If Danny Tudhope can maintain his current strike-rate, it is only a matter of time before he replaces Oisin Murphy as favouriteSilvestre de Sousa has been Britain’s champion jockey on the Flat in three of the last four seasons, but he has drifted from 11-2 to 12-1 to retain the crown in the space of seven days as Oisin Murphy and, above all, Danny Tudhope have maintained a relentless pace in their pursuit of a first title. The three-runner championship race of early July is now, barring unforeseen accidents, very much down to two.Murphy, who was a narrow favourite ahead of de Sousa at the start of the campaign in May, still heads the market on 4-6, but Tudhope, who...
Seven of France’s top 50 Flat jockeys this year are women, up from zero in 2016 and five more than in BritainWhile waiting at Longchamp for Japan to win Sunday’s big race, it crossed my mind to check how female jockeys are faring in France, two years after officials there decided to help their cause with a 2kg weight allowance, later trimmed to 1.5kg. The answer appears to be that the initiative, viewed with widespread suspicion in Britain, is proving a success. Related: Japan earns first Group One win in Grand Prix de Paris on Bastille Day Ayr 1.35 Alix James 2.05 Tomily 2.40 Cliff Bay 3.10 Be Proud 3.40 Inner Circle 4.10 Club Wexford 4.40 Outside Inside 5.10 Arms...
Advertise (4.40) is taken to follow his Commonwealth Cup success at Royal Ascot in the July Cup at NewmarketNow that he is available at around 10-1, it is quite tempting to take a chance on Ten Sovereigns in the July Cup, the feature race on a hectic day’s action. He had a huge reputation just three months ago, after all, but his Royal Ascot effort still looks disappointing.Advertise (4.40) is a convincing favourite in light of his Commonwealth Cup success and he is taken to follow up here, as Muhaarar did four years ago. His stable was out of form when he threw in his only poor run and he can hold off the interesting Fairyland. Related: Talking Horses: Ryan...
Still rated the best jockey in the world by some, Ryan Moore has been second 11 times since his most recent winnerWhat to make of Ryan Moore? At his best, he’s one of the most effective Flat jockeys I’ve ever seen but he seems short of his best just now. Remarkably, the 35-year-old has gone a fortnight without a winner and begins day two of the July meeting on a losing run of 29.These things happen, of course. Losing runs are something you must learn to live with if you’re a jockey or, er, a tipster. But it must be rare for Moore to go this long between wins, bearing in mind the opportunities he gets. Since his last success...
Masar has an excellent chance to end the poor record of recent Derby winners with victory in the Princess Of Wales’s Stakes at NewmarketThe last four winners of the Derby at Epsom have managed only a single victory between them in six subsequent starts, when Harzand followed up in the Irish equivalent in June 2016. Masar (3.35), though, has an excellent chance to end the three-year drought in the Princess Of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket on Thursday.Masar was a busy juvenile, with five starts in three countries including a trip to the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar, and maintained his work-rate in the first part of his three-year-old campaign, when he won the Derby on his fourth outing. But a...