Weekend Review

Our racing team joins up with the Sky Bet racing traders to look back on the weekend action and try to unpick the action.

What was your take on Muhaarar’s narrow July Cup victory over Tropics, and will he now carry all before him for the remainder of the 2015 sprinting division?

Will Hayler: This is a tough one to answer as the proximity of Eastern Impact and Lancelot Du Lac weighs the form down a little, although it’s worth noting that the latter was only beaten the same four lengths that he finished behind winner Golddream in the King’s Stand Stakes. I was also underwhelmed by Brazen Beau, who looked to hold every chance, but whose effort petered out quite quickly in the final furlong. As such, it’s hard not to feel that the sprinting crop are all much of a muchness at present, but you can’t knock a horse who keeps on winning and all credit to Charlie Hills, who has produced him at his peak twice in the last few weeks. Given that quick ground clearly suits, I imagine connections will be keen to kick on if possible given that the going is likely to deteriorate later in the year for the likes of the Champions Day sprint.

Ian Ogg: He’s certainly a very exciting prospect and it was interesting to read Paul Hanagan’s comments that he wasn’t able to really ask him for an effort until they hit the rising ground. The bare form is not all that exciting with Tropics again filling the runner-up spot with smart handicapper and Newmarket specialist Eastern Impact back in third but the dream is very much alive.

Andrew Twitchen (Sky Bet): Paul Hanagan managed to give the son of Oasis Dream a good no-nonsense ride out of trouble but still did well to run down Tropics in the dying strides. Some have said you can mark up his performance given how the race was run, but he did take a while time to pick up and although he proved himself to be the best horse I’m not sure Haydock will play to his strengths. I think it’s fair to assume he needs every yard of the six-furlong trip and Haydock’s quick, flat track could catch him out. Tropics has no right to be 16/1 compared to the quotes of 2/1 about Muhaarar and Dean Ivory is having a really good season. In short, with respect to the class of the favourite we will definitely be looking to take him on in the hope he will run out of time in the final furlong. The Foret over 7f at Longchamp’s Arc meeting might be an ideal race for him after Haydock.

MB: I'm with Andy and won't be backing Muhaarar for the Haydock Sprint Cup. He's very effective over seven furlongs and a stiff six but it takes a different type of model to win at Haydock, though it's worth noting that Charlie Hills' charge was sharp enough to win at York as a juvenile. Indeed, Limato might have a chance of reversing Commonwealth Cup form should the ground come up quick at the start of September, although he's supposed to be going up to seven furlongs at Goodwood first. 

Provide us with a brief snapshot of your highlights and lowlights from a busy weekend of racing.

IO: There was no shortage of highlights in what has been a fantastic few days but perhaps the picks were the stunning debut of Lumiere (and a pointer to how good she is came with the news that Mark Johnston went out and bought her dam and a sibling after working her at home and before he ran her!) and a big-race victory for one of the sport’s good guys and less heralded trainers with Master Carpenter’s victory at York; even if it did result in Ben Linfoot tearing out what remains of his hair. Any injury to the sport’s players whether they be equine or human is always a lowlight and it’s to be hoped that we see Ryan Moore back in action soon.

WH: No shortage? You can say that again, Ian. With apologies to anyone subjected to my blog on Saturday, in which I tried and failed to properly preview and review all of the best action, too much good racing, too much good racing, too much good racing. I’m not joking, if the people who schedule these programmes (and by that I mean the racecourses, as well as the BHA) can leave a man with as remorseless an appetite for punting as me gasping for air, then something is going very wrong with the game. My highlight was getting a small piece of the rollover Trifecta in the Bunbury Cup, my lowlights included Brazen Beau’s July Cup run, Discussiontofollow finishing fifth in the sprint handicap at Ascot and Ajman Bridge filling the same place in the John Smith’s Cup.

Jonathan Simpson (Sky Bet): My highlight this weekend was the hugely-improved Birdman bolting up yet again. Surely the training performance of the season so far, the horse having completely lost the plot for his previous trainer. The move to David O’Meara has worked wonders and having started the season off 70, Birdman is now bordering on pattern class. The lowlight has to be Brazen Beau’s tame effort. Having come over from Australia with a huge reputation it was very disappointing to see him fail to build on that near miss at Royal Ascot. Stallion duties await him now so hopefully further down the line some of his offspring can compete at the top level. 

MB: Highlights were definitely Birdman and Out Do forming the first two legs of an each-way Saturday yankee. The lowlights were the final two selections, of course. One of which was Related, who ran with great credit to finish fourth in the Bunbury Cup. He was just a shade too keen under Tom Marquand and paid for it late on but he's obviously an improved performer this year and a drop back to six furlongs for something like the Stewards' Cup looks on the agenda.

What would you do with impressive Ascot winner Arod if you were lucky enough to own the four-year-old son of Teofilo?

IO: With the news that the same owner’s Lightning Spear is heading for the Celebration Mile it seems they’re not going to adopt a softly-softly approach. It was not the strongest race for the grade but Arod was very impressive and looks ready for a return to the top table and the Sussex Stakes would appear to be a logical choice. It seems as though he could be bound for Australia after that but I’d love to see him go to the Breeders’ Cup before returning to Europe next season as we’re only just beginning to see how good he could be.

MB: If you've had even half an eye on our Catching Pigeons column this season then you'd be aware that what Arod is now producing on the track has been in evidence on the Newmarket gallops for a long time. He's definitely earned the right to go back up to Group One level and if anything he looks to have improved a bit since finishing a one-length third to Night Of Thunder in the Lockinge. The Sussex will obviously be tempting and, having handled Epsom with aplomb, there's enough to suggest he will be suited by the configuration of the course and the demands of the Glorious meeting.

JS: I believe the plan is to send him down under for the Cox Plate. If he were mine I would still aim him at the Breeders' Cup Mile. Solow doesn’t look likely to run, we’ve no idea if Gleneagles will turn up and Wise Dan has been off the track for some time now so it could cut up to be a very winnable race. Later down the line the Dubai Turf at Meydan over nine furlongs would be an ideal starting point next season.

WH: I was really impressed with that performance. He put the race to bed in a few strides from some fair Group Three types and I wouldn’t get too carried away by the way Lightning Spear was closing up, even if he himself might prove a half-decent horse. The plan to look Down Under to the Cox Plate and the Mackinnon looks entirely sensible, but if the going is decent he might well shake up Gleneagles and Solow at a price in the Sussex.

The Flat Jockeys’ Championship… What happens next?

MB: Silvestre de Sousa was 40/1 at the start of the season and now finds himself 4/6 in places due to the apparent winding down of Richard Hughes' riding career and the unfortunate happenings of last week. Ryan Moore will need plenty of time to recover from such a nasty jolting and it's hard to imagine him coming back at the top of his game hell-bent on trying to win something he hasn't seemed to care less about in recent seasons. Paul Hanagan, William Buick and James Doyle are less than 10 winners behind De Sousa, and all three of them will have more ammunition should it come down to a final three-week shootout.

WH: What happens next is that I trawl through my accounts, look at my various bets on Ryan Moore and gently sob. Silvestre de Sousa is banned now until Thursday and a short break ought to freshen him up nicely for a final push, although if Paul Hanagan is getting close in the final weeks I can see Richard Fahey doing his best to help him out.

IO: Much depends upon how much each individual wants it as the ‘race’ clearly takes a great deal out of the participants. I’d like to see Silvestre de Sousa win it as it would be a great riposte to the events of last year.

Ken Dickson (Sky Bet): It’s a real shame Moore is injured and with the date of his return to the saddle uncertain, it looks unlikely he’ll be winning. De Sousa looks the man to take advantage, he’s been riding well this season and is currently only two behind Moore (and six ahead of the rest) so I’d expect him to be significantly ahead when Moore does return. I wouldn’t totally discount Richard Hughes just because he is retiring at the end of the season as he is bound to want to go out on a high and he won’t lack the firepower, but I still favour De Sousa to win his first Championship. 

Where will your money be going in Saturday’s Darley Irish Oaks?

MB: I still think Pleascach has another Group One in her and the return to a mile and a half will definitely help. She's had a busy time of things but her Irish 1,000 Guineas and Ribblesdale form is strong and she represents good value if you're happy to put a line through her latest Pretty Polly effort.

JS: I’ll probably wait until the final declarations are confirmed as it’s a unclear who’s actually turning up. Jack Naylor looks a decent price at around the 12/1 mark but until she is a confirmed runner I’ll concentrate on cheering on my Open fancies Rickie Fowler and Louis Oosthuizen. 

WH: Legatissimo probably should have won last time, but there’s no guarantee that Diamondsandrubies will be ridden as aggressively again over this longer trip and I wouldn’t want to reach any firm conclusions – jockey bookings could be interesting too with Moore (sob, sob) out of the equation. Speedy Boarding could be the big British hope if she turns up, but basically the Coolmore clan look very solid and I suspect one of them will prove good enough.

IO: I’m a fan of Diamondsandrubies but of those at a bigger price, I could also be tempted to give Jack Naylor another chance to prove that she stays the trip with her eyecatching run in the Irish 1000 still fairly fresh in the memory.