TON-UP DE SOUSA GOES MARCHING ON: Silvestre de Sousa has hit the century and goes marching on in record time at Yarmouth. Let’s hope that one record is not broken for a long, long time: yesterday’s 105 non-runners!
BANKERS DOUBLE FROM FIVE MEETINGS: Daqman goes to Yarmouth, Brighton, Haydock, Leopardstown and Sandown. There must be a banker among them? No, there are two
TANGLING WITH TON-UP DE SOUSA..
The Sousa phone must be red hot. It’s hard work for both agent and jockey to reach 100 winners with three months of the season left. Witness today at Yarmouth. Six rides for four different trainers.
3.10 Yarmouth The accent is on soft–surface ability, and Entangling did better than expected on that score at Doncaster a fortnight ago.
He was held up in rear, and kept wide, hunting for better ground, first time under De Sousa. The jockey will know more about him now and the gelding’s steady progress should be rewarded.
De Sousa has had 100 winners in only 96 days this turf season, way ahead of last year’s ton up in 120 days. He’s had 148 winners this year all told, That’s exactly Jim Crowley’s total amount for his jockeys’ title last season!
3.30 Brighton (Challenge Cup) There’s firm going at Brighton! Not even a sea fret. But there is a worry of more non-runners. This time not for soft ground but for hard. Oh, to be in England!
Curlew River is a three-year-old with a big weight, and not guaranteed to get the trip, so I shall put my pound on stablemate Star of Lombardy, (17.0 on BETDAQ) who won over 1m 4f on firm at Epsom in July but is only a couple of pound higher.
CLASSY SAINTED LOOKS A STANDOUT
3.50 Haydock Class-2 quality says the race heading, but only one in the field is a winner at this level, Queen In Waiting, and that was on firm ground.
Queen In Waiting, twice behind Southern Belle since, flopped on soft at Musselburgh on the last day. Southern Belle has also beaten Clear Water, Hope Solo and Samsaya so should figure in this finish.
But she won’t carry my money. She’s turned quirky recently. ‘Missed break,’ ‘went right start,’ and ‘reared leaving stalls’ (behind Iseemist) in three separate races make my point.
Keep an eye on 34.0 BETDAQ offer Clear Water (there hasn’t been a pound for her this year yet and she’s better than that) but the obvious one for the money is Sainted.
A winner on the soft last summer, she won so easily on her return that she went for a Group 3 at Goodwood, where she fell foul of the usual camber tricks and crowding.
Dropped in trip but should get a good lead from front-runner Courier, who faded 10 lengths behind her at York. Sainted it is, but the market may give credence to a Clear Water revival!
GO TO TOWN ON MOYGLARE ENTRY
5.15 Leopardstown Aidan O’Brien’s record in this 2yo maiden is 1131211, including decent sorts like St James’s Palace Stakes runner-up, Lancaster Bomber, so why has he stepped aside this year?
Word has it that son Joseph’s Ox Trot, out of a War Front mare, is set to take decent rank among juveniles. But it’s his first race and 16.5 was exchanged this morning, with Moyglare entry New To Town the most likely winner at around 2-1.
Ox Trot is a first foal, son of Preakness winner Ox Bow, bred at Calumet Farm, Kentucky, and making his debut racing in the ownership of.. Calumet Farm, Kentucky.
It’s a big occasion. Just like every night for me, as I sip my Calumet Farm bourbon, all the way from the bluegrass. Bless this house!
STEPS DOWN IN GRADE AT 17.0
7.20 Leopardstown (Ballyroan Stakes) A three-in-a-row winning streak for Aidan O’Brien was interrupted last year when Jim Bolger bagged the spoils with Stellar Mass, who today tries to become the third horse since 2007 to win the race back-to-back.
But to do so would break another sequence. Three-year-olds are on a hat-trick which could be secured again by their 10-13lb allowance from the older horses.
Old man of the party is The Grey Gatsby. Nearly three years since he last tasted success but that was on firm ground on this very course in the Irish Champion Stakes of September, 2014.
He has 3lb with which to make up nearly three lengths on Johannes Vermeer from the International Stakes (Group 3) at The Curragh in early July.
Santa Monica won the Munster Oaks (also Group 3) with a daring run between horses at Cork in June, but Stellar Mass appeared to return to something like his form of a year ago when fourth in the Curragh Cup over further.
So what of the three-year-olds? Blinkers and now cheekpieces haven’t helped Act Of Valour step forward from his maiden win in May. That’s a bad sign.
Grandee’s best ever was in winning the King George V Cup but he likes an easier surface, as does Johannes Vermeer.
So this may be where Spanish Steps, a Gowran maiden winner, proves that his journey to Saint-Cloud for a Group 1 was not a flight of fancy. I took 15.0 on BETDAQ this morning.
7.50 Leopardstown The handicapper has just about forgiven Mandatario’s winning a 6lb better race than this over the Leopardstown CD 14 months back.
He is down 6lb and is 3lb better off with the second horse that day, Abraham. Both appeared to return to form last time out on Flat and over Jumps.
TIME CHASER THE PICK AT SANDOWN
6.45 Sandown A lovely son of Champs Elysees, Mt Augustus (14.5 offers) should enjoy the cut in the ground where others will resent it.
7.15 Sandown Star of Rory won his maiden on soft but has been of little account since. Always a bad sign, and not helped here by top weight.
Dubawi Prince is also a maiden winner only, and not see since the Newbury race in April won by Shutter Speed with a Group-03 winner second and the mighty King George star Enable in third.
Yet another maiden-only winner is Alwahsh, out of his depth afterwards at Royal Ascot, and a dual 1m 2f winner bidding for a hat-trick is Glenys The Menace
Time Chaser is two from two but has had a break since beating nothing at all here at Sandown in June. Steps up a couple of furlongs, which he is bred for. Related to Group-2 winners at today’s trip. Give him a try.
DAQMAN’S BETS
BANKER BET: 20pts win ENTANGLING (3.10 Yarmouth)
BET 1.25pts win and place STAR OF LOMBARDY (3.30 Brighton)
BANKER BET: 20pts win (nap) SAINTED, and 1pt win and place CLEAR WATER (3.50 Haydock)
BET 10pts win NEW TO TOWN, and 1pt win and place OX TROT (5.15 Leopardstown)
BET 1.5pts win and place MT AUGUSTUS (6.45 Sandown)
BET 10pts win TIME CHASER (7.15 Sandown)
BET 1.4pts win and place SPANISH STEPS, and 3pts win (stakes saver) JOHANNES VERMEER (7.20 Leopardstown)
BET 4pts win MANDATARIO (7.50 Leopardstown)
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