£200,000 BIG-RACE DOUBLE BID: There’s double trouble for Daqman’s two-year-olds to follow. They clash today in two of the top juvenile races in France and Ireland, in which there’s more than £200,000 up for grabs, and that man Aidan O’Brien hot on the trail with a chance of both prizes from five runners.
6 CROSS-CHANNEL GROUP RACES: Here’s an analysis of the cards on this quality day of days at the Curragh and Deauville, with Daqman bringing you a nap at each meeting from two Group 1, three Group 2 and a Group 3.
STARS AT THE DOUBLE IN 2YO CLASSICS
It’s a kids day out. The very top juveniles are at play today by the Normandy sands of Deauville and at Ireland’s thoroughbred centre, The Curragh.
The £147,000 Prix Morny sees the clash of leading two-year-old colts and fillies in England, Ireland, France and the USA.
The £76,700 Futurity Stakes is 80% an O’Brien family affair, with Aidan fielding Guineas and Derby fancies Capri and Churchill among four for him plus one for Joseph O’Brien, leaving Gentleman Jim Bolger as a quiet intruder with, indeed, Radio Silence. I think it’s over and out, Jim!
It means that my Two-Year-Olds To Follow list has a pair of cross-Channel duels being staged at the same ‘off’ time:
2.45 Futurity Stakes CAPRI v CHURCHILL
2.45 Prix Morny LADY AURELIA v TIS MARVELLOUS
COLLATERAL FORM FINDS THE LADY..
2.45 Deauville (Prix Morny) Fillies can take on the colts in the Morny, and clearly Wesley Ward has gone for the big money in pitting Lady Aurelia against Tis Marvellous.
But the biggest coup of all would be by Aidan O’Brien to beat them both with his Anglesey winner Peace Envoy, and set up a £200,000-plus double in the Futurity, being run at the same time in Ireland.
How will the famous O’Brien mobile phone cope with simultaneous results? Fortunately, France is always later than the ‘off’ time.
Strangely, Al Johrah, key to collateral form between Tis Marvellous and Lady Aurelia, is also making an appearance in the Deauville race.
Al Johrah was beaten seven lengths by Lady Aurelia in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot but only two-and-a-half lengths by Tis Marvellous at Maisons-Laffitte in the Prix Robert Papin.
But, as ever with collateral for two-year-olds, you cannot be sure how much any one has come on since Ascot on June 15 and Maisons on July 24. Juveniles can take sudden jumps forward. Or back..
And, to further complicate matters, Ascot was run in a good time on soft ground; Maisons on good ground but in a slow time.
Tis marvellous, for sure, to see them both there this afternoon but, after a wet seaside Saturday in France, the sunny Sunday weather may not make much impression before racing on what must surely be the soft side of good, maybe even soft ground.
Add the 4lb sex allowance and, from what we know, and judging on the trainer’s willingness to pay air miles, Wesley Ward and Frankie Dettori will pick up the Morny money.
DEAUVILLE GROUP-1 SEALED WITH A KISS
3.20 Deauville (Prix Jean Romanet) England is attempting a hat-trick here and four out of five after Izzi Top (2012), Ribbons (2014) and last year Odeliz.
James Fanshawe, who trained Ribbons, has Speedy Boarding trying to step up from her Group 2 success over here at Saint-cloud (Ame Bleue s eventh) , but having to bounce back from her last of five behind Minding in The Curragh’s Pretty Polly in late June.
Steip Amach has been with David Smaga for her two starts since winning the Amethyst (Group 3) at Leopardstown, when saddled by her breeder, Jim Bolger.
She’s been kept to a mile so far but her staying-on third to the very smart three-year-old Qemah in the Rothschild on the last day suggests that today’s 1m 2f is interesting.
Sayana tries the same thing after a hat-trick of wins over a mile before stopped by Epsom Icon at the English Derby meeting, form not well advertised yesterday.
On the other hand, the lightly raced Bateel, a winner at Newmarket, drops back two furlongs for David Simcock, who saddles another Listed winner Carnachy, scorer at both 10 and 12.
The one for me is Bocca Baciata, kiss on the mouth – a smacker, I reckon! – for Jessica Harrington, after her Group-2 follow-up on the same course to her Curragh Pretty Polly second to Minding. That’s where I came in with Ribbons.
3.55 Deauville (Prix Kergorlay) Hughie Morrison sent his Northumberland Plate third, Nearly Caught, for a nice Listed follow-up over this Deauville CD last month
But that leaves him a lot to find with a grey filly I expect to see go to the top in staying races this autumn for the new king of France, Alain De Royer-Dupre.
Candarilya, who won a Group 2 at Saint-Cloud on the last day, was beaten by Fly With Me first run back in the Spring (Trip To Rhodos third, Walzertakt fifth).
Candariyla was mugged on the line that day, but I think you’d be a mug to ignore her this afternoon.
ROYAL WHIP IN RANGE FOR U.S.
The Curragh hosts a fantastic card this afternoon that has been graced with the presence of some great Futurity Stakes winners; Giant’s Causeway, New Approach and Gleneagles in the past. The Debutante Stakes has also proved a very classy race in recent times. Last year, superstar filly Minding managed to finish only second in the race behind subsequent Group 1 winning stablemate Ballydoyle with this season’s Falmouth Stakes winner Alice Springs back in fifth.
Curragh 2.15 – For the day that is in it The McGregonator would be a fitting winner of the opener and sentiment aside he has a live chance. A winner of his maiden here early in the season, he has been highly tried since and should really appreciate this drop into handicap company. He wears cheek-pieces for the first time today which could be a help and off a mark of 79 he could be ready to “knock-out” his rivals.
Curragh 2.45 – Incredible to believe that Aidan O’Brien will let exciting two-year-olds Churchill and Capri take each other on here and you would suspect that these declarations have been made with changeable ground in mind. With the rain arriving I wouldn’t be surprised to see Churchill as a scratch and impressive Tipperary winner Capri left to extend his winning sequence to three. If not, then Churchill should just be the better of the two.
Worcester 2.50 – Hard to argue with Canicallyouback’s recent form. He was an emphatic winner at Newton Abbott last time and a 9lb rise looks fair. He is up in class now but as a result he remains on a nice racing weight here for Evan Williams who boasts a 29% strike rate at this course so far this season.
Curragh 3.15 – No form to go on here but San Remo is of obvious intrigue as Ballydoyle’s first Frankel-sired runner to date and he could be a tough nut to crack. However he is likely to learn a lot from this experience and runners from this yard can be opposed first time out. Preference instead is for Jim Bolger’s Tradfest, he unleashed a smart looing two-year-old during the week and this half-sister to debut winner Smash Williams could be the one.
Curragh 3.45 – Almost laughable to describe this race as a Group 3 as it features a double Group 1 winner, an Epsom Derby second and an Irish Guineas second. In truth, there have been worse Group 1’s run in Ireland in recent times! Fascinating Rock is a rock solid performer and is one of the best in the business with some give underfoot. However, US Army Ranger does have star potential and despite missing his Irish Derby rematch with Harzand he should be very difficult to hold off in receipt of 9lbs.
Curragh 4.15 – Brave Anna has done everything asked of her so far and was very tough to deny Bletchley and Thursday’s Lowther winner (and current 1000 Guineas favourite) Queen Kindly at Royal Ascot. She has started as stable second string both her wins to date but it hasn’t stopped her winning so it is of little concern that she appears to be second string again. The biggest danger will probably come from stable-mate Rhododendron who emulated her mother, Halfway To Heaven, winning at Glorious Goodwood last time.
Curragh 5.45 – After her maiden win at Gowran, trainer Dermot Weld nominated a winners-of-one race for Topaz Clear so he must have been happy with her opening mark of 84 to pitch her straight into handicap company. She is a typically well-bred Moyglare Stud sort and could prove this rating all wrong.
DAQMAN’S BETS (staked 1 to 10)
BET 2pts win 2pts place THE MCGREGONATOR (2.15 Curragh)
BET 6pts win CHURCHILL (or 10pts win CAPRI if Churchill is a non-runner) (2.45 Curragh)
BET 7pts win LADY AURELIA (2.45 Deauville)
BET 8pts win CANICALLYOUBACK (2.50 Worcester)
BET 4pts win TRADFEST (3.15 Curragh)
BET 7pts win BOCCA BACIATA (3.20 Deauville)
BET 10pt win (Ireland nap) US ARMY RANGER (3.45 Curragh)
BET 9pts win (French nap) CANDARILYA (3.55 Deauville)
BET 7pts win BRAVE ANNA (4.15 Curragh)
BET 9pts win TOPAZ CLEAR (5.45 Curragh)
£25 IN FREE BETS
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