DONN McCLEAN: Donn bids for an amazing hat-trick in his Saturday column following on from: Hawkbill (WON Eclipse 6-1) and Limato (WON July Cup 9-2). His Newbury pick today trades at around 5.5 on BETDAQ.
So in one week in Britain, we have gone from Super Saturday to Hackwood Stakes day. We have gone from July Cup day, a Group 1 day, when we also had the Group 2 Superlative Stakes and the heritage handicap that is the Bunbury Cup at Newmarket, as well as the Group 2 Summer Mile at Ascot and the John Smith’s Cup at York and the Listed City Walls Stakes at York and the Listed City Plate at Chester.
In one sense, last Saturday was a great day, a veritable feast of high-class racing. But in another, it was frustrating. Not just for trainers, who had to find jockeys and horseboxes for horses at different courses, but also for racing fans. You were all the while struggling to cover everything in preparation for what was going to happen, you were trying to watch everything and take everything in as it was happening, and you were all week trying to assimilate everything that had happened.
And in another, it was wasteful. Especially when you compare last week’s abundance to this week’s sparseness.
At least today’s fare in Britain coincides with Darley Irish Oaks day at The Curragh.
That said, the Group 3 Hackwood Stakes at Newbury is an interesting race. The Tin Man is interesting, dropping down in grade after being sent off as second favourite for the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot last time.
Ibn Malik is interesting, dropping down from seven furlongs to six for the first time in his life, after travelling well for a long way in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot, before he appeared to tire inside the final furlong, fading to finish fourth.
Mr Lupton is interesting, the Charity Sprint winner from York in June, when he beat Dancing Star, having another go in Group 3 company after coming up short in the Chipchase Stakes at Newcastle last time. Buratino and Illuminate and Watchable are all interesting, and Aeolus would be if it happened to rain, but none are as interesting as Charming Thought.
The Charlie Appleby-trained colt was a high-class juvenile two seasons ago. Winner of his maiden at Lingfield when long odds-on on his second run in September of 2014, he stepped forward from that to land the odds in a novices’ stakes race at Leicester on fast ground next time, and he improved dramatically from that to win the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes on soft ground on his final run at two.
There was a lot to like about the performance that he put up that day. Supplemented to the race, he travelled well just behind the pace, he picked up nicely when William Buick asked him to on the run to the furlong pole, and he kept on well to just get the better of the long odds-on favourite Ivawood, who had won a brace of Group 2 contests, the July Stakes and the Richmond Stakes, in the lead up to the Middle Park. Also, back in third place that day was Muhaarar, subsequent quadruple Group 1 winner and champion sprinter of 2015.
In contrast to Muhaarar, we didn’t see Charming Thought at all in 2015, and he was easy enough to back on the morning of his return to the racetrack in the Listed Cathedral Stakes at Salisbury last month.
Strong in the pre-race market however, he travelled well through his race, but he was caught a little among traffic on the inside when the pace quickened. Moved towards the centre by Buick, he kept on nicely all the way to the line. His rider wasn’t hard on him once his winning chance had gone, but he still ran on nicely, despite the fact that he was hanging a little to his right deep inside the final furlong.
It is reasonable to expect that the Godolphin colt will progress from that run, his first in 20 months and just the fifth run of his life. And he doesn’t have to progress a lot to put him right up there among the top horses in the race. Actually, he is the highest-rated horse in the race, and he doesn’t have to shoulder a Group 1 penalty, because he won his Group 1 race before last October.
He is proven on soft ground and he is proven on fast ground, and Charlie Appleby’s horses are in top form. As a son of Oasis Dream out of an Indian Ridge mare who won over a mile and over 10 furlongs, he could step up in trip in time. But he has lots of pace, all his five runs to date have been over this six-furlong trip, and it is a good distance for him for now.
It is interesting that James Doyle rides him instead of the other Godolphin horse in the race Buratino, whom Doyle has ridden in his last three races, and odds of around 5.5 about Charming Thought are fair.
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