Sandiuk - Horseracing Chit Chat, Musings, Gossip & Reviews: Sunday's Selections and updates

A good (profits made of +4.33) but also a slightly frustrating day (see my review/selections below for the 16:30). This frustration was further added to as no runners ticked all the boxes for my system today so I erred on the side of caution and left them alone. Had I not, I'd have found two more winners (Producer and Record Breaker for the.....record!) one at evens and the other at 7/2

Curragh

14:10 A 2yo maiden race – not anyone’s favourite but given the stat above, I thought it worth taking a look at although! With such a large field of 25 runners, I believe that the experience of those who have previously raced will be more marked than usual – from these Lanett Lady and Shukhov stand out and both have decent draws. Those who are unraced with possibilities are Wave and Nephrite. You can’t read to much into the Ballydoyle jockey bookings as Joseph struggles to get below 9st but in this instance you’ve got to think he’s aboard the first string. Both Wave and Nephrite hold group 1 entries for next year. Wave has an entry for Irish 1000 guineas and Nephrite has the full house (Derby, Irish 2000 Guineas, Dewhurst and Middle Park) so I cannot imagine that Nephrite won’t be more than ready to win this . Others with eye catching entries are Mississippi, Big Blue Spirit (Tatts Millions) and Storm Lightening (Tatts Millions & Irish 2000 Guineas). Although Storm Lightning appears to be the stable second string this may only be down to his draw and I shall be watching his run closely with a view to his next race.

Nephrite (win) 6/1 1^st

Lanett Lady (each way) 7/1 4^th

Curragh

14:40 Queenie Keen – good draw, Johnny has picked the other Halford horse Snaefell but has a soft spot for it so don’t read much into that. Queenie Keen loves it at the Curragh and regular partner Conor Hoban takes off 5lb. She’s rested since mid August and should be good to go (in April she won first time back after 2 months rest)
14/1 UP (9^th)

Epsom

15:00 Tasfeya has raced here before and didn’t like the track at all – it’s surprising that the trainer has brought him back here and I can only imagine that he thinks Fallon with his superb record here can perform a miracle (Saint Fallon of Epsom?)!

Yojimbo looks outclassed here despite being a C&D winner.

Norse Blues has won here at a better level – I can’t see him staying this extended mile which is a shame because he’s by far the best horse ... over 7f!

Dubawi Sound could be anything – he won his first and only race but handling this track with his inexperience is a concern and 6/5 is far too short a price to find out.

Orientalist looks good and is a C&D winner (I can’t understand why Fallon wasn’t booked for this ride though?) Having said that, he looks as though he needs some cut in the ground but then again you can find other excuses for not winning when he has run on good ground so is still worth each way consideration.

Our Gal is another worthy of consideration but untried on anything other than a galloping track. She will be fine with the distance and going but the course is a big question mark!

This leaves Sure Route who is on her highest ever mark but has been progressing well enough to hope she can cope. She has a good draw and Hughsie to help, likes the ground and should manage the dips and bends of Epsom, having just been denied at Windsor.

Sure Route win 10/3 1^st

Orientalist each way 9/1 UP (5^th)

Musselburgh

16:30 Class 3, 1m, 3yo+ 0-90 Fillies Handicap

I love mile races at Musselburgh because they have the most pronounced draw bias know to mankind (well, that may be a slight exaggeration but 19 of the last 24 winners have drawn low (=79.19%). Taking this into account, I have discounted those runner in stalls 5-11 and looked only at those drawn 1-4 – which may seem foolish to some but since I know I’ll discount them anyway because of the draw I won’t bother wasting time!

Neutrafa She looked as though Sandown was not her favourite place to be LTO and was far behind Metropolitan Miss. However, she won from a terrible draw the time before that over a mile at Ripon and was clear by 6L. She has Julie Burkes to claim 5lb but still looks outclassed in this field. The trainer’s recent form isn’t so hot either but the plum draw makes her very tempting at 16/1 2nd

Metropolitan Miss looks to be in the grip of the handicapper as well as seemingly preferring a more traditional course. She managed a 3^rd at (similar course characteristics) Goodwood but is 7lb higher in a better contest today. 1st

Imaginary World Won under this rider LTO and carries 1lb less up in class. Sharp tracks are not a worry nor are the right handed so although probably the most exposed of these, she has as good a chance as any here today and she should get the pace she needs for her running.

Izzy The Ozzy Would be great if this won given the vids below! She’s reunited with Lee Newman (1^st and 2^nd when teaming up previously). However she needs to leave a dire performance LTO behind her when last (60L) at Thirsk but could bounce back on this more suitable track.

Imaginary World win 9/2 UP (7^th)

Izzy The Ozzy each way 10/1UP (9^th)

This was won by Metropolitain Miss (drawn 2) and Neutrafa came 2nd (drawn 1) - can you believe it???!!! At least we know that the low draw over a mile at Muss is everything.

Epsom is the only track where the minute you introduce the bend (that is over 5f) the jockey skills here are one of the most important stats to take into account. It's not only the horse that you want to have seen some proof that they handle the course.......I guess the next best test for a jockey is to stick him or her on the biggest rollercoaster at Alton Towers or Thorpe Park and see how straight they walk when getting off

A couple of Eddie Izzard's observations on horse riding and horseracing interpreted through the medium of Lego: