Horseracing Latest - Horsetalk UAE: July 2013

Wednesday 31 July 2013

POSSIBLE LANDMARKS @Goodwood_Races

Goodwood's leading trainer Richard Hannon has captured the last three renewals of the Group Two Veuve Clicquot Vintage Stakes (3.40pm). He saddles Toormore, who won his only start at Leicester in May, and Newmarket maiden scorer Expert.

Jockey Kieren Fallon goes in pursuit of his 40th Glorious Goodwood winner. The former champion has three rides today - Herostatus (1.55pm), Testudo (2.30pm) and Aqlaam Vision (4.15pm).

Charlie Appleby, newly appointed trainer to Godolphin, sends out his first runners at the West Sussex track. Irish Derby fourth Cap O'Rushes goes in the Group Three Neptune Investment Management Gordon Stakes (2.30pm), Outstrip puts his unbeaten record on the line in the Veuve Clicquot Vintage Stakes (3.40pm) and Great Timing will be looking to follow up her Newmarket success in the British Stallion Studs Turf Club EBF Fillies' Handicap (4.50pm).

Irish champion jockey Joseph O'Brien will be hoping to break his Goodwood duck on Declaration Of War in the today's feature, the £300,000 Group One QIPCO Sussex Stakes (3.05pm).

UPDATED NON-RUNNERS TODAY

1.55pm UBS Goodwood Handicap

1 GASSIN GOLF (Self Certificate, Lame)

9 COURTESY CALL (IRE) (Going)

4.15pm Markel Insurance Fillies' Maiden

9 MERLETTA (Self Certificate, Bad Scope)

4.50pm British Stallion Studs Turf Club EBF Fillies' Handicap

7 TUSCANIA (Going)

11 LOVE MAGIC (Self Certificate, In Season)

13 STEER BY THE STARS (IRE) (Self Certificate, Not Eaten Up)

5.25pm Harwoods Handicap

1 BRONZE PRINCE (Going)

11 BRAVO ECHO (Going)

NON-RUNNER TOMORROW

3.45pm Blackrock Fillies' Stakes

1 BETWEEN US (Going)

MOUNT TOP OF STAYERS UP FOR THE CUP @Goodwood_Races

The £100,000 Artemis Goodwood Cup, first run in 1812, is one of the oldest races in the British calendar and was once, when stamina was the most prized asset in a racehorse and potential stallion, one of the most prestigious.

Nowadays it is still one of the season's premier long-distance tests, as the middle leg of the so-called 'stayers' triple crown', after the Gold Cup at Ascot and before the Doncaster Cup, and as part of the QIPCO British Champions Series. It has been run over various distances before settling at two miles in 1991, and after being downgraded to Group Three level in 1986, regained its Group Two status in 1995.

Its winners include some of the great horses in the division, most notably in the modern era such as Yeats, Persian Punch, Kayf Tara, Double Trigger, Ardross and Le Moss.

But the most charismatic has surely been Kincsem, the Hungarian mare who took the race in 1878 as part of her world record unbeaten run of 54. It was her 37^th race and, on her sole visit to Britain, she was the outsider of three but despite being left nearly a furlong at the start, she won easily.

Yeats, in 2008, was the last horse to complete the Gold Cup-Goodwood Cup double. This year's Ascot winner Estimate is not in tomorrow's field; the Ascot form is represented by Colour Vision, who was fourth, Germany's Altano (5^th) and Ireland's Saddler's Rock (8^th).

The ante-post favourite, though, is Luca Cumani-trained Mount Athos, whose last outing was also at Royal Ascot, when he finished a staying-on fifth in the Hardwicke Stakes over a mile and a half. That was the Montjeu six-year-old's second run of the season; his first brought a nine-length success over 13 furlongs at Chester. On his last run over two miles he finished an excellent fifth in the Melbourne Cup. Cumani has yet to win a Goodwood Cup.

Colour Vision finished third to Saddler's Rock in last year's Goodwood Cup after winning the Gold Cup. The grey five-year-old has not won since his Ascot triumph but ran a solid race behind Estimate last month. He is the best-fancied of three Godolphin representatives tomorrow, the others being Cavalryman and Ahzeemah, who finished first and second over the trip in the Dubai Gold Cup at Meydan in March. Godolphin has won two of the last four Goodwood Cups, with Opinion Poll in 2011 and Schiaparelli in 2009.

Colour Vision is vying for second favouritism with Caucus, who beat Cavalryman over two miles at Newmarket on his last outing of 2012, opened his 2013 campaign by beating all but Estimate in the Sagaro Stakes and warmed up for tomorrow with a dogged success at Sandown. His trainer John Gosden won the Goodwood Cup 20 years ago with Sonus.

Saddler's Rock will be bidding to become the 13^th horse to win more than one Goodwood Cup and the 11^th to win two in a row, the latest back-to-back winner being Double Trigger in 1998. John Oxx's charge has not finished in the first three since last year's success.

The only other raider is Altano for Germany, a country on the crest of a wave after Novellist's triumph at Ascot on Saturday. Like the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner, Altano is trained by Andreas Wohler and before his Gold Cup effort the Galileo seven-year-old had won over two miles at Hoppegarten. No German-trained horse has won a Goodwood Cup.

@Goodwood_Races STIRRING BALLAD 6/1 FAVOURITE FOR BETFRED MILE AFTER DRAWING STALL FOUR

A field of 20 has been declared for Friday's Betfred Mile and Stirring Ballad is 6/1 favourite (from 7/1) with the sponsors after drawing stall four.

Cape Peron is a big mover, having shortened to 7/1 (from 10/1) after landing the five box and is joint-second favourite with Wentworth who will break from stall 13.

Dance And Dance has also been cut to 8/1 (from 12/1) with Betfred after he was drawn bang on the rail in stall one.

St Moritz and Haafaguinea are the two reserves and are priced at 28/1 and 18/1 respectively.

Betfred spokesman Andrew Griffiths said: "As ever, the draw for the Betfred Mile has triggered a shake-up in the market with Cape Peron and Dance And Dance the two big movers after landing single-figure stalls."

Betfred Mile - sponsors bet: 6 (from 7) Stirring Ballad, 7 (from 10) Cape Peron, Wentworth, 8 (from 12) Dance And Dance, 11 (from 14) Windhoek, 12 Brendan Bracken, 14 Field Of Dream, Fire Ship, 16 Dream Tune, Galician, 18 Haafaguinea (Reserve), 20 Asatir, Captain Bertie, Es Que Love, Sandagiyr, Spa's Dancer, 22 Two For Two, 25 Boom And Bust, Boots And Spurs, Sirius Prospect, 28 St Moritz (Reserve), 33 Set The Trend.

Each-Way: ¼ 1-2-3-4. NRNB

3.05pm Betfred Mile, 1m (20 + 2 reserves)

1 (12) Brendan Brackan (IRE) Ger Lyons, Ireland 9st 11lb (3lb ex) Colin Keane (5)

2 (19) Boom And Bust (IRE) Marcus Tregoning 9st 10lb George Baker

3 (21) Sirius Prospect (USA) (Hood) Dean Ivory 9st 9lb (3lb ex) Jim Crowley

4 (8) Sandagiyr (FR) Saeed bin Suroor 9st 6lb Mickael Barzalona

5 (22) Es Que Love (IRE) Mark Johnston 9st 5lb Johnny Murtagh

6 (17) Field of Dream (Blinkers) Jamie Osborne 9st 5lb (3lb ex) William Buick

7 (20) Set The Trend David O'Meara 9st 5lb (3lb ex) Kieren Fallon

8 (15) Two For Two (IRE) David O'Meara 9st 4lb Daniel Tudhope

9 (7) Fire Ship William Knight 9st 4lb (3lb ex) Neil Callan

10 (14) Galician Mark Johnston 9st 2lb (6lb ex) Joe Fanning

11 (2) Spa's Dancer (IRE) James Eustace 9st 1lb Tom Queally

12 (3) Windhoek Mark Johnston 9st 1lb Franny Norton

13 (4) Stirring Ballad Andrew Balding 9st 1lb David Probert

14 (11) Asatir (USA) (Visor) Saeed bin Suroor 8st 13lb Silvestre De Sousa

15 (18) Dream Tune Clive Cox 8st 13lb James Doyle

16 (9) Captain Bertie (IRE) Jane Chapple-Hyam 8st 13lb Frankie Dettori

17 (1) Dance And Dance (IRE) (Blinkers) Ed Vaughan 8st 12lb Ryan Moore

18 (5) Cape Peron Henry Candy 8st 12lb Dane O'Neill

19 (13) Wentworth (IRE) Richard Hannon 8st 10lb Richard Hughes

20 (10) Boots And Spurs (Visor) Elaine Burke 8st 10lb Martin Harley

Reserves

R21 (6) St Moritz (IRE) David O'Meara 8st 9lb Paul Hanagan

R22 (16) Haafaguinea Clive Cox 8st 9lb

Eliminated: Jack's Revenge (IRE), Ayaar (IRE), Capaill Liath (IRE), Trail Blaze (IRE), Head of Steam (USA), Vainglory (USA), Postscript (IRE), Trader Jack, Common Touch (IRE), Hi There (IRE), Mabait, Be Perfect (USA), Shebebi (USA), Lord Ofthe Shadows (IRE), Noble Citizen (USA), Albaqaa, Steelriver (IRE), Flashlight (IRE), Related

MARKET MOVERS @Goodwood_Races

It has been a lively morning at Paddy Power's headquarters as punters have been eager to take up the firm's offer of being best price on Dawn Approach in the QIPCO Sussex Stakes at 3.05pm.

Godolphin's colt is 11/10 favourite from 11/8 and Paddy Power spokesman Paul Binfield commented: "We have been knocked off the boards this morning as we've pledged to be top price Dawn Approach all day. Punters are lapping it up."

In contrast, Toronado has been weak with Ladbrokes and pushed out to 9/4 from 7/4.

Other movers include:

1.55pm UBS GOODWOOD HANDICAP

Beyond Conceit 9/1 from 12/1 Skybet

Brockwell 10/1 from 12/1 Skybet

Broxbourne 15/2 from 8/1 Ladbrokes

Cloudy Spirit 10/1 from 16/1 Paddy Power, 10/1 from 14/1 Betfred, 12/1 from 14/1 Coral

Lieutenant Miller 11/2 from 6/1 Ladbrokes

Sohar 10/1 from 16/1 Coral and Paddy Power

2.30pm NEPTUNE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT GORDON STAKES

Excess Knowledge 6/4 from 9/4 Coral, 7/4 from 9/4 Skybet, 15/8 from 9/4 Betfred and Paddy Power

Havana Beat 10/1 from 12/1 Coral

3.05pm QIPCO SUSSEX STAKES

Dawn Approach Evens from 5/4 Coral

3.40pm VEUVE CLICQUOT VINTAGE STAKES

Lanark 13/2 from 8/1 Ladbrokes, 7/1 from 9/1 Coral

Outstrip 9/2 from 5/1 Ladbrokes

Toormore 7/4 from 2/1 Paddy Power

4.15pm MARKEL INSURANCE MAIDEN FILLIES' STAKES

Valen 16/1 from 20/1 Ladbrokes

Valonia 11/4 from 3/1 Skybet

4.50pm BRITISH STALLION STUDS TURF CLUB EBF FILLIES' HANDICAP

Close At Hand 6/1 from 7/1 Ladbrokes

Great Timing 3/1 from 5/1 Ladbrokes, 7/2 from 4/1 Betfred

5.25pm HARWOODS RACING CLUB HANDICAP

Esprit De Midas 25/1 from 40/1 Betfred, 18/1 from 33/1 Skybet

Discression 10/1 from 20/1 Ladbrokes, 14/1 from 16/1 Betfred

Good Authority 9/1 from 14/1 Ladbrokes

FRIDAY'S DECLARED RUNNERS @Goodwood_Races at Glorious Goodwood!

1.55pm G3 Coutts Glorious Stakes, 1m 4f (7)

1 (2) Aiken John Gosden 9st 0lb William Buick

2 (1) Forgotten Voice (IRE) Nicky Henderson 9st 0lb Johnny Murtagh

3 (3) Lost In The Moment (IRE) (Sheepskin C/P) Saeed bin Suroor 9st 0lb Silvestre De Sousa

4 (7) Masterstroke (USA) Charlie Appleby 9st 0lb Mickael Barzalona

5 (5) Mijhaar (Hood) Roger Varian 9st 0lb Andrea Atzeni

6 (4) Montaser (IRE) David Simcock 9st 0lb Jim Crowley

7 (6) Sheikhzayedroad David Simcock 9st 0lb Martin Lane

2.30pm G3 Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes, 1m (8)

1 (7) Anna's Pearl (Blinkers) Ralph Beckett 9st 0lb Jamie Spencer

2 (3) Baltic Knight (IRE) Richard Hannon 9st 0lb Ryan Moore

3 (8) Glory Awaits (IRE) (Sheepskin C/P) Kevin Ryan 9st 0lb Neil Callan

4 (2) Montiridge (IRE) Richard Hannon 9st 0lb Richard Hughes

5 (1) Snowboarder (USA) Charlie Appleby 9st 0lbMickael Barzalona

6 (4) Tawhid Saeed bin Suroor 9st 0lb Silvestre De Sousa

7 (5) Well Acquainted (IRE) Clive Cox 9st 0lb James Doyle

8 (6) Whipper's Boy (IRE) Brian Meehan 9st 0lb Kieren Fallon