Sunday's Meetings Dundalk A/W 8 Races 1:00-5:00p.m. Southwell A/W 6 Races 1:35-4:30p.m. Tramore N/H 7 Races 1:40-5:10p.m. Chelmsford A/W 7 Races 1:50-5:20p.m. Pontefract Flat 7 Races 2:00-5:25p.m. Racecards At The Races Sporting Life Racing Post Good Luck
What is happening with Southwell then? Replacing the track for tapeta? I really like the fibresand, it will be a shame to see it stop. I know everyone doesn't think much of it but it offers something different in terms of racing and opportunity for a certain type of horse that can't be found anywhere else in Britain at the moment. I always felt is was a fair enough track too with the straight giving horses the chance to get momentum up to mount a challenge.
Small win Lucky 15/Acca. All pretty short prices: 2:05 Dundalk - Burning Lake 7/1 3:10 Ponte - Valeria Messalina 11/4 4:10 Chelmsford - Pop Favourite 5/1 4:20 Ponte - Teqany 7/2
Have also had a go at the Deauville card. Very small stakes. All win singles unless stated otherwise 12:58 - Who Knows 13/2 1:33 - Kenway 17/2 2:15 - Tudo Bem 7/1 2:50 - Chindit 28/1 Ew 3:25 - Baratti 9/1 4:00 - Burgarita No Bet 4:35 - Time To Fly 11/2 5:10 - Moana 6/1 5:40 - Cinephile 6/1
Interesting to note that the Blake's claimed a horse out of that Market Rasen seller yesterday. Namely Clearance. He's a 7yO Authorised gelding with 7 wins to his name. Handicapped over hurdles, at the min, at 114 and on the Flat at 78. Looks potentially a nice dual purpose horse for them.
I'm with you, STH, but it's pretty clear that money has talked. Track owners ARC have obviously decided that they want to raise the course's profile by attracting a better class of runner - you almost never see a Gosden, Godolphin or Juddmonte horse here - and that tapeta is the way forward. If you want to see more detailed reasoning, you can google up a Racing Post article from 14/12/2020 headed 'Southwell set to change to tapeta'. In fairness, it does seem that fibresand has its drawbacks; it doesn't cope well with extremes of weather, there's a very pronounced kickback, and it appears to need relaying every few years. There's also the consideration that it's only 100 miles by road from Newmarket, whereas the much-praised Newcastle is nearly 250. All that said, it was one of the few tracks that might reward the punter who paid close attention to course form, trainer-patterns, and breeding. and I'll mourn its passing. If the fibresand had to go, I'd have preferred to see it replaced with dirt, but that's another argument. So, a sentimental final-curtain nap in the 1.35 5f classified: Triple Jaye looks to me the most progressive of the five 3yos in the field (admittedly that's not saying much). I don't really like the no.1 draw on the straight course, but let's hope that David Allan can plot a course which will give us a last-day Easterby winner.
Interestingly the BHA have entries open for a meeting at Southwell on the 30th for Fibresand My darts for Southwell 1:35 Bluella/Red Stripes 2:10 Stripzee/The Grey Lass (4 places market for both) - massive sire stats positive for them 2:45 Queen Of Kalahari/ Capla Spirit (massive drift) 3:20 Galeophobia (4 places market)
Tremendous call Rainer. I had a bit on only due to you putting it up. Yourself and Nassauboard are usually shrewd enough over the cards at Southwell over the years, so thank you very much
3 from the first 4 but it was Rainers who won very nicely. Thank god they are ripping the fibresand up
You're very kind, and it's flattering to be mentioned in the same breath as the great man. You do know that he's a hologram-projection from Stick's subconscious, don't you ?
The race of the day is in France but it's not likely we will get rich backing Palace Pier. He's a shade of odds on now but at one stage it threatened to be a potential two contender affair between him and Poetic Flare. After the St James Palace, where the Bolger colt was so impressive, it looked like he was a serious threat to the Gosden 4YO but defeat at the hooves of Alcohol Free has seen the two colts separate in the betting. I think a lot will depend on the ground because Poetic Flare's poorer form has seemed to come on soft going and if it were rattling quick I think it would be his best chance of toppling the older horse. Andre Fabre saddles two here and they are both huge odds. Victor Ludorum was an easy winner last time but that was a very weak affair where I thought he was a shoo-in, His profile has generally been disappointing and it is hard to believe that Andre Fabre once said the colt reminded him of Mill Reef. Midtown is the younger horse and he did not appear until later in the season. He was on my radar as a French 2000 Guineas prospect but he was left out of the Godolphin seasonal preview and I knew something must have been amiss with him. Considering his long lay off, Midtown ran pretty well when 3rd on his seasonal debut when thrown in at the deep end in the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat over 7F. That was on very soft ground and he was entitled to need the run. On the downside winner Law Of Indices and runner up Thunder Moon both stank when dropped in trip next time. Alpine Star was runner up to Palace Pier last season and then gave Tarnawa a good go in the Prix De L'Opera. She's a small filly though and was narrowly beaten at odds-on on her seasonal debut at York. Jessica Harrington has sent them out under-cooked on debut in the past and she could improve from the disappointing run last time. That run was a stone below her best, Order Of Australia has always seemed a bit in and out to me. He won a weak Group 2 at the Curragh but either side of that run he looked to lack the class for today's task. Stable are also under-performing lately. Chindit is a big price today but he has looked like a good/fast ground colt to me and is surely held by Poetic Flare on his last two efforts. Ecrivain got back to winning ways last time but that looked a weak Group 3 and no surprise to see him the outsider today. Most people will probably feel it's a shoo-in Forecast for Palace Pier to beat Poetic Flare and it may well be the case but we won't get rich with that. I took a chance with Midtown each-way. He's unexposed and entitled to improve from his last run. He has a good bit to find but steps up a furlong and this will be the first time he has run on ground that wasn't heavy or very soft. Maybe unlikely to win it but for an each-way in an eight runner race I thought 16/1 probably underestimated the scope for improvement with plenty different factors from his previous run. 2.50 Deauville Midtown 16/1 EW
The 3.10 at Ponty sees Jessica Harrington's Valeria Messalina on the raid from Ireland. Second in a Group 3 last time I feel she has a touch of class and she is dropped in trip with a tongue tie fitted for the first time today. Long way to send a horse for nothing and I played at 10/3 with Double Or Bubble the obvious main danger. 3.10 Pontefract Valeria Messalina 10/3
racing can do that to you at times. You were close enough though, sometimes you just have to take solace you're logic is decent and the luck just wasn't there on the day, at least I keep kidding myself that way. It costs nothing to pay a compliment, and plus it was deserved. I can picture stick sitting off on his throne, stroking his white Persian cat (that isn't a euphemism for those with minds in the gutter) teleporting Nass upon the racing World to do all the grafting.
2.50 Deauville Midtown 16/1 EW Ran a good race to finish 4th, Grendel, just 3/4 length behind the third horse home. Never in my life have I seen French trainers and connections in such dire straights, they are getting bombed time and time again!