THE WAY WE WERE AND THE WAY THINGS ARE FOR A RESUMPTION: Where were we at this time last year and where are we now? Daqman tries to answer both questions today and tomorrow, before resuming his Secrets of Winner Finding next week. Headlines:
GODOLPHIN GETS THE BLUES
GERMANY RACES FROM MAY 1
Tomorrow: the Scottish Grand National
GODOLPHIN GETS THE BLUES
THE WAY WE WERE On this day last year Godolphin – the boys in blue – saddled a three-year-old marker, Space Blues, for a conditions race on the opening day of the 2019 Spring meeting at Newbury. He was expected to take the Dante-Derby route.
There were excuses in that he was beaten into fourth after pulling hard but Newmarket work-watchers were inclined to drop Godolphin’s Classic hopes down a peg or two, though French-based Persian King was prominent in the betting for the English Classics, and Zakouski was still being being touted by some from the Al Bahathri AW gallops.
In the event, ninth in the Derby was the best Godolphin could do with anything in England, as the Dubai-based empire wisely concentrated on France.
In the space of 35 minutes at Longchamp, they landed the French Guineas double in early May, with Persian King (2,000, trained Andre Fabre and ridden Pierre-Charles Boudot) and Castle Lady (1,000, trained H. A. Pantall and the mount of Mickael Barzelona). It gave Godolphin their 300th Group-1 success.
But, though Persian King now seemed a top-class player on the European stage, he was beaten in the French Derby and never raced again.
Castle Lady proved to be below Coronation Stakes standard (fifth) and was stone last in the Breeders Cup fillies and mares.
Meanwhile, at the time of the Newbury meeting, telephone tipsters were touting another Godolphin Classic colt, Zakouski, housed with Charlie Appleby, for the Newmarket Guineas.
After the bad pointer from Space Blues, Zakouski would finish only fifth in the Craven Stakes at Newmarket but he brings us right up to date as far as we can this year.
After being gelded in the winter, Zakouski has won twice in 2020 at Meydan: in January (handicap) and February (Group-2 Zabeel Mile) and his progress could have taken him back to the Craven fixture at Newmarket, with a chance of redemption. We shall never know.
GERMANY RACES FROM MAY 1
Who will win the race to race again? First it was France with Spring reopening dates; then Ireland; with England wondering if they’d been wrong to put their Classics off until later in the year.
Now it looks as though Germany may have edged ahead, with plans for a resumption on May 1 for a period of racing without spectators.
They could have their towels on the beach first, as ever, and would have a Classic race on June 7, with plans in place for their 1,000 Guineas to be staged at Dusseldorf.
Germany has had fewer problems and restrictions than most in Europe, but England and Ireland face at least three more weeks of lockdown, and we’ve reached the stage where revised plans are being revised!
France has a slightly later target than Germany – for a turnkey date of May 4 – but with their Guineas for the first weekend in June now looking ambitious. The Ireland lockdown currently ends on May 5.
All public gatherings in France have been banned until July 11, which would be an ideal time to project the staging of the French Derby and Oaks.
As I have already revealed, a core scheme in England has a May start rolled out on AW Flat tracks along the length of England, making them self-contained units, with Lingfield and Newcastle the major venues.
There are talks going on to make a behind-closed-doors Royal Ascot (without the top hats and tails) the main focus of resumption.
The backlog piling up includes summer feature-race Jumps meetings, like Market Rasen’s prestigious handicaps.
Plans for an autumn campaign at Fairyhouse, and a rescheduled Irish Grand National, are back in the air, with Gigginstown announcing that such as Tiger Roll, Delta Work and Samcro would not have their summer holidays shortened for such an enterprise.
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