** Official Cricketweb Horseracing thread **

[headhunter]

Was watching a stream of it online. I might be mistaken but I think they showed a punter placing a 100K bet @8s before the race :O

 

[_Ed_]

Yeah that was a competition - he won that $100k bet! Not a bad prize.

 

[headhunter]

Fair play to the lad. The sound was terrible on my stream so I couldn't make out if he was a competition winner or regular punter. The picture was good though so all I can say is I hope he buys himself a better toupee with his winnings!

 

[_Ed_]

True. His celebration was pretty awesome.

I've had a look at the replay a few times and some photos, and I'll take back what I said about Ice Box being a certainty beaten. He was definitely unlucky, but the winner had his ears pricked at the line and Borel had stopped urging him and started celebrating several strides short of the post. Super Saver looked like he was running well within himself, so he might have lifted if Ice Box had challenged him.

 

[_Ed_]

...but Super Saver was nowhere to be seen in the final stages of the Preakness at Pimlico.

In fact, none of the first 5 home in the Kentucky Derby were in the top 5 in Baltimore. When a crop's that even, you have to wonder how much class there is in it.

The wait for a Triple Crown winner continues. The last one was 8 years before I was born. I hope I'll see one one day.

 

[_Ed_]

Australia, meet Wealth Princess.

Some on a certain NZ racing forum had a go after she ran 2nd on the Sunshine Coast at her first Australian start (on a bog track, after not travelling over there well). I hope they were watching today.

 

[_Ed_]

So, it's Derby day. Anyone have any thoughts?

To me, the race has lost a lot of interest with the withdrawal of St Nicholas Abbey. I was also interested in the Dante Winner, Cape Blanco, but I see he's out of the race too.

Rewilding is one a lot of people are talking about. Just watched his last start, and it was certainly impressive. Don't know how good the horses he beat were, though.

Racing Post are tipping Coordinated Cut. I like the breeding (Montjeu - sire of Derby winners in the UK, Ireland, France and Australia) and the 20-1 odds, so I've put a fiver on him as well.

 

[_Ed_]

Good lord, that was spectacular.

Workforce won the race by seven lengths, beating the track record by just under a second. Unbelievable.

At First Sight, the outsider of the field at better than 100-1, had opened up a 10-length lead at the turn and I thought we were going to have a huge upset. But then Workforce swallowed up his lead in just a handful of strides and powered away.

At First Sight still beat every other runner, though, and his second placing was full of merit.

 

[Smudge]

Was working at the Jewels yesterday. Sadly the atmosphere was flat, and the mile start point at Cambridge just didn't help the racing. That said, there were some lovely performances from Bettor Cover Lover, Major Mark and Beaudiene Bad Babe, in particular.

 

[_Ed_]

The meeting being put back a race can't have helped. What was there for people to do while they waited?

Also not ideal for TV3's coverage, I'd assume.

 

[Smudge]

Unsure what people did - just kept drinking, I suppose. And the other races were being shown on the big screen.

TV3 didn't end up taking the Jewels - that's a whole different can of worms altogether...

 

[thierry henry]

Had the best seat in the house and collected in 7/8 races I bet on (and was too lazy to get up and back I Can Doosit in the one I didn't, ffs) so I can't complain

Can see where VM is coming from though, wasn't quite the huge day I was expecting.

 

[_Ed_]

Zenyatta - 17 starts, 17 wins. 11 G1 wins. More than US$6 million.

She only does what she has to do to win, which must give her connections and devoted fans a heart attack.

It's a shame only 12,000 were on hand today to watch her break the record for most consecutive stakes wins. American racing has a very special athlete. People should go and watch her run.

 

[Bobisback]

Zenyatta - 17 starts, 17 wins. 11 G1 wins. More than US$6 million.

She only does what she has to do to win, which must give her connections and devoted fans a heart attack.

It's a shame only 12,000 were on hand today to watch her break the record for most consecutive stakes wins. American racing has a very special athlete. People should go and watch her run.

Just Youtubed it, cruised up behind them, but really had to work to run the 2nd horse down.

Seriously though, is that what all american race callers sound like? I dont think I would bet if it was always that boring.

 

[_Ed_]

Yeah, they're terrible. The American caller I've heard who makes it sound exciting has trouble remembering the names - his call of the 2009 Kentucky Derby was embarrassing. Didn't remember Mine That Bird's name until he was four lengths in front.

Zenyatta did have to work hard today, but I got the feeling she still had more in reserve. She pricked her ears at the line and was under a hand ride in those last few strides. Shouldn't take anything away from the second horse - six lengths in front of the third horse. Big run.

 

[Bobisback]

Also, to me, seemed staged. Two horses out in front going hard to set it up for the horse that comes home hard.

 

[_Ed_]

Apparently the runner-up St Trinians was quite distressed after the race. Never want to hear that. Hope she's 100% again soon. But it just goes to show how much it takes to even get close to Zenyatta.

In other news, Royal Ascot starts tonight. The first race of the day could be one of the best races of the year - it's the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes, featuring eight-time G1 winner Goldikova and two other outstanding multiple G1 winners in Paco Boy and Rip Van Winkle. Goldy's a wonderful mare, and I think she'll get up over the other two. Looks a pretty straightforward trifecta bet to me.

Then there's the King's Stand, which Aussies have done really well in in recent years. Gold Trail, who came over to NZ and poached one of our biggest sprint races, is at around 17-1 on Betfair and I think he's good value.

Then you've got the undefeated 2000 Guineas winner Makfi in the St. James's Palace. The Guineas form usually holds up well in this race. But Canford Cliffs, who was second in the Guineas and then easily won the Irish Guineas, might have improved enough to turn the tables. It'll be fascinating to watch.

The Coventry has a number of unbeaten 2yos. 7 horses out of a field of 14 have either had one race for one win or two races for two wins. Who's the best of those? Only one way to find out. That's always exciting.

Metropolitan Man looks as close as you can get to a certainty in the Windsor Castle. American 2yos are generally faster than their UK contemporaries at this point of the season, and this horse's inferior stablemate came over and beat a field of probably similar strength last year. MM should win here.

One of the world's best racedays, IMO.

 

[_Ed_]

GOLDIKOVA!

Holy ****. That was one of the great races. Paco Boy gave it his all, and looked like he would run right past her, but she wasn't too keen on that idea.

 

[_Ed_]

This headline sums up my feelings pretty well...

Why the **** was the Queen Anne the first race of the week? The rest can't possibly live up to that, and it's going to be a huge anticlimax.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Very strange running the best race of the week first.

Had a right touch yesterday,did a trixie at Ascot.

Goldikova
Canford Cliffs
Strong Suit

How Strong Suit won i'll never know,must be some horse to win that despite all the trouble it found.