form that got a boost from TAMFANA winning the Sun Chariot, and she kicked well clear under Aurelien Lemaitre and then RAMATUELLE who landed the Foret.

She’s off to the Breeders’ Cup now for the Mile and she must have a huge chance based on her success this weekend and the devastating form line she leads.

FAVOURITE PERFORMANCE – FRIENDLY SOUL

RAMATUELLE and BLUESTCOKING had good cases to win this prize, but FRIENDLY SOUL was a good winner on the Prix de l’Opera.

There’s a lot to like about her profile going forward.

Firstly, Sunday showed that she has a great attitude. She sat prominently with the likes of FALLEN ANGEL and SPARKLING PLENTY waiting in the wings to shoot at her, but she stuck on nicely to win.

She also boosts the KALPANA form from her success in the Listed Pretty Polly Stakes and she has won five of her six starts.

Furthermore, her win gives her dam, IN CLOVER, another Group 1-winning offspring to add to WITH YOU, CALL THE WIND, and WE ARE.

She’s smart and Sunday showed that.

DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE WEEK – THE JAPANESE

When will we stop believing? Year-on-year, Japan send their best talent to the Arc in search of winning the race that has eluded them, and yet they never do.

This year, they had a strong chance with SHIN EMPEROR as well as an Irish-trained chance with AL RIFFA due to his Japanese owner.

AL RIFFA’s Japanese owner wanted the richest Japanese jockey in the controls but that was a huge mistake as he completely ruined his own chances of success in the race.

As for SHIN EMPEROR, he never looked happy and he never got into it. Although he has a pedigree to suit soft ground, maybe the softer surface was the reason behind the poor performance?

Either way, Japan goes on another year to find an Arc winner.

WEEKEND EYE-CATCHERS

QIRAT – SATURDAY 15.35 ASCOT

Starting at Ascot, QIRAT was a big eye-catcher in the Challenge Cup Handicap and will probably get a few pounds in the handicap after Saturday.

He made a big move with one furlong to go, but admittedly had no chance of beating VOLTERRA who did really bolt up.

He is a SHOWCASING half to the now Arc winner BLUESTOCKING, so he’ll continue to get better, and he might even stay a bit further than seven furlongs if his sprint daddy allows.

BELIEVING – SUNDAY 14.05 LONGCHAMP

BELIEVING let another Group 1 go this weekend when storming home in the l’Abbaye behind MAKAROVA who was probably a bit of a shock winner3.

She was trying hard when she needed a gap to open up, so it’s not like she was perfect as she did hit a flat spot, but her route through was still blocked.

That makes in now three Group 1s, where she’s either been badly drawn or hampered. This sport can be tough, but her ability can’t be underestimated.

SPARKLING PLENTY – SUNDAY 16:05 LONGCHAMP

Yeh, this comment is pretty on the money about SPARLING PLENTY.

She’s been given plenty to do on her last three runs and she was a huge eye-catcher when third to OPERA SINGER in the Nassau.

She was held up yesterday and was probably a bit of an unlucky loser, but the faith should be kept in her going forward.

She beat TAMFANA, the Sun Chariot winner, and AVENTURE, the Arc runner-up, four starts ago in the Prix de Diane, so that form looks hot after this weekend.

RISK ON

Stratford has a pretty average card on today but eyes on the Skelton horses bookending the card. DENZIL in the first is family bred and owned Nick Skelton owned the sire DINK (he still might)) making him a full brother to the yards big graded winner NUBE NEGRA. Admittedly he does have two other siblings who aren’t anywhere near as good, but still, if anything like NUBE NEGRA then he’s one to keep on side.

The other horse, TOP TIER GOSSIP, runs in the bumper. She’s by GETAWAY but more importantly out of WELL CONNECTED who has produced top horse MIDNIGHT RIVER who we love. Huge drifter today, odds on out to 15/8 suggests she might need more time…but the particular bumper is the weakest you’ll find all season and we’d disappointed if she couldn’t win it even half fit!

13.40 SOFIA THE FIRST

Should prove well handicapped for Balding with top jock Oisin Murphy on. 7/4.

No other bets as of yet, but make sure notifications are on for our X account @equinties where we post bets like yesterdays 20/1 winner:

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