Equinties - Wath-man

Gm Equinauts

The draws for this weekend’s Breeders’ Cup races were done late last night and we’d say the representatives from Britain and Ireland will be mostly happy with what they have got.

In the Filly & Mare Turf, WARM HEART will break from stall 2 with INSPRIAL sat nicely in 6. MASTER OF THE SEAS is out with the burger vans for the Mile in stall 14 while owner-mate MAWJ has a nice draw in 6. Representing France, KELINA – the recent Prix de la Foret winner – has stall 11 to navigate.

Both LIVE IN THE DREAM (stall 5) and BRADSELL (stall 2) will be happy with where they are for the Turf Sprint while AESOP’S FABLES is in stall 8 for Aidan O’Brien. 

RIVER TIBER (with Ryan Moore in the plate) will break from 2 in the Juvenile Turf while his stablemate, UNQUESTIONABLE, is in 8. 

CARLA’S WAY is in a fair position in stall 9 for the Juvenile Fillies Turf while CONTENT is in 5. 

In the Juvenile Sprint, BIG EVS has a nice draw in 4 though Royal Ascot winner VALIANT FORCE is out of 10. A

And in the highly anticipated Breeders’ Cup Turf, MOSTAHDAF will break from 9, AUGUSTE RODIN from 5 and, unfortunately for his fans, KING OF STEEL will have to battle from stall 11.

Let’s dive in.

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HEADLINE ROUND UP

THE WATHNAN MAN

In what has been rumoured on Racing X for a while, James Doyle will move on from his role as second jockey at Godolphin to become the retained rider of the fast-growing Wathnan Racing in 2024.

Doyle is one of the best jockeys in the flat game and has been one of the retained riders at Godolphin since 2014 but this season, he’s picked up some big rides for Aidan O’Brien – notably with WARM HEART in the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks and Prix Vermeille – and even sported the blue, beige, and red silks of Wathnan Racing on Saturday to win on BALLYMOUNT BOY in the Listed Prospect Stakes.

This looks like it could be a good move for both jockey and owner as Doyle has long been thought of as someone who should be the no. 1 somewhere, so he now has the opportunity to ride horses like COURAGE MON AMI and a shed load more top prospects who Wathnan will no doubt pick up over the next year. 

TIME FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT

It feels like we haven’t stopped talking about retiree’s this month and another star of the 2023 Flat season has retired as TRIPLE TIME will join the 2024 Darley roster to stand at Dalham Hall Stud. 

The four-year-old by FRANKEL landed his first Group 1 in the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot to beat INSPIRAL and LIGHT INFANTRY before his fifth in the Group 1 Prix Jacques le Marois in August.

Out of the MARK OF ESTEEM mare REEM THREE, he is one of seven black type offspring which includes the Group 3 winner CAPE BYRON, the Group 2 winner OSTILIO, and the two-time Listed winner THIRD REALM, so he has a solid pedigree behind him for his stallion career. 

WEEKEND ACTION

It’s not just all about the Breeders’ Cup this weekend, we will also get to see some brilliant horses of the National Hunt game like THE REAL WHACKER, YOU WEAR IT WELL, AHOY SENOR and the up and coming GENTLEMANSGAME who will feature in the Charlie Hall Chase.

Mouse Morris’ GENTLEMANSGAME will make his second start of the season after running a huge race behind EASY GAME at Gowran Park last month and will have race fitness on his side when taking on the likes of MIDNIGHT RIVER and potentially even BRAVEMANSGAME, who could run on Saturday or wait until the Betfair Chase in a few weeks. 

With this confirmation of intentions by Morris, it looks likely that owners Robcour’s other standout three-mile chaser, GERRI COLOMBE, will get his season underway in the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal on Saturday. Also entered for the €150,000 contest are CONFLATED, ENVOI ALLEN, and MINELLA INDO.

YOUNG BLOOD

After a 4/1 winner at Cheltenham, a close 16/1 2nd at Aintree and a 7/4 easy winner yesterday at Huntingdon, today we assess the Chepstow bumper.

CHEPSTOW BUMPER

CAPTAIN BELLAMY heads the market. 3’s into 11/10. He was an expensive point winner and comes with a lot of noise - every National Hunt fan boy account on X has been tracking this horse. No price.

JUNGLE WOOD is next in market and might only be so because of his trainer, Nicky Henderson. Pedigree nice for NH, but limited and will probably be better over obstacles.

TRIPOLI FLYER is nicely bred, a half to JJ’s ANYHARMINASKING. Fergal targets bumpers but yard haven’t really started firing… well, they have but not to their standards. He should place top 4.

KAP OUEST is a half to Rich Ricci’s DR EGGMAN who is a bumper winner. By KAPGARDE who has sired the likes of A PLUS TARD and CLAN DES OBEAUX. Yard can win a bumper.

WALK IN THE HILLS reps Sam Thomas’ yard who are having a great time of things atm. The dam has only produced 1 winner from 6 but that was INVITATION ONLY who was unbeaten in bumpers. Shortlist.

DARTMOOR PIRATE reps Honeyball who likes to win bumpers but his yard form is a worry - had 3x PU at Wincanton last week. Very capable pedigree but looked slow and well beaten last season at Newbury. Needs to improve.

ALBIE LITTLEWOOD has a lovely ped being a half to ROKSANA but is drifting like a barge and market suggests Dan will take his time with this one. Likewise with Pipes ITSEEMSLIKEIT.

JJ’s is a well bred filly but will have to be good to beat the boys today. The same with OLIVA KATE.

GENTLEMAN won’t have the stamina for today, neither will LIGHT DRAGOON.

HOW AND EVER should be 300/1.

AINT VIC is interesting. At 50’s money says no and yard normally take their time but that said, L’ASTRO BOY went in at a whopper price last year for connections. Same sire too! He has a nice pedigree for this race and absolutely can’t be discounted.

Others can’t win.

Verdict: a very deep bumper with mixed pedigree’s, some a little more opaque than others which makes it harder to read. Nicholls’ comes with a big rep after his point win but wouldn’t have the nicest ped in the race - that could go to Thomas’ if he’s anything like his half bro INVITATION ONLY. The selection is JP’s KAP OUEST ew to take on CAPTAIN BELLAMY (who is expected to win). SAINT VIC at 66/1 is the other tiiiiiny play too as he has one of the best pedigree’s for this sort of race but needs to be trying.

In short, can see Nicholls, Fergal’s and Fry’s finishing in that order.

RISK ON

13.30 MINELLA BOBO

Plotted out for the Becher last year with the help of the Adam Wedge special at times, that plan quickly died when he had a soft fall at the second fence. He should prove well handicapped today and put Rebecca Curtis back on our screens for the boys! Needs to be ready first time up so only a small self made ew at 10’s on the exchange.

14.05 FORTUNA LIGNA

Will love the step up on pedigree and is the one to beat at 2/1.

16.16 KAP OUEST & SAINT VIC

Tiny plays here, more for ego than bank as no one should be betting seriously in heats like this. It would be no surprise to see Nicholls’ bolt up but he’s way way over bet for a race like this and there to be shot at. 9’s and 66’s respectively. Small ew’s.

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