If a jockey knows he’ll have to compete for the best strip of ground, it’s not in his interests to point out where it isOne of the tricky things about betting on horse racing is that we constantly need information but can’t put blind faith in those who offer it. This thought occurred to me at Newmarket on Saturday, when events on the track (taken together with recent racedays there) suggested there was a faster strip of ground up the stands’ rail. Related: Richard Hannon ready to lead charge for Champions Day with Barney Roy Continue reading...
The main five races at Ascot on Saturday all have at least five Group One winners entered. Also: who wins at Kempton?I try not to gush about a raceday but Saturday’s Champions Day action looks very strong indeed in light of a press release punted out by Great British Racing last night. GBR points out that the main five races on Saturday all have at least five Group One winners entered up, while the main two contests, the Champion Stakes and the QEII, have seven apiece. Related: Frankie Dettori: the Turf’s 46-year-old comeback kid predicts more big-race success | Frankie Dettori Continue reading...
Moving to Rebecca Menzies appears to have revived Sexy Legs, who may show her rivals a clean pair of heelsRacing’s ruling body takes its share of stick but they deserve plenty of praise for the foresight shown in today’s fixture list. As Ireland and the west of Britain batten down the hatches against the approach of an ex-hurricane, all three racecards will be in the east, including one at our most easterly track. Related: Racing grieves after groom fatally injured in incident at Kempton stables Continue reading...
The weekend brings some high-quality racing on the Flat and over jumps, all of it anticipating bigger races to comeAfter fast ground at Worcester yesterday, I was a bit worried for the two-day fixture at Chepstow over the weekend, where so many good jumps horses may start their winter. But my fears were allayed by the Chepstow clerk, Keith Ottesen, who used to work at Worcester and pointed out that the two, though geographically proximate, are very different in terms of ground and have had very different weather recently. Related: Worcester branded ‘a joke’ after drying ground produces 33 non-runners Continue reading...
Sir Michael Stoute discusses his colt’s return to the track in Saturday’s Dewhurst Stakes, while there’s an interesting runner at Catterick later todaySir Michael Stoute, whose colt Expert Eye is odds-on to win the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday, said on Tuesday morning that his two-month absence from the track since winning the Vintage Stakes at Glorious Goodwood will be “no excuse” if his juvenile fails to deliver this weekend. Expert Eye’s four-and-a-half length success on the Sussex Downs was the most visually striking performance by a two-year-old in Europe this season, and the strength of the form has been underlined by subsequent wins for several of the colts who were strung out behind him. James Garfield, who finished...