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** Official Cricketweb Horseracing thread **

Molehill

Molehill

Cricketer Of The Year
Kind of went unmentioned, but O Brien performed the same antics with City of Troy as he did with Auguste Rodin (flop in Guineas, win Derby). I suspect Troy will turn out to be a significantly better (and more consistent) horse and they've got interesting plans for him (potentially the Travers and Breeders Cup on Dirt).

And the reason they can consider dirt races is of course because of his sire Justify who is having an astonishing start to his career. I might be wrong, but I think he could be the first dirt horse to sire a Derby winner since Northern Dancer.
 
_Ed_

_Ed_

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Yeah, that was a great win in the Derby. Hugely impressive.

But I do think O'Brien got a bit carried away when he said Justify was producing horses with more class than the one and only Galileo! I guess his job includes an element of marketing Coolmore's current stallions, but still.
 
Molehill

Molehill

Cricketer Of The Year
_Ed_ said:
Yeah, that was a great win in the Derby. Hugely impressive.

But I do think O'Brien got a bit carried away when he said Justify was producing horses with more class than the one and only Galileo! I guess his job includes an element of marketing Coolmore's current stallions, but still.
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Every year he states that this is the best horse he's ever trained, with little justification behind it. It's getting a little nauseating to be honest and he's almost becoming a bit of a parody of his former self (which was so likeable). His best Derby winners were Galileo and High Chapparal and despite what he says, there's little evidence to suggest CoT will be better than those 2.

Justify is clearly a very interesting stallion given he is producing high quality turf horses, but he's no Frankel or Dubawi yet in the current rankings.
 
R

reyrey

U19 Captain
Molehill said:
Every year he states that this is the best horse he's ever trained, with little justification behind it. It's getting a little nauseating to be honest and he's almost becoming a bit of a parody of his former self (which was so likeable). His best Derby winners were Galileo and High Chapparal and despite what he says, there's little evidence to suggest CoT will be better than those 2.

Justify is clearly a very interesting stallion given he is producing high quality turf horses, but he's no Frankel or Dubawi yet in the current rankings.
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Ironically he didn't make much of a song and dance about St Mark's Basilica which actually was the best horse he's ever trained. He could have tried so much more with that horse (which to his credit he usually does) but just quietly sent him off to stud after a limited 3 yearold campaign.
 
Molehill

Molehill

Cricketer Of The Year
reyrey said:
Ironically he didn't make much of a song and dance about St Mark's Basilica which actually was the best horse he's ever trained. He could have tried so much more with that horse (which to his credit he usually does) but just quietly sent him off to stud after a limited 3 yearold campaign.
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Not entirely sure about that (a long way behind a few on the ratings (127) - Hawk Wing 137 for example). You're right in that he's kind of a forgotten horse, but the Covid period threw up some odd results and he won a couple of weak Group 1's to end his career. I suspect O'Brien knew his limitations and packed him off to protect his value.
 
R

reyrey

U19 Captain
Molehill said:
Not entirely sure about that (a long way behind a few on the ratings (127) - Hawk Wing 137 for example). You're right in that he's kind of a forgotten horse, but the Covid period threw up some odd results and he won a couple of weak Group 1's to end his career. I suspect O'Brien knew his limitations and packed him off to protect his value.
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Fair point. Not the best on ratings, but unbeaten at 3 and just the one defeat at 2 which would be an easy fit for his best horse ever ... narrative.

He beat some good horses at 3 though. Addeybb, Mishriff, Poetic Flare, Tarnawa. There was only really Palace Pier and Baeed left to beat at the mile, mile1/4 distance. Form lines at 3 probably would have had him as favourite if they met at the end of the season, or could have taken a chance with him at the Arc. No real harm done to his stud value if he doesn't get the distance. Still a strange one for me
 
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Molehill

Molehill

Cricketer Of The Year
reyrey said:
Fair point. Not the best on ratings, but unbeaten at 3 and just the one defeat at 2 which would be an easy fit for his best horse ever ... narrative.

He beat some good horses at 3 though. Addeybb, Mishriff, Poetic Flare, Tarnawa. There was only really Palace Pier and Baeed left to beat at the mile, mile1/4 distance. Form lines at 3 probably would have had him as favourite if they met at the end of the season, or could have taken a chance with him at the Arc. No real harm done to his stud value if he doesn't get the distance. Still a strange one for me
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Had a little check back on this. He got injured in the Eclipse which caused him to miss the Juddmonte at York. They got him back for the Irish Champion, but the injury flared up again after that which caused his retirement (I suspect he'd have gone to Ascot for the Champion if fit).

I think it probably worked out well for him as he was the top rated 3 year old that year (it wasn't a vintage one), but no doubt if he'd come back as a 4 year old he'd have struggled with Baaed (or would've been forced to stick to the 10 furlong races).

His first progeny out next year, an interesting mix of Siyouni and a Galileo mare.
 
_Ed_

_Ed_

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His half-brother Magna Grecia isn't off to the best start (in either hemisphere), but hopefully St Mark's will fare a bit better.
 
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_Ed_

_Ed_

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Yeah, I'd rate Asfoora a bit below the top tier of Australian sprinters. She has placed in a couple of Group Ones, but those races tend to be weaker than the very best sprints of the year - the Moir Stakes and Oakleigh Plate.

The one time she's run against what I'd consider elite opposition, she was ninth of 11 in the Champions Sprint at Flemington, beaten by more than seven lengths.
 
Molehill

Molehill

Cricketer Of The Year
_Ed_ said:
Yeah, I'd rate Asfoora a bit below the top tier of Australian sprinters. She has placed in a couple of Group Ones, but those races tend to be weaker than the very best sprints of the year - the Moir Stakes and Oakleigh Plate.

The one time she's run against what I'd consider elite opposition, she was ninth of 11 in the Champions Sprint at Flemington, beaten by more than seven lengths.
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Well she's a Group 1 winner now. Certainly benefitted from being drawn on the right side and got a lovely lead into the race, but won it comfortably under a decent ride from Oisin Murphy. She was well backed into 2nd favourite so plenty knew she'd come on a bundle for her prep.

European sprinting in a bit of a hole at the mo, no standout performers at all so it was there to be won. Big Evs probably a bit unlucky being drawn on the wrong side ran a decent race in 3rd and likely to be the best of Europe going forward you'd imagine.

Race of the week up next in the St James Palace, 3 Guineas winners against each other. Hoping that Notable Speech puts up another cracker to stamp himself a real star.
 
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Asfoora proved me wrong! The decision to take her all the way over there ended up paying off in spades.

Interesting to see Hello Youmzain (who shuttles to NZ) continued his promising first season at stud with a very close second in the Coventry.

Rosallion was terrific in that St James's Palace Stakes.
 
Molehill

Molehill

Cricketer Of The Year
Yep, Rosalion seems to be stamping himself as the top miler. Hopefully he clashes against Charyn in the Sussex at Goodwood (my old local course).
 
The_CricketUmpire

The_CricketUmpire

U19 Captain
Sevenna's Knight ran in the G1 Grand Prix De Saint Cloud in France (2400m), ran 2nd last
The winner was Dubai Honour. That probably puts to bed any chance ofrSevenna's Knight running in the Arc - not good enough. We wait and see if the Melbourne Cup is now on the cards.
 
Molehill

Molehill

Cricketer Of The Year
The_CricketUmpire said:
Sevenna's Knight ran in the G1 Grand Prix De Saint Cloud in France (2400m), ran 2nd last
The winner was Dubai Honour. That probably puts to bed any chance ofrSevenna's Knight running in the Arc - not good enough. We wait and see if the Melbourne Cup is now on the cards.
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And if we're being honest, that was about the weakest Group 1 you could encounter at that distance in Europe. Dubai Honour would be 33-1 in an Arc field.

A horse we may see doing a lot of travelling and one of the most interesting/impressive from Royal Ascot is Calandagan. As a gelding already, there is no stud career for him, so likely to be globetrotting I'd have thought for the next few years. I suspect he'd have won a Derby had been eligible to run in them.
 
The_CricketUmpire

The_CricketUmpire

U19 Captain
Molehill said:
And if we're being honest, that was about the weakest Group 1 you could encounter at that distance in Europe. Dubai Honour would be 33-1 in an Arc field.

A horse we may see doing a lot of travelling and one of the most interesting/impressive from Royal Ascot is Calandagan. As a gelding already, there is no stud career for him, so likely to be globetrotting I'd have thought for the next few years. I suspect he'd have won a Derby had been eligible to run in them.
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There's G1s and then there's G1s. You're right, Dubai Honour = big odds in an Arc.
 
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