Equinties - love from Atzeni

Gm Equinauts

After a miserable week of near misses, which we had to apologise for, thankfully we got back on the scoreboard in typical ‘Saturday’ fashion.

We had winners in PREPSCHOOL at 7/4, HENRY LONGFELLOW (at no odds), VESPERTILIO in the Group 2 ALPHA CENTAURI at 4’s and the stats found Eve’s GOVERNMENT CALL at short 13/8.

There were two let downs in CHINDIT who massively underperformed at Newbury while in Newmarket Probert found more trouble on LADY WULFRUN than Oisin Murphy would in Vegas.

But Racing X wouldn't have cared one bit, for they shoved ARREST into odds on and landed the banker of the day:

Onwards and upwards. Lets dive in.

BGP FANTASY LEAGUE COMP

We’ve been hyping up the TOTE’s new Fantasy game since we found it. Why? Simply because there is nothing else out there now which can help people cage the betting chimp while maintaining an emotional interest in the big races of the day.

People bet way too much and the Fantasy allows you to get limited risk on, fill your brain up with the dope it craves and still be in the mix for a big win.

If we hit 100 stables today, top of the BGP private league comes golfing with BGP Capital - we’ll run the comp until someone wins!

HEADLINE ROUNDUP

FIREWORKS IN FRANCE

Deauville played host to the headline act on our screens yesterday with two Group 1s to savour.

The best performance of the racing came from VANDEEK in the Group 1 Prix Morny.

In a race that has seen BLACKBEARD, PERFECT POWER, and CAMPANELLE win in recent years, the thrice-raced HAVANA GREY colt downed the well-supported favourite RAMATUELLE to build on his Group 2 Richmond Stakes win at Goodwood.

The race is clearly strong form, RAMATUELLE is a well-regarded horse in the Christopher Head yard who beat HIS MAJESTY impressively in the Group 2 Prix Robert Papin, the third, RIVER TIBER, is a Royal Ascot winner who could be a Guineas horse for Ballydoyle, and the fourth, SACRED ANGEL, won the Group 3 Princess Margaret Stakes at Ascot last month. It will pay to follow.

VANDEEK is obviously a VERY good horse and could be heading to the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes in late September; he’s as short as 4/1 for the contest.

Here’s how life started out for him as a breezer:

In the other Group 1 of the day, the Prix Jean Romanet, MQSE DE SEVIGNE arrived late at the line and just got up ahead of favourite VIA SISTINA who potentially hit the front too soon under Jamie Spencer.

The ew to nothing in the race, ABOVE THE CURVE, finished 3rd proving admirably consistent as ever for a filly and it won't be long until she’s got her head back in front.

THE REST IS HISTORY

One day earlier at Newbury, ARREST got his season back on track winning the Group 3 Geoffrey Freer Stakes under Frankie Dettori, who upset racegoers by not doing a flying dismount… say what!?

I imagine its all about self-preservation for the old dog these days. Anyway, back to the race, it wasn’t exactly a vintage renewal but ARREST did it well, completing the hard work early allowing backers to breathe easily a long way out.

The FRANKEL three-year-old was cut to 7/1 for the St Leger off the back of the run, a skinny enough price considering he beat the 95-rated CHING SHIH by a length and a half when receiving three pounds.

Betting is about finding the right horse for the right race, and in our view that was it … we wouldn't be too quick to land on him for anything else.

GOOD MOVE

Finally, away from Europe, trainer Leonard Powell has a filly to be very excited about as the impressive ANISETTE comfortably won the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks by three lengths.

By the 2016 Irish Guineas winner AWTAAD out of TUTTI FRUTTI, the three-year-old filly was formerly trained by Kevin Philippart De Foy and won a Wolverhampton maiden under Danny Muscutt in December 2022.

Having moved over the USA after that, she won the Group 2 San Clemente Stakes last month before going on to further success this weekend.

QUICKFIRE NEWS

WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THIS HORSE?

Victor of the lamest Derby ever, DESERT CROWN, goes lame himself…again. DESERT CROWN is out of the Juddmonte having suffered ANOTHER set back and we’ll hazard a guess that we never see this horse again. It’s sad as no one wants to see animals injured but people need to give up on this lad. Boring now.

FIRST FOR HAVANA GREY AND THE CRISFORDS

Rocket daddy HAVANA GREY bagged his first Group 1 with VANDEEK winning the Prix Morny. It wasn't just a first for him though as it also meant the Crisford’s enjoyed their first taste of success at the highest level.

ATZENI’S PARTING GIFT

While VANDEEK’s win was most memorable for both HAVANA GREY and the Crisford’s, it also signed off Atzeni’s incredible career in Europe ahead of him pursuing new duties in Hong Kong.

YOUNG BLOOD

18.50 Lingfield

CAJETAN by ADVERTISE, a sire whose progeny are taking a lot of time it seems. He lost by a whisker lto and on that form is a leading player today, price reflects that.

HAVANAGREATTIME by HAVANA GREY was bought for 105k, placed on both starts, ran well lto at Goodwood. Going the right way, going to be in the mix.

MOVIE MAKER by INVINCIBLE SPIRIT o/o a New Approach mare. Dam wasn’t any good only running once in her life but she’s a half sister to dual Gr3 winner LOCKEOOD and SAGA who was given to The Queen and has been Listed placed (rated 106).

SHAYEKH is looking very exposed while ELMONJEB, INVINCIBLE MOLLY and WESSEX are all making their debuts so best watched.

Verdict: If CAJETAN can replicate his last time out effort he should be hard to beat. HAVANAGREATTIME looks his biggest danger.

STATS OF THE DAY

Both THE DANCING POET 14.25 and QUERCUS 16.45 look set up for their respective races. TDP has won his renewal the last twice and QUERCUS was 1st and 2nd in ‘21 and ‘22 respectively.

RISK ON

As always when a big meeting is pending (this time its York) the racing is woeful and today needs to be a tools down and keep the powder dry kind of day.

Play the TOTE FANTASY instead.