Equinties - Barry Hills

Gm Equinauts

At least once a week we get a message on X asking us to bring the stats back.

Well, we listened. The stats are not betting advice, more pointers to trainer trends which can often make fun acca’s for those who like to play the lottery with small stakes - we will keep that reminder in the stats section every day as betting less is often more!

Let’s dive in.

HEADLINE ROUND UP

OH SHIT MURPHY

The biggest racing but non-horse-related news of the last few weeks was dropped yesterday as Thames Valley Police confirmed that Oisin Murphy had been charged with drink driving and failing to take a roadside test following a car crash near Newbury in April.

This was the worst kept secret in racing since the event occurred, and the rumour mill had been churning for a while, but nothing could be officially said until the authorities had come to a decision.

Oh, Oisin, this isn’t good.

Anyone in racing knows the issues and problems that Murphy has had to deal with already in his career, and this is obviously a man who does still have battles to overcome within his life which is frustrating for every one because of just how damn talented he is.

Having gone through such a public case in 2021, where he broke Covid-19 protocols, failed two alcohol tests this was the last thing anyone wanted to see. That’s also without mentioning him testing positive for cocaine in 2020 (which he laughably blamed on cross-contamination) and for alcohol in 2019, the latter at a level that was below the legal drink-driving limit but above the limit for race riding.

So, what’s going to happen to the 4x Champion Jockey?

He is set to appear at Reading Magistrates' Court next Thursday, so it would seem like the BHA won’t do anything official until the proceedings of this have concluded.

Of course, we can’t say anything for definite, but having taken time away from the sport between 2021 and the start of 2023, one would imagine that something very similar could occur again.

Or might this be the last straw for the BHA?

From a PR perspective, could he just sit on the sidelines for the next week until his court hearing? Potentially. He is jocked up on horses all the way through the Wednesday, so who knows if he will jump off them.

We can’t imagine he’d step down by choice. Racing is his life.

This is not a good situation for young Oisin. With such a stark lack of riding talent in racing now, it’s a pleasure to watch Oisin ride. He needs to address his demons first though.

OLD FRIENDS DUEL

On a more positive note, there was a proper duel between Skelton and Nicholls in the sales ring yesterday, and it was the student that downed the master.

In fairness, Paul’s daughter, Megan, was doing the fighting on behalf of her dad, but she was unable to hold off the attack from Dan Skelton and Ryan Mahon as the pair locked up a Walk In The Park gelding out of Posh Trish for €285,000.

Funnily enough, Nicholls knows POSH TRISH very well as the master of Ditcheat trained her to win a Listed bumper and two Listed hurdles. This three-year-old by WALK IN THE PARK was certainly top of Nicholls’ list for the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale, but it was Skelton who took him home.

On the purchase, Skelton said: “Wow! He is the most expensive store we have bought.

"He has incredible movement, he has good size, and has everything we want. He’s a proper athlete and comes from a good hotel. He’s out of a great mare and by the right sire. 

"We thought he'd make €250,000, and then it was just a few arm wrestles after. He deserves to be a lot of money because he is a beauty, and we are delighted to have him.

“He comes back to us now and he will be given time. We will take a longer term approach, he is very much a chaser in the making. We are lucky to get him.

"He is for some fantastic American ladies [Myrteel Ward and Margaret Duprey] who have supported us for a while now – the best they have had so far has been Get A Tonic, but this is a definite step up for them – and for all of us!"

This purchase is a record price for a store this year, though that title was briefly held by Lot 239 when Olly and Aiden Murphy purchased a different WALK IN THE PARK for €210,000.

His dam is half to the Listed winner VEGAS BLUE, though he does come from the family of the Group 1 winner BELLSHILL and the Queen Mum/King George winner ONE MAN.

Elsewhere, Gordon Elliott picked a BLUE BRESIL half to HANDSTANDS for €235,000 (nice purchase) and Gavin Cromwell bought MOSCOVITE (French-bred with German and Polish breeding influence) for €260,000!

LOWTHER ON

We previewed the Listed Empress Fillies’ Stakes yesterday, and our thinking that it was a tight contest was proved right by the result - the a hair split the first three with ARGENTINE TANGO coming out on top and further boosting the VENETIAN SUN form.

This was a pretty smooth performance from a horse who was second to VENETIAN SUN at Carlisle in May. David Allan got his mount into a nice position up the centre of the track, kept her at it, and then pressed the button to go at the right time. It was a solid performance. Visually, the effort was pleasing, and connections are dreaming of the Group 2 Lowther Stakes now.

Owner-breeder Terry Holdcroft said: "I couldn't believe she was 9-1 as she was second to Karl Burke's Royal Ascot winner Venetian Sun at Carlisle the time before last giving her 6lb. Somehow she was rated only 84 and Venetian Sun is now 20lb higher.

"I would say that Tim, as a Yorkshireman, would want to have a crack at the Lowther at York instead."

She’s provided VENETIAN SUN with a nice form boost, so that will certainly make Karl Burke even more bullish about the prospect he has stabled at Spigot Lodge.

From this race, we think MIDNIGHT TANGO should be kept on side in the future for another yard she’d have won. She’s well bred and can keep on progressing.

STATS OF THE DAY

SMP and Ben Haslam are 2 from 2 in their respective races, the 13.50 and 17.30. SMP runs PENDRAGON again (we backed him last time) and Haslam is double handed in his race with CALEVADE and LIGHTENING COMPANY, it’s the latter who looks weighted to go well and finally gets his ground.

Bell is 3 from 5 all time in classified races at Yarmouth (60%!). Today he runs the well backed THE COLA BRASIL in the last.

Rod Millman has travelled from Devon to put his filly WOOLHAMPTON in Newcastle’s 19.35 - that’s an 8hr trip just to get there. He doesn’t go for a day out, he’s 3 from 7 all time there operating at 43%.

RISK ON

14.30 AZLEET & 20.20 MR UBIQUITOUS

Worth a small bet based purely on the form lines through yesterdays winner in NIFTY. More, this girl was drawn in the grave yard stall at Chelmsford on debut so her effort can be very much upgraded!

We saw MR UBIQUITOUS at Newbury and he won with bundles in hand. This is a step up but it looks within his reach and lightning quick ground which he loves. The jockey is a brilliant claimer too. Small 18/1 ew double here as it’s hard to see each of them out the top 3 should they back up their last performances.

19.05 GOLDEN OCEAN

We’re a little annoyed our tracked pinged for this girl only to find her in a bloody Group race. She got absolutely no run at Sandown and looks like she’s very well handicapped. She’s off level Menuisier must think a lot of her to put her in this. Top 3 pays over 5/1, we think she can do it and is a bet!