Sunday's Foolish Selections & Updates - 01 April

The first race of the flat season was won by 50/1 shot Norse Blues!  The last time this horse won was when he partnered up with James 'The Doyler' Doyle at Epsom last June.  James meanwhile was busy winning his first ever group 1 race on Cityscape in the Dubai Duty Free at Meydan.  He's had a productive winter in Dubai/Meydan and rode an excellent race today, improvising when he was forced to take up the running as the leader emptied quickly.  Cityscape broke the course record too!  Roger Charlton is becoming an even dabber hand at these international big purse races.

Racing for Change have announced some new plans in their ongoing drive to help horseracing appeal to a wider (and younger) audience.  There are plans to organise various themed events and race days throughout the country before the end of 2012.  Plans include a meeting with a sausage only food menu at Bangor in September, a Shakespeare day at Stratford, Viking day at York and (predictably!) a Robin Hood day at Nottingham .  Also planned is a meeting  at Beverley which will be staffed by students from local schools and colleges all named Beverley and (best of all I think) free admittance to Glorious Goodwood on the 03 August for anyone who takes along a carved or whittled piece of wood that they've created themselves.  


RfC have however abandoned following up on an (initially very well received) idea that a special charity race be added to the end of the card on the first day of Royal Ascot.  The idea was to demonstrate how little pain the whip really does inflict by having the jockeys 'ride' celebrities and encourage them along with their 'persuaders'.  The idea was abandoned when none of the jockeys would agree to 'ride' anyone other than John McCririck or Tommo - despite plenty of other well known names and good sports like Max Mosley offering their services.

Not a good start to the month (but the only way is up from now)  Loss of -7 

	Doncaster	First Choice	E/W or Forecast Choice
1	13:35	Jeer UP

1/        Last years winner on a decent mark. One of the better jocks on board – who also has ridden him before (although not won). 

	Ascot	First Choice	E/W or Forecast Choice
1	14:20	Arbeo UP
2	14:55	Prince Of Pirates UP
3	15:30	High Samana UP
4	16:05	Fix The Rib UP

Notes:

1/            Kings Bayonet would be of more interest at shorter – he hasn’t shown that he can last home even 2 miles to date!  Kruzhlinin is interesting but TD isn’t really firing at present (and Sam has an abysmal record round here 0/22) so I’m taking a chance with Arbeo sho looks as though this distance over a stiff course will suit.

	Limerick	First Choice	E/W or Forecast Choice
1	15:40	Ballysteen

Nightly nap for tomorrow:

High Samana 

Ascot 15:30

(Samana is a city and peninsula in the Dominican Republic)

Richard Hills came out of the shortest lived retirement ever at Meydan when the Dubai Gold Cup was re-run at the end of yesterday's card.  He looked as though he was in with a chance too aboard Zanzamar, an 18/1 shot who eventually finished third behind Joshua Tree (2nd) and winner Opinion Poll.  That would have been a fairy tale ending but wasn't to be.  


Sadly Fox Hunt didn't have a fairy tale ending either, he very publicly broke down in the first running of the Dubai Gold Cup at 14:45 and had to be euthanised.  As it's a 2 mile race, it had to be abandoned as the remaining runners could not continue on the second circuit.  In a cruel twist of fate, Bronze Cannon was fatally injured during the second attempt of the race with Grand Vent also pulling up with an injured hind leg but he was taken to horsey hospital and it doesn't appear to be life threatening....update:  Unfortunately it was and he has also been euthanised.  Three horses lost in one race (albeit two runnings) - awful statistic.