Equinties - predigree's

Gm Equinauts

Today see’s arguably THE best pedigree make debut today in RAAHEB. Bred by Shadwell Estate, he’s out of AGHAREED and by SEA THE STARS making him the full brother to BAAEED and HUKUM.

A super star stallion pedigree, he basically needs to win today to stamp his destiny in the covering shed.

But will he?

Let’s not forget, BAAEED’s unbeaten crown was ripped off at the this track on Champions Day back in 2022. Shaggas rolled the dice after a deluge of rain the night before, fair play, but it was the ground that beat the champ.

RAAHEB today will encounter similar conditions and as a first time out 2yo with a potentially monster career ahead of him, surely Crowley won’t be beating him up to win.

He has every right to be an absolute weapon, and reportedly he very much is, but he is vulnerable in the conditions and given he’s taking up so much of the market,

he looks one to take on.

And we are.

Let’s dive in.

HEADLINE ROUND UP

SHAPING NICELY

The news earlier this week about OMBUDSMAN missing the Irish Champions Stakes was, initially, pretty depressing. John Gosden’s comments didn’t help, as he made it out to be an Aidan O’Brien-dominated affair, but if you actually take a step back and look at the race as a whole, it could be quite a nice little contest.

DELACROIX is an obvious player, but the Group 3 winner ZAHRANN is clearly improving, SHIN EMPEROR will be looking to improve on his third in the race last year, SEE THE FIRE could well turn up, and Owen Burrows is desperate to run ANMAAT before his big ‘Gold Cup’ of the British Champions Stakes.

On ANMAAT, Angus Gold said: “Owen is desperate to run him, touch wood he’s been pleased with the horse and we need to get him out really.

“You just can’t take a chance – he’s our best horse and we can’t afford to do the wrong thing by him with the autumn to come.

“They’ve had plenty of rain in Ireland recently, so I’m expecting he will be there, all being well.

“He’s shown already this year that he retains all his enthusiasm and ability, so hopefully we get him to Leopardstown in one piece.”

So, that’s five horses from five different trainers who are owned by five different owners, all turning up to the Irish Champions Stakes with a live chance. There also could be a few more bigger priced runners as well, so on the whole, that looks like a pretty race.

And now, you can add a sixth strong competitor to the mix, as this is the target for WHITE BIRCH. Before we talk about his chances in this race, it’s worth highlighting just how rough his career has been to watch. This may seem harsh, but for a horse who won all three of his starts in 2024, one of which against AUGUSTE RODIN in the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup, he just hasn’t really been able to show any further potential since.

His comeback run in the Group 2 Mooresbridge Stakes in May was nice, but he found LOS ANGELES, ANMAAT, and KALPANA too good in the Tattersalls Gold Cup on his next start. That was the last time we saw him, and unlike this season, connections seem to have kept him away from the track due to quick ground and not any setbacks, which is a positive.

So, now Ireland has had a bit of rain, he is set to run at Leopardstown this month, as George Murphy, assistant trainer to his dad John, said: "White Birch is training very well, seems in super form and goes to Leopardstown. We couldn't be happier with him.

"We were hoping to run in the Royal Whip before Leopardstown, but the ground went against us so we decided to skip that and the plan was then to go straight to Leopardstown.

"The Irish Champion Stakes and the Arc has been the target, especially given, on the law of averages, you've a better chance of getting suitable ground that time of year. We don't want firm in the going description; good ground would be fine."

Not only can you add WHITE BIRCH’s name to the Irish Champions Stakes list, but you can now count him as a contender for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Exciting!

If you fancy taking the chance on him for the Arc now, he’s 50/1. That seems big for a horse that has solid form in the book.

GOOD BLOOD DELIVERS

We love a good pedigree, and we love it when they win convincingly. Case in point, DIVISION, yesterday’s winner of the six-furlong novice stakes at Haydock.

So, what is there to like about him? Well, firstly, he is a full brother to the 2024 Lowther winner CELANDINE, and he holds an entry for the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes, a race he is 33/1 for.

That’s a fair bit of positivity, and he is in the Wathnan Racing silks having been bought for 800,000gns as a yearling. Another check. As for yesterday’s performance, he was good. He broke well and was quick into stride under James Doyle. He was probably a touch keen on the front end, but he wasn’t bad at all, and by the third furlong, he settled nicely into a rhythm.

From there, it was pretty much plain sailing. Doyle sat tight as the rest of the field started rowing away, and all he had to do was hover his finger over the button to seal the job. Nice horse.

While he was the 4/6 favourite, so he was clearly fancied, the second, NIGHT MISSION for Mark Rimell, is a DARK ANGEL half-brother to the Listed winner and Group 3-placed DUNEFLOWER, and his dam placed in the 2012 Group 2 Rockfel Stakes.

It will be interesting to see where Haggas and the Wathnan Racing team want to go from here. Obviously, that Middle Park entry is attractive, but the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes on September 20th could also be an option (if he comes out of the race soundly). The two-year-old trophy at Redcar could also be an option (October), or even the Listed Doncaster Stakes.

Either way, connections of the winner seem to have a nice horse on their hands, and so do our boys with NIGHT MISSION. The small syndicate of big punters might be opening their doors for a few more to come and join in the fun…

HE’S BACK

It’s fair to say that SADDADD, the London Gold Cup winner, looked like a Group horse when he won a nice Class 2 Sandown handicap last weekend.

We covered this in the newsletter, and it’s worth highlighting just how many horses have actually beaten SADDADD this season. OPERA BALLO, a potential Breeders’ Cup horse, is one, and HOTT SHOTT, a horse with FIELD OF GOLD form, is another.

The final horse who has finished ahead of SADDADD is GETHIN, and it’s all been a bit smoke and mirrors since he scorched home at Newbury in April.

He was considered a Classic horse at the time of his win, but an injury has ruled him out for most of the season, which has been a bit of a shame.
But still, injury or not, with the form he has in the book, he is a horse of massive interest.

Well, he’s back, and Burrows is going overseas to restart his season, as he said: “We’re probably going to leave it a week and he’s got an entry in the Prix du Prince d’Orange on September 14, but I also entered him for the Prix Turenne, which is a Listed race at Saint-Cloud, and I’m 95 per cent certain that is the target at the moment.

“He was ready to go the other week at Windsor, but it was a little on the quick side there.

“Unfortunately, back home there are not many options for him, but his work has been pleasing and he’s ready to go. We’re keen to get on and get him out.

“In an ideal world I would have liked to knock the freshness off him at home, but the opportunities are not there. I’m not concerned about having to travel him though.”

You probably know this already, but we think Burrows is a bit of a genius, and this planning seems very reasonable. There’s no need to fire GETHIN into big pots off the back of an injury, and to be honest, he could just have a quiet end to the season now ahead of a potential four-year-old campaign that could be more fruitful.

Eyes on.

RISK ON

The only bet SAPPHIRE PRINCESS ran a stinker yesterday. Today we’re betting our most reliable betting yard…

14.20 KALADAN

We’re taking on the strong market fave here with Eve’s debutant. He’s very nice and will handle the ground. Unlike several in the race, he’s ready to go first time up. 12/1 is a strong win bet for us. We’re taking a huge risk in this race given most all unraced but we’re happy with the potential downside for the upside and will just look to punt it back if Eve’s get’s beat. Strong bet.

14.42 HEDGE FUND

Fancied and can prove well handicapped.

15.30 WATCHA SNOOP

Strongly fancied.

16.40 BALMACARA

Fancied in the ground for Eve. Looks a good ew at 7’s.

17.15 FORTY YEARS ON

Will love the ground. 3/1.

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