Equinties - strength in numbers

Gm Equinauts

We don’t know anyone now who has a BET365 account. Not because we only know hugely successful punters, they’re a dying breed. It’s more because no one can keep them open for their intrusive and excessive demands for personal financial information.

At one point every one had the BET365 though and, for better or worse, it single-handedly revolutionised the the way people bet.

Love it or hate it, you simply can’t deny the BET365 business model isn’t genius,

and it was all built by one woman, Denise Coates.

From selling off the family shops (to Coral) in the 90’s so the company could invest in tech, to becoming one of the UK’s highest earning tax payer worth £10b, Denise Coates is the industry titan.

Current market speculation suggests BET365 is up for sale. This will earn Denise Coates north of £5b.

US based DraftKings are industry favourites for the takeover.

But as the speculation around the business grows, so do the rumours about Coates’ health. The industry whispers are that she’s really not very well, hence the need to exit.

We might make memes about her stopping bankers but this news is sad to hear, should it be true. Disclaimer - obviously we cannot confirm this is true!

We hope she’s in good health and makes a successful exit so her and her family can enjoy the fruits of her hard work!

P.s if you’re reading this, Denise - open up the intern’s account again…please!

Let’s dive in.

HEADLINE ROUND UP

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

Ballydoyle have had a pretty up-and-down start to the Flat season so far. They’ve swept up nearly every Derby/Oaks Trial, and yet some of their big stars have suffered setbacks.

KYPRIOS is not back in work yet and won’t be for the next 10 days (though “everything is good with Kyprios” according to Aidan O’Brien), THE LION IN WINTER missed the Guineas (and was poor enough at York), and we’ve yet to see TWAIN this season.

There were hopes that TWAIN was going to be at the Curragh in the Irish 2000 Guineas this weekend, but that was put on the shelf yesterday as O’Brien confirmed he is going to be on the side-lines until the Autumn.

O’Brien said: “He hasn’t been supplemented for the Guineas. It’s the same issue he had before Newmarket, he’s still not 100 per cent. I don’t think he’ll make it to Ascot now if he hasn’t made it this weekend, we’ll probably give him a little bit more time now.”

But Ballydoyle’s stock is deeper than the Mariana Trench and there is always a horse to fill the spot.

Now OFFICER is the main hope for O’Brien in the boys’ race, and he’s kind of come out of nowhere. By DUBAWI out of the Group 1-winning GALILEO mare HYDRANGEA, the pedigree is there, but he only raced once as a juvenile before returning over seven furlongs at the Curragh on soft ground in March.

He put that behind him to win the Listed Tetrarch Stakes earlier this month, and the fourth, BECKMAN, has won a handicap off 95 subsequently. Looking at this success, it was all a bit too easy for OFFICER in the end, but he was encouraged along with a furlong and a half to go. He was properly on the bridle, then Ryan Moore asked him for a strong effort, and he eventually got into top gear and went clear, though CURRAWOOD didn’t exactly go away.

He may be a smart horse, but this is probably a bit of a last-minute diversion, and he wasn’t originally the number one Ballydoyle hope. If you’re a fan of one in the Irish 2000 Guineas, there’s no strong reason to be too worried about him, but he has his chance.

As for the Irish 1000 Guineas, LAKE VICTORIA, the 6/4 favourite, is well on course to turn up at the Curragh on Sunday.

O’Brien said: "We thought Lake Victoria would come forward a lot from Newmarket and she has. We're very happy. Everyone has been very happy with her since.
"She ran well at Newmarket and wasn't beaten far. We were delighted with her, really. She was only ready to start that day and we were going to go to the Curragh over seven instead of the Guineas, but when they switched that race [Athasi Stakes] to a mile we said we may as well just go to the Guineas instead."

ANDREW’S WAY

The betting market suggested that EYDON’s success in the Group 3 Aston Park Stakes on Saturday was a surprise. He was sent off at 16/1 on his first start for 106 days, and he’s had his fair share of issues in the past.

Still, he ran to an RPR of 114, and he was good. It was an impressive performance, but a pinch of salt has to be taken with a view to the future because of his fragility.
Immediately after the race, Andrew Balding – in his usual ambiguous manner – suggested that a Group 1 race in France could be next for him, but he was yet to speak to Prince Faisal.

Well, in a piece with the Racing Post, Ted Voute, Prince Faisal’s racing advisor, offered a bit more clarity on where he could be seen next.

He said: "Straight afterwards, the prince mentioned the Hardwicke, and Andrew mentioned the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. He can't do both as they're about a week apart.

"The reason the prince has been so patient with him is because he wants to continue the sire line and stand him as a private stallion and continue the line with some broodmares. Obviously, to do that he wants to try and win at the highest level and, as he hasn't been that sound – this is the first time we've really had a good run into a race – I think France would be the choice. It would be a nicer track for him rather than a bit of an uphill climb at Ascot.

"The prince will decide that with Andrew in due course. The horse was as sound as a pound on Sunday and lost seven kilos, so everyone is keeping their fingers crossed that we can have a bash at the highest level sooner rather than later. He's a very big horse, that's half the problem, but maybe we've turned the corner with the soundness issues."

So, it looks like Balding has gotten his way. It’s hard to know who will be turning up to this race at this early stage. Yes, it’s a Grade 1, but it comes just after Royal Ascot, so some of its usual runners might miss it and head to Berkshire instead.

DUBAI HONOUR won the race last year, WESTOVER did in 2023, and ALPINISTA did in 2022. He could feasibly win this as it won’t be overly deep, but he could run into a more experienced and potentially sounder rival.

HE’S BACK

Anyone remember ANMAAT? It would be rude to forget him; after all, he did win the British Champion Stakes at the end of last season.

With no breeding future to worry about, the seven-year-old gelding is back after a nice winter away, and funnily enough, even with his rather larger age, he’s only had 15 runs.

Well, he’s back, and he adds to an already fascinating Tattersalls Gold Cup on Saturday at the Curragh.

On this season, trainer Owen Burrows said: All being well he starts this weekend, and is more likely to go to Ireland for the Tattersalls Gold Cup. I have been very pleased with him, and he is coming along real nice. He is in the Prince Of Wales’s, and he will also be in the Eclipse, Juddmonte, Irish Champion and the English Champion again.

“He went through the handicap ranks and won the John Smith’s off 103, but he has had a few niggles through his career. For a seven-year-old, he is relatively lightly raced, and when he finished fifth in the Prix Dollar it was the first time in his career that he had finished out of the first three.

“He goes on fast ground, but in an ideal world we would want a little juice in the ground. I wouldn’t want to run him too many times on it and there is a little bit of rain about at the end of the week. He is also entered in the Prix D’Ispahan in France on the same day, but I think the ground will be a bit quick over there.”

With the likes of CONTINUOUS, WHITE BIRCH, and KALPANA also confirmed for the Tattersalls Gold Cup, people should really be excited for this contest.
As for ANMAAT, don’t be surprised if he is slightly below par for the first half of the season. It will all be about getting him back to Ascot on Champions Day, hopefully, on some softer ground.

RISK ON

Oisin seems to have them lined up at Chepstow but we’re not strong on a single one, maybe VAPE his best chance but we loathe backing class 6 racing.

Elsewhere we think there is one bet:

16.50 DAVIDOC

Looks to be a ‘if he stands, he wins’ job for Pauling.

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