Tuesday, 7th May 2024
A mixed bag for me over the weekend at Newmarket….
Bague d'Or bagged a win….
…. Apollo One found one too good….
…. Majestic delivered a place but wasn’t quite up to his most recent best….
…. ditto Be Frank on Friday….
Of course there were out-and-out disappointments too….
…. plenty of which are to be expected when you play the game the way I do….
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Perhaps the most disappointing disappointments are those picks that nearly come good….
…. but not quite….
I’m thinking here of Rolica in Sunday’s 1000 Guineas….
…. 6th of the 16 and beaten just 3.25 lengths at the line….
It was probably asking too much for her to win a classic on the back of a maiden win just a fortnight earlier….
…. but she showed she was no 66s shot – not to mention a decent-enough value pick….
…. and – despite not managing to hit the first four (as hoped) and deliver a place return….
…. she certainly stuck something in the pipe of the ATC reader who contacted me on Saturday afternoon to inform me that putting her up was a sure sign I’d lost my mind….
Rolica ran a cracker – doing her best work late and without the benefit of a clear passage….
…. I’ll be taking an interest in where she goes next and what she does from here….
Ditto Tamfana who might well have won under Jamie Spencer had she not met trouble in running inside the last quarter-mile….
She ran the fastest two final furlongs….
…. and was literally flashing home down the outside once Spencer got her out of trouble and into the daylight….
…. but she ran out of track before she could haul in the horses in front of her….
…. a case of real hard lines….
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The Guineas meeting didn’t deliver what I’d hoped for….
…. but it was no disaster either….
Ups and downs are part of the game and the important thing….
…. for me at least….
…. is to dust myself down, wipe the slate clean, and get ready to go again….
…. because the action – especially during the summer months – comes thick and fast….
This week – Thursday thru Saturday – there’s action at Chester and Ascot….
It’s hard to know at this stage of the week exactly what that action will amount to….
…. check out potential targets here….
I’m certain to be targeting the Chester Cup on Friday – a race in which the last 12 favourites got turned over….
…. and the Victoria Cup at Ascot on Saturday – a race in which there’s been just three winning favourites since the turn of the century….
…. but there are plenty of other potential races to target at both tracks….
…. and I’ll be looking to see how things pan out at the final declaration stage before I decide what – if anything else – I’m targeting….
The supporting handicaps run at Chester’s May meeting frequently produce small and unattractive fields for betting purposes….
…. and I can’t be sure about the other opportunities at Ascot….
It’s going to be a wait-and-see job as the week goes on….
…. but there’s the potential for a few more busy days of betting action….
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One to watch in the sprint handicaps….
Interesting that Ed Walker started English Oak off for the season in the William Hill Epic Boost Handicap over the 7f trip at Newmarket on Friday….
…. given how the horse had improved for dropping back to the 6f trip at Ascot last October….
…. when he was beaten just a neck by course specialist and two-time Wokingham winner Rohaan – who’d had the advantage of running up the favoured stands rail….
Walker clearly has options with the 4yo son of Wooten Bassett….
…. whose now produced performances worth 94, 96 & 98 on the RPR scale at a mile, 7f and 6f….
He found just one too good again on Friday – getting beaten by Noble Dynasty….
That one posted an RPR of 117 in victory….
…. has been raised to a mark of 110 on the official scale for the win….
…. and his immediate future will surely lie in Group races….
Meanwhile, English Oak – whose performance on Friday fell 2lb shy of what he achieved at Ascot in October – remains on a mark of 90….
…. a mark that is eminently workable heading into the new season….
It was a commendable return to action – no doubt….
…. and there’s more to come….
He’s a tall and imposing 4yo with very few miles on the clock….
…. Friday’s appearance was just his sixth on the track….
…. and he’s open to plenty of improvement….
Despite starting this term over 7f….
…. and despite appearing last term at the mile (where he was too keen early-doors)….
…. the vibe from the yard is that big sprint handicaps are on his to-do list this term….
I reckon that means the Wokingham at Royal Ascot – given that a
stiff 6f likely to suit him best….
…. and he’d be a player in that given decent ground and a fair draw….
After that, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in July’s Bunbury Cup at Newmarket….
Bottom line: English Oak has a big pot in him and is a handicapper to be on the right side of this term….
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That’s all for today….
Back tomorrow….
Meantime – contact me direct at – nick.pullen@oxonpress.co.uk
Stay tuned….
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