Sunday’s Selections, Deauville & Results – 21 August

Deauville picks also added at bottom......I should stick to UK racing in future and keep the faith with Frankie!


Frankie did us proud yesterday with a treble at York (I was on all) but still didn’t manage to get the York top jockey which went to Fallon who won the last two races (the last on appropriately named York Glory) matching Frankie’s 4 wins. He won the honours by virtue of one more 3^rd place.

All of today’s flat action is at Folkstone including two maidens, one apprentice race and a seller amongst the seven race card!  Come On The Irons is running in the 16:45 – not to be confused with C’Mon You Irons.  No trainer, owner or breeder in common so I can only think that West Ham fans like their horseracing.

The quality racing is across the water at Deauville including the Prix Jean Romanet .... without Snow Fairy!  Following a complaint by a “local trainer”, Snow Fairy was barred from running under a little known (in this country) rule which stops a horse running within 8 days if it is pulled from another race for which it was declared.  Well Henry Cecil isn’t a local trainer and there are only another three with runners so....that narrows it down!  I really really really want Timepiece to win now and not some cheese-eating surrender horse trained by a snitch. 

Today’s system selections are:

Folkstone

15:40   Deerslayer (3.05) 1^st
 16:45   Come On The Irons (3.10) 1^st

17:15   Sacred Shield (4) 2<sup>nd


Foiled for my hat trick by Hayley Turner but a respectable 2 winners and +3.15 profit today.</sup>

....sigh!  My placepot slip for today 

I will attempt to look at the Deauville card impartially, non-xenophobically (is this a word?) and in a perfectly rational and objective way now.....apart from the 15:10 which has to be won by Timepiece - England and Snow Fairy are counting on her!

Deauville 13:30 Kergorlay Stakes (Group 2) 4yo plus, 1m 6f 200y, Class 1

Gentoo is worth a second look after running in Japan earlier in the year but will need the ground softer than he’ll get here. However he’s had a warm up at the start of the month and may just run into a place.  Jukebox Jury is bound to be popular but I don’t think he’ll see out the distance.  Manighar hasn’t won since 2009.  Brigantin looks a decent type but has never won off a mark this high.  He’s very closely matched with Dunaden who he beat by a short head on their last meeting but the latter has the weight advantage today and I fancy him to win this one.  Distance and going are proven and Johnny Murtagh is booked (whose only other ride is Frederick Engels later).

Dunaden          6/1 UP Neil Callan gave Jukebox Jury a peach of a ride from the front 

Deauville 14:40 Prix Morny (Group 1) 2yo only, 5f 212y

I’ve shortlisted five (from seven runners!!) 

I love Gatepost but his earlier two attempts at 6f fell way short of what is needed here.  Frederick Engels will have no worries on that score and his last run at the Curragh (badly hampered – some may say he was given a terrible ride!) can be forgotten.  He acts on RH as he showed at Ascot.

Dabirsim is a C&D winner who has won all three of his starts but this is a mega jump up in class although he does have the assistance of my man of the moment, Frankie Dettori to help.  Sofast should be mentioned (apart from the fact that the breeders/owners have not called him Tres Vite!). A C&D winner on his only start, his trainer Freddie Head who has an excellent record here, put him up for this race immediately after that race which shows that the high regard he's held in.  Family One is a live contender who has won a Gr2-  as has Frederick Engels - both will relish conditions.

Sofast could be anything but it would be sensible to assume whatever he is, it’s very good,  Family One’s trainer (Barberot) hasn’t been doing that well lately whereas David Brown has.  So my conclusion is a real “sit on the fence” number!

Frederick Engles       15/8 UP (cough cough)

Family One                    3/1 (saver bet only) 2^nd

Sofast                             9/1 each way UP

Prix Jean Romanet (Group 1) 4yo plus, 1m 1f 207y

There is nothing to be said about this race apart from it’s all about the two Abdulla runners – the French trained Announce and the English trained Timepiece.  Since honour, justice and righteousness will prevail then Timepiece is going to win this (see rantings above!) 

Timepiece      11/10  2^nd  Pesky Francais!