Weekly Eye-Catchers – Horse Racing

Hi all,

Defoe Has Leger Goal in Sight

The final classic season of the season the St Leger is a just a few days away. The race is also the oldest of the Classics. The St Leger is the final leg of the Classic British ‘Triple Crown’ which hasn’t been won since the great Nijinsky in 1970. Sadly, these days the race rarely features horses going for the Triple Crown, with the only recent runner to do so being Camelot, the 2012 2,000 Guineas and Derby winner, who finished a close up second in that year’s renewal.

It’s still a race for the county of Yorkshire to be proud of but how long it will remain in its present form is open to question. I have backed Defoe at 20s ante post for the race which was a value price and if the going is on the easy side I am expecting the colt to go very close indeed. Whether I would be getting involved at his present odds I am not sure unless I know the going. Still, he remains the only horse I am interested in at this stage.

Brando In Haydock Blow Out

I gave Brando as my selection for last Saturday’s Sprint Cup at Haydock and what a shocker he ran. He was also very weak before the race which was ominous given his ability to be effective on the soft ground. Maybe he didn’t enjoy the heavy ground. Who knows? But one thing is certain the market knew the horse wasn’t going to run a race. Maybe he broke a blood vessel like he did at York early in the season again we can only speculate. That’s racing for you. You have to take the rough with the smooth and if Defoe lands the big one on Saturday I will have forgotten the Brando blow out.

There was plenty of top class action over the Irish Sea over the weekend with Irish Champions Weekend at Leopardstown & the Curragh. I don’t have time to do justice to the best performances from the two days although I do have an eye-catcher that ran in one of the maidens at the meeting.

This Weeks Eyecatcher’s

There are another four eyecatcher’s for your trackers this week.

Friday 8th September

Haydock

Englishman – Milton Bradley – No jockey rides Haydock as well as Richard Kingscote but I am sure he will have admit this wasn’t his best ride. The seven-year-old came into the race after a decent effort to finish 4th in a valuable Class 2 handicap at Windsor. Racing off just a 2lb higher mark than for his last win, the gelding was travelling noticeably well in the rear of the field but didn’t get the run he was expecting and had to be switched to stands side to make his effort it was always going to be to late and he had to settle for a strong finish 4th. Beaten 1 ¾ lengths by the winner. With a clear passage, he would have gone very close. He remains on a competitive mark.

Kempton

Breden – Linda Jewell – Formerly with John Gosden. The seven-year-old has clearly had his injury problems as he only had one run between October 2013 & May of this year. That May run was his first for the trainer and he was a good second at Windsor his first run for over 630 days. Not really built on that run on two subsequent starts on grass. He showed up much better in this 1m 3f handicap. Despite being slow away from the stalls and not finding himself in the best of positions he still managed to get within 2 ¾ length’s of the winner at the line when finishing 6th. Given his long absences from the track, he has only had 12 career starts, winning 3 of them and placing on a further 3 occasions. Looks on a very workable mark, he has won on the all-weather at Kempton and looks set to win a race or two over the winter on the synthetics.

Saturday 9th September

Ascot

Mam’selle – William Haggas – The daughter of Teofilo came into the race having won three of her five career starts. The filly had previously won an amateur riders Class 4 handicap at Newbury, albeit in good style, and this was a two notch step up in grade. But she ran well to take 3rd. Did best of those held up and was finishing off her race well. Her dam won over 2m so there I a chance she can stay a bit further than 1m 4f. The three-year-old showed here that she continues to progress with racing, is very effective on rain softended ground and is capable of winning again if she gets her ground. She has the scope to do well as four-year-old if connections decide to keep her in training.

Leopardstown

Minnie Haha – Jessica Harrington – The juvenile had run a race full of promise on her racecourse debut when 4th at the Curragh, last month and she built on that here when once again finishing 4th in a maiden race with what looks plenty of depth to it. Like at the Curragh she a bit tapped for speed when the race started in earnest but once again she was doing her best work at the finish. An ease in grade over 7f or a step up to a mile maiden will suit the filly.

All that’s left now is to wish you a profitable week’s punting.

John