Equinties - racing cars

Gm Equinauts

You can tell it’s a ‘post-York/bank holiday Monday’ Tuesday, the racing is absolutely disgusting.

We’ve found one play today, but be warned it’s highly likely we’ll be reserving a lot of ammo this week for our beloved Newbury Thursday and the message horses on Friday (dec’s depending).

Let’s dive in.

HEADLINE ROUNDUP

TRAINER KNOWS BEST?

When LADY IMAN won the Group 3 Molecomb Stakes at Glorious Goodwood, Ger Lyons was obviously happy, but it almost felt like he had his hands tied up behind his back.

His post-race interview with Lydia Hislop on Racing TV was quality. He spoke about the future of the sport and the future of LADY IMAN. To summarise, he was buzzing about taking her to the Breeders’ Cup because Ryan Moore thought she would ‘just win’ the Juvenile Turf Sprint, but he was also a little bit dejected that his owners wanted to go to the Nunthorpe Stakes with her.

Obviously, the owners pay the bills, and she had earned her right at something like the Nunthorpe, but taking any juvenile to the Group 1 calvary charge at York is always a tough task, no matter how good your two-year-old is. Older horses are better.

Lyons knew this, but they went to York with their STARMAN filly, and she ended up finishing 14th of 17 having drifted a bit in the morning markets. She did go off 11/2, in fairness, so there was a bit of late correction in the market.

Examining her run in the Nunthorpe, there are actually positives to take from it. She travelled in behind runners, and she was one of the last off the bridle. Stop the race at the three-furlong pole, it would have been easy to label her as the winner as a gap was appearing between FROST AT DAWN and ARIZONA BLAZE. However, FROST AT DAWN moved right, ARIZONA BLAZE moved left, and there was soon no room at the inn.

From there, she had no chance, and we’re now left hoping that a race like the Nunthorpe hasn’t scrambled the head of LADY IMAN, because that would be a shame.

Speaking to the Racing Post yesterday, Lyons said: "She's a tough little girl and she's only lost ten kilos. If you were to do the Nunthorpe with a two-year-old, she was the right horse to do it with, but I'm not sure any two-year-old is the right horse to do it with, no matter who they are.

"It's way too soon to call it but, at the minute, the filly looks to have come out of the race okay. The Flying Childers could come too quick, but we'll see how she is and she will tell us whether we should go there or not.

"Then we'll have the discussion about whether we go to America or not. It'll be all down to the O'Callaghans [owners] and we'll have a chat about it and see what they want to do."

That’s a pretty positive update, but obviously, more time will offer more information. It’s interesting what he said about America in the final line, as at York, he was very, very bullish.

Do what’s right by the horse, Ger, but if she is well, don’t lose your bottle.

RETIREMENT BECKONS

Quite shockingly, DESERT FLOWER, this year’s Newmarket 1000 Guineas winner, might never race again. Yes, you read that correctly.

To be honest, it had crossed our minds that we hadn’t seen the Classic-winning daughter of NIGHT OF THUNDER since she finished third to MINNIE HAUK and WHIRL in the Epsom Oaks because, well, it’s been nearly three months. Furthermore, after MINNIE HAUK’s impressive work at York last week and WHIRL’s wins in the Pretty Polly and Nassau, the form line is looking rather hot.

And finally, do you remember how confident Charlie Appleby was before the Oaks? In as many words, he said she was pretty bombproof regarding conditions, and the only worry was the distance. Yes, she didn’t win, but only being beaten four-and-a-quarter lengths is quite impressive.

Anyway, it seems as if she may be off to her duties as a broodmare next, as her Epsom experience has hit her quite hard. Appleby said: "Epsom took its toll on Desert Flower. Potentially, she has one more run in her, but unless she tells us that she’s ready to go, she’s too valuable a broodmare prospect to risk.”

Appleby is also a bit downbeat on RULING COURT, his other Classic winner of this season, as he continued: "Ruling Court is a bit on the back-foot. He's had a busy year, beginning in Dubai and then taking in the 2,000 Guineas. After that he was prepared for the Derby, which he didn’t end up running in, and then he went to the St James’s Palace and then the Eclipse, which all came a bit quick for him. He’s earned a rest.”

We don’t have much to add here as the quotes do most of the talking. When fillies start to get a bit sour, they can be really hard to get back, and that’s the vibe we get from Appleby’s quotes here.

Ultimately, she is a quality horse who has all the potential to be an equally brilliant broodmare, and for Godolphin, that’s what they’ve got to look at now.

RACING CARS

Richard Hannon is an interviewer’s dream. He’s a bit like Paul Nicholls but less punchy.
If you prod him about one of his good horses, he’ll get on his haunches and defend them to the hills. Loyalty is a nice trait to have, in fairness, and he is very loyal to his horses, but he doesn’t half chuck out a few outlandish quotes because of this.

The horse Hannon has recently been defending very publicly in the media is, of course, ROSALLION, a horse he once described as the best horse he’s ever trained.

As we’ve recently said in this newsletter, ROSALLION’s season has been a bit prickly, but we all know this, and we don’t want to rehash our old points. Since we last spoke about him, the 2024 Irish Guineas winner has finished fourth in the Group 1 City Of York Stakes, and he probably wasn’t given the smartest ride in the world by Sean Levey. Let’s just say he was given plenty to do.

So, will ROSALLION get his hooves on a Group 1 this season? One can assume connections are desperate for this to happen with one eye to his future at stud, and Hannon is trying to persuade Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum to send him to America later this season.

He said: “His run was disappointing, I watched it again over the weekend, he got his head down and battled and tried his best, but he didn’t quite run to what he has been doing in his last two races.

“We’ll have to dust ourselves off and look at where we are going to go next. I’ve always thought he would be very adaptable to the Breeders’ Cup Mile, with the way he travels and his speed.

“I honestly think he would go round there like Scalextric, but then again you’re relying on getting a good draw and if he does that he would have early speed and with two bends he’d be able to kick off the last bend. I’ve always thought he’d be very hard to beat in a Breeders’ Cup.

“I talked to Sheikh Mohammed Obaid this morning, I don’t think the Moulin… it comes a little quick and I don’t want to go to a race like that off the back of this so close to it.

“I’d love to go to the Breeders’ Cup, but let’s see how it goes. We’ve also got to think of him as a stallion and I think it’s essential that we win somewhere.”

Having been called the best he’s ever trained, Hannon is now comparing him to a Scalextric. Which is better? It’s a tight contest.

RISK ON

A very disappointing run from a highly touted Balding horse yesterday (backed from 8/11 into 1/3). We genuinely thought neither would get beat. We move…

Today we look to the much bigger prices.

17.10 BARBUDA BAY

This is an incredibly weak fillies’ maiden with reasons to take on the odds on fave through her collateral form. This race could open up to a debutant and BARBUDA BAY is nicely bred. By hot new sire STARMAN, the dam was a well bred all-weather winner who produced winner BRIDESHEAD who is now a mum to a nice winner. 10/1 ew and small 37/1 ew with the new ante-post play. The spreadsheet needs filling.

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