Equinties - the weekend review

Gm Equinauts

We love writing the Monday newsletter. It gives us a chance to watch all the best races again from the weekends action and put together our version of a highlights reel so you don’t miss the important stuff.

But before we jump into the action, let’s announce our Facebook competition winner. We decided not to reveal it Saturday because we considered it not fair on regular readers who might not have been subscribed to the weekender edition.

So… by random selection, well done to Alfie. Big day out at Newbury races and spending money is yours. Top work. We’ve messaged you.

Let’s dive in.

HEADLINE ROUNDUP

BIG FUTURES

Coolmore had a good weekend of winners but there are two horses in particular that will have Aidan day dreaming of future success.

Of course, the first was LOS ANGELES.

They all tried to have a pop at him, but it was LOS ANGELES that saw off the opposition in yesterday’s Irish Derby to secure a 16th win in the race for Aidan O’Brien.

The winner and AMBIENTE FRIENDLY, the SP favourite, locked horns with two furlongs to go, but the Coolmore CAMELOT colt saw off advance of the favourite in the end, with SUNWAY sneaking into second place to present a spectacular finish.

The nature of the race did fire up debate over whether AMBIENTE FRIENDLY truly stays 12 furlongs. A conversation warranted as even connections floated up the idea of dropping back in trip.

Trainer James Fanshawe said: “He ran really well and travelled really well to the two-furlong pole, he just got outstayed in the last furlong.

“You would really like to have a go at the Qipco Champion Stakes over a mile and a quarter at Ascot at the end of the season, but we will see how he is when he gets home.”

As for LOS ANGELES, his future is still undecided, but dropping back in trip was ruled out by both O’Brien and Ryan Moore.

O’Brien said: "We came here thinking he was going to turn into a Leger horse but Ryan said he has way more class than that.

"We think he'll get better. He's a big, hardy horse. He looks like he's a baby but he was a Group 1 winner at two as well and he keeps progressing."

The second horse was HENRI MATISSE.

Now, it’s rare that Ryan Moore gets it wrong. He didn’t at Ascot and it’s hard to remember when he last did. However, HENRI MATISSE and Wayne Lordan got the better of him and TUNBRIDGE WELLS in the Group 2 Railway Stakes.

There’s no doubt that the performance was impressive as he came from last to first to pick up the success.

The form is hard to work out, but the third (ARIZONA BLAZE) was third to SHAREHOLDER in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes and the second (THE STRIKIN VIKING) was a shorter price than ARIZONA BLAZE, suggesting he is a nice horse.

Due to all of these factors, the bookies brought him into 10/1 for next year’s 2000 Guineas.

O'Brien said: "We thought he was a bit too babyish to go to Ascot and Wayne said he was still babyish there today, but that he will love going up to seven. We will see what we have for the Phoenix Stakes and we'll see if we go up to seven next time. He's a lovely horse, though, he tries very hard and he has an unbelievable pedigree."

INTERNATIONAL

DUBAI HONOUR won the Gr1 Grand Prix de Saint Cloud for in form Haggas. Haggas, or should we say sHaggas is running his operation at a 26% winning strike rate. One of few trainers who consistently gets the best result out of his string. DUBAI HONOUR has flown all around the world in his career; three times to Hong Kong, trips to Dubai, Australia and France. He has won Gr1s in Australia over 1m2f but to win a Group 1 in France over a mile and half is extra special, no offence Ozzies but the middle distance group of horses down under aren’t as competitive as they are in Europe. Well deserved win for Tom Marquand as well.

PRIDE OF DUBAI sired a Group 1 double over the weekend. One was of course DUBAI HONOUR in France, and he also sired the Tiara Stakes winner in Australia, BELLA NIPOTINA. The Tiara is the final Group 1 of the season in Australia, ran over 7 furlongs. BELLA NIPOTINA has now won over $10 million in prize money and puts her about 12th on the all time earnings list in Australia.

BRIGHT THUNDER for Karl Burke beat the French in their own back yard when winning the Listed Prix de Bagatelle at Chantilly. The NIGHT OF THUNDER filly was a 260k yearling.

BOYS IN BLUE

Godolphin have had a hard couple of seasons. After a luckless Royal Ascot last year, they only managed to bag one win this year, it’s safe to say Charlie Appleby might be having a few sleepless nights.

But things have looked a bit brighter for them as of late…check out this weekends results:

NOBLE DYNASTY, the 3.6 million guineas yearling in 2019 made a dent in that purchase price by winning the gr3 Criterion Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday.

KING OF CONQUEST, a 900,000guineas yearling in 2020 took the Listed Fred Archer Stakes at Newmarket.

OTTOMAN FLEET, a 425,000 guineas yearling in 2020 sauntered to a fine win in the Group 2 Wise Dan Stakes at Churchill Downs. A son of sea the stars he has won BGP some serious cash over the years, mainly at Newmarket where he has won 4 times. His earnings have now grossed over £879,000 so he has done his best for the Sheikh Mo team.

BLUESTOCKING

A furlong out Kieran Shoemark must have thought he was home and hosed on Emily Upjohn in the Gr1 Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh yesterday to claim his first Group 1 of his career. However, Rossa Ryan on BLUESTOCKING had other ideas and the pair mowed Kieran and EMILY down in the shadow of the post in determined fashion to claim a first Group 1 victory for the mare. This victory certainly would have made up for her agonising defeat last year in the Irish Oaks where she was herself, like EMILY UPJOHN yesterday, collared late by SAVETHELASTDANCE.

Winning trainer Ralph Beckett commented after the race, “Rossa had an inkling that Emily Upjohn might go forward at some point and in a way it helped us, as it gave us something to aim at,”. “Irish Oaks Day will live long in the memory for the wrong reasons, but it doesn't matter now. This justified the decision to stay in training and we learnt a good deal about her on Irish Oaks day last year–we know now to hold on to her a bit longer and today is perfect recompense.” Beckett went on to say, “You'd think the Nassau is the right place to go and she clearly enjoys York, she's run well twice there, so the Yorkshire Oaks will probably be a good idea as well. She's versatile in terms of ground and I wouldn't be afraid to run her on really fast ground, so it's all in front of us. I don't think trip is that important, I just think conditions have to be right and they were today.”

WEEKEND EYE-CATCHERS

TOO FRIENDLY – SATURDAY 15.10 NEWCASTLE

This may not be an obvious one, but TOO FRIENDLY could do some damage over 14 furlongs going forward.

Indeed, it is true that he failed to win on two starts at a shorter trip in this season’s Flat campaign (13 and 14 furlongs), but he travelled like a dream in the Northumberland Plate and just didn’t see out the distance.

The handicapper may drop him for his run on Saturday, and with a horse of his quality (on the Flat and over jumps), a 1m6f handicap (like the Ebor) could suit him well.

BARADAR – SATURDAY 15.50 NEWCASTLE

It’s hard to believe that BARADAR, a horse who ran well in the Lincoln and won two Class 2 handicaps last season, is no longer a good horse.

That theory has further weight to it if you watch his run in Saturday’s seven-furlong handicap at Newcastle as he was given an easy time of things by Billy Loughnane to finish seventh.

Loughnane didn’t ask him too many questions and the questions he did ask were made too late to make a difference.

With entries for the Bunbury Cup and the Moet & Chandon International Stakes, he could well be a player in these two handicaps over seven furlongs.

MATSURI – SUNDAY 16.05 CURRAGH

Yes, it’s the Irish Derby, so it’s not exactly like any of the horses in here are ‘unknown’, but MATSURI ran a huge race considering the route he had through the race.

James Doyle found himself on the inside of AMBIENTE FRIENDLY three furlongs from home, so he tried to rally his mount through a gap between SUNWAY and AMBIENTE FRIENDLY.

Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, and SUNWAY always held him in behind horses.

He may not have won the race with a clear run, but he was only beaten by one-and-a-half lengths, so he could have been much closer with an easier passage through the contest.

RISK ON

14.10 LENNON, 18.00 CAPO VATICANO & 20.15 WAHKAN

Two shorties to lever WAHKAN who is expected to get his head in front and break his maiden. 6/1.

19.15 SHAGRAAN

Should be well handicapped and can win for the first time for Mick Appleby. 5/4.

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