Gm, Equinauts

The Racing Post really p*ssed us off yesterday by changing up their desktop site and we did make our thoughts known:

The trouble is, the original desktop site was so plain and simple that anyone unfamiliar with racing or form study would probably have compared it to more “all-singing, all-dancing” platforms and assumed it needed a complete revamp. We understand that. But think back to school, university, or even reading a book on a Kindle — the focus is entirely on the plain black and white boring content. No distractions, no clutter, no unnecessary interruptions.

Serious form students often want the same thing: clean, functional information they can process quickly, rather than endless colours, pop-ups, opinions, or features getting in the way.

That’s what the RP have done.

Also, their article today on bin Suroor is shite. They highlight the fact he’s on a Royal Ascot hat-trick this year but only name two novices. He ain’t winning with them.

It’s the older horses that have been lurking in Dubai over the winter who will be winning.

Let’s dive in.

HEADLINE ROUNDUP

🤌ANOTHER RAID

We really, really don’t like backing Ed Dunlop horses and would happily ban the practice altogether, were it not for the fact some of them end up so screamingly well-handicapped they become almost impossible to ignore. We’re pretty sure the last one we backed was HIBERNATE last year, who won and subsequently led us down a profitable form line to follow:

We digress. Back to the point.

We tried to back Dunlops filly CALL ME AN ANGEL a few weeks ago when he sent one for the Italian Guineas. We thought she’d be a certainty after hearing Ryan Moore galloped her against a Gosden filly called SAND GAZELLE and absolutely thumped it.

We couldn’t get on.

Ed’s now wondering whether she will stay further and potentially head for the Italian Oaks to land the Italian Guineas Oaks double.

Ed Dunlop has used Goodwood’s Height Of Fashion Stakes as a springboard for Classic success before, most notably when SNOW FAIRY won it and went on to land the Oaks in 2010.

Dunlop acknowledged the deep nature of the field with many rivals carrying no penalty, but believes it will primarily provide important clues about the filly’s future and whether she can step up in trip successfully.

If she goes and wins, she could be another good bet in Italy is anyone can point us to bloody market!

👑QUEENS’ RE-MATCH

Aidan O'Brien looks set to saddle both TRUE LOVE and PRECISE in Sunday’s Irish 1,000 Guineas at the Curragh.

Aidan is reported to have said he’s expecting a much-improved showing from PRECISE after her disappointing effort behind her stablemate in the Guineas, having warned beforehand that she was short of full fitness following a disrupted spring campaign. He believes she has taken significant improvement from the run, with a possible Oaks tilt also under consideration afterwards.

TRUE LOVE meanwhile has reportedly thrived since her Newmarket success, setting up a mouth-watering rematch between the stable’s leading fillies. O’Brien admitted choosing between the pair for Ryan Moore will not be straightforward, with ground conditions, the draw and the fillies’ wellbeing all likely to influence the final decision closer to the race.

Lack of fitness of not, we were perhaps silly to oppose TRUE LOVE last time out and went with the PRECISE hype, but we think last years Cheveley Park form bangs! We shan’t be taking her on again.

🐎SALES SEASON

Whilst the rockets are being sold in Ireland over the next few days, the future giants of NH racing will go under the hammer closer in Donny.

After a mixed jumps season which featured some big wins and of course, the saddest losses, Nicky Henderson is focused on the future and has already been busy studying the catalogues for Goffs’ Spring Sale.

Henderson described the sales as a crucial part of the racing calendar, admitting trainers “have to live with” their purchases for years, while likening the process to “kids going into the candy store.”

Donny has proved a particularly fruitful hunting ground for Seven Barrows over the years, producing stars such as BOBS WORTH and and MY TENT OR YOURS, who famously cost just £12,000.

Of course, Henderson’s greatest recent success from the sales ring was CONSTITUTION HILL. We can’t go too many newsletter without mentioning the big lad can we, even in the depths of spring we have reason to bring the monster up! Well, he was bought for only £120,000 after a runner-up effort in an Irish point-to-point. Henderson revealed the superstar hurdler almost slipped under the radar because he had been on antibiotics before the sale and “wasn’t in his Sunday best”, leaving some buyers “petrified” of him. It Barry Geraghty who basically forced Nicky to buy him.

Henderson admitted he initially struggled to see the brilliance himself before “suddenly we clicked.” Despite modern National Hunt prices continuing to soar, Henderson says there is still huge satisfaction in finding value at the sales, even if trainers must sometimes be “brave, or stupid” when bidding for the horses they believe in.

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