Equinties - no more jockey swabs

Gm Equinauts 

For all those who couldn’t give a flying f about BGP Capital and just want to read alternative racing news without my warmongering marketing, you’ll be pleased to know the doors to BGP Capital closed last night after a monumental round of fund raising.

To those of you who joined, welcome to the club. To those of you who didn’t, I’ll see you in it next year.

Now, let’s dive in.

Headline Roundup

The WORST comparison, ever

Yesterday, Matt Chapman likened CONSTITUTION HILL to Jose Mourinho. I’m not even joking. Jose might have been nicknamed the ‘chosen one’ YEARS AGO but to say ‘CONSTITUION HILL is your Jose Mourinho’ is quite mystifying. Of every single human being on Earth, he picks someone who has been kicked out of three PL clubs in quick succession and now left the country.

Stick to racing, Matt.

Arc a no-go for VERRY ELLEEGANT 

Right, I'm over this story now. I said yesterday VERRY ELLEEGANT should be running in l’Arc because, and this is very unlike me, it would be ‘sporting’ (and just make sense commercially). But she isn’t that good and she’s not in so let’s get over it.

Following Tuesday’s drama with VERRY ELLEEGANT and the Arc, trainer Francis-Henri Graffard decided not to supplement their seven-year-old mare for the 1m4f contest in France.  Graffard said he was “ashamed” by how the French handicapper had assessed her two runs in France, going on to say: "The planets really haven't aligned for us with the Arc being a 72-hour declaration.  

“It's a very bad situation for French racing - the French authorities have put us in a very bad situation and I'm ashamed by their reaction and the way they have treated my owners and this mare from the day she arrived in France.” 

However, Eric Le Guen, France’s representative on the board of international handicappers, has hit back at Graffard’s comments.  Loool.

“When she won a Group 1 at Randwick in February, she did not post a rating higher than we have her now with any of the international handicappers, except Australia,” said Le Guen. 

"For that win [in the Chipping Norton Stakes] the Australian handicapper gave her 114, but France and Britain made her 109, Germany 111 and Japan 113 - she didn't run that well on her comeback after four months in the Jean Romanet and was rated 103 and then in the Prix Foy we made her 113, and that was giving the winner Iresine a career-high of 118.” 

To be honest, this whole story has blown up way too much. She isn’t in the race, move on.  

WEST WIND BLOWS was also taken out yesterday and will instead go for the Gr2 Prix Dollar on Saturday, leaving 23 left in the race. 

More: 

BHA have lost their taste for swabbing 

The BHA’s anti-doping saliva testing pilot program has been temporarily cut by the head of British Racing in light of the false positive recorded by Sean Levey two weeks ago.  

In a statement released by the BHA, they said: “We will also be working with Sean Levey to determine how his positive sample came about in order to understand what challenges could be faced and different approaches that could be used when testing in the future.” 

‘We lost you the 20k Racing League bonus, now you can work for us’.

More: 

BGP grad helped by the stewards 

The stewards made it back into the news yesterday as they made a controversial decision in the 17.30 at Kempton. 

It was a great night all round for BGP as BGP 1 backed the Haynes winner in the race, but the result was overturned for our grad, DIRECT SECURITY to be awarded the race in the Stewards room. Honestly? Fuck knows how the Stewards come to that decision… people are saying there was minimal interference, but I genuinely couldn’t see anything between HARRY’S HERO and DIRECT SECURITY.

Of course, Racing Twitter voiced their differing opinions on the event, including Dave Yates on Racing TV in the above tweet. 

DIRECT SECURITY arrived at BGP HQ straight after the sales last October and she was little better than a mess. She wasn’t prepped very well and had bad feet, she needed a lot of time to do nothing but be looked after. She is a great example of how good one’s ‘eye’ must be at the sales. DIRECT SECURITY was picked up for next to nothing at the sales because, quite frankly, she looked like a bag of shit but her blood (and potential) was there. A chance was taken, and she’s now gone to win on her second attempt and will be rated in the high 80’s soon. Owners are defo in the money with her.

Runners and riders for l’Arc 

Thoughts: Rob Hornby on WESTOVER, that’s a big ride. The Japanese will be pleased with stall 10 for TITLEHOLDER. MISHRIFF (stall 17) might as well stay at home as his stamina is a doubt over the distance, especially on rain softened ground. ALPINISTA looks set up for a big race, Luke Morris should be able to get a good posi from stall 6. Connections of LUXEMBOURG will be pleased. Will take a mighty performance from TORQUATOR TASSO to win from stall 18, Frankie will have to be at his best, he’ll probably use the same tactics he used for GOLDEN HORN where he stayed wide for half a mile. Christophe Soumillon will be praying he doesn’t get any traffic problems from stall 2, like he did in the Irish Champion Stakes.

Who wins the Arc? Comment your winner on Twitter.

Risk on

A lot of racing but all very competitive, so going to keep powder dry today bar a small speccy play on the below.

13.25 TOTNES

Balding’s lot like this one in a tough race. Normally I’d watch Balding horses first time out, but he did have a 1 and 2 yesterday suggesting his yard is in form and they’re all trying. Like all 2yo debutants, she’ll either win on merit or won’t be knocked about, so the risk is heightened. She has a nice pedigree, by KINGMAN who is responsible for two nice fillies seen recently in NOSTRUM and COMMISSIONING. Either own your risk or just watch and track for next time. I'm having a small play.