Well “Super Saturday” or as I prefer to call it “Saturated Saturday” is over for another year. I don’t have the time to write in detail as to why I think it’s bad for horse racing but suffice to say it’s not in the interest of punters. The only good thing about Saturday’s racing was the amount of potential tracker horses it unearthed.
Last week we also had the Newmarket July Festival, run on quick ground, and it was a good meeting with plenty of excellent performances and a number of eye-catchers which I will outline below.
Not the best of weeks for me last week but given the big profits this year, I have made a profit every month so far, a fallow period is always potentially going to be on the horizon. Indeed looking at my records, July of last year left a lot to be desired too.
Two weeks ago in this column I mentioned I was going to add a filly to the software who was working her way back to form and can win a handicap in the coming weeks. Well subscribers didn’t have to wait long to see her run as the Sylvester Kirk trained filly Pacolita landed some tidy bets at Brighton last week! As ever I will be adding further horses to the software for Eyecatcher Pro subscribers, including a Brian Ellison handicapper who is back down to a winnable mark.
This week I will look at some of the best performance from each of the three days of the July Festival and an eyecatcher for each day!
Newmarket’s July Festival
Day 1 – Thursday 7th July
Performance of the Day – Lumiere – Mark Johnston –
A top class juvenile who was many shrewd judges fancy for the 1,000 Guineas. A winner at this meeting last year the three year old was last seen when finishing 16th of 16 in the first fillies Classic. Connections have clearly given her time to come to herself and that patience paid dividends here as she travelled powerfully throughout the race and once she was asked to win her race between the final two furlongs she stayed on too strongly for her rivals in this Listed race. I had doubts as to whether she would get the mile but there was no stopping her at the line and she got the trip well. The quick ground will always be in her favour and she can win more races in Group Company if she reproduces this sort of performance.
Eyecatcher of the Day – Mont Kiara – Kevin Ryan –
The six furlong handicap for three year olds has produced some good winners in the past, including last year’s winner the useful Magical Memory. On paper this years renewal looked as good as ever and I think the form can be followed/ Mont Kiara had run well to finish 2nd on his previous start here over 5f and he produced an even better effort returned to six. Held up, he didn’t get the clearest of passages at the furlong pole and had to be switched to make his effort. He was staying on well at he finish to be beaten just 1 ¾ lengths into 5th. A winner of his maiden last year at Newcastle on good to soft ground he showed here that he handles much quicker going as well. Has only had 8 career starts and can win a nice pot over 6f before the season is out.
Day 2 – Friday 8th July
Performance of the Day – Alice Springs – Aiden O’Brien –
The three year old took on the elder fillies and mares in the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes and ran on to strongly for her six rivals. Given it’s traditionally difficult to make up much ground from behind on the July course and this year‘s Festival was no exception, she did get a fine ride from Ryan Moore as he always had the filly up close to the early leaders. The daughter of Galileo had caught my eye when finishing 3rd to Minding in the 1,000 Guineas and last time had been a good 3rd in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot. It will be interesting to see where she goes next and what trip she races over but I would like to see her try 1m 2f plus, as she is bred to even better over middle distances and indeed her full sister Criteria was at her best over 1m 4f. Looks a progressive filly who can win more races!
Eyecatcher of the Day – Withernsea – Richard Fahey –
Well suited by a big field handicap scenario. The very quick ground wouldn’t have been his ideal surface but he still ran really well to take 3rd at the line. Came from behind and given the first two home were both up with the pace from the start this was a good run. All three of the five year olds career wins have come on good to soft or worse and it’s interesting to note he is 3 wins 2 places, from just 6 starts when racing within 15 days of his last run! There is a nice handicap in him when he gets softer ground than he faced here, over 7f and maybe even 6f if he gets a sufficient stamina test.
Day 3 – Saturday 9th July
Performance of the Day – Limato – Henry Candy –
The four year old Limato put up arguably the most impressive performance of the three days when quickening clear of his rivals at the furlong pole, in the July Cup, and despite hanging really badly right inside the final furlong was still able to beat his rivals by an easy looking 2 lengths. Well suited by quick ground he may well now go for the Sussex Stakes over a mile and if he gets quick going he will be well worth another go over a mile. If all the fancied horses turn up at Goodwood we could be set for one of the races of the season and another “Dual on the Downs”. Limato is a true Group 1 horse over 6f & 7f it will take a good one to lower his colours over those distances when he gets his ideal ground.
Eyecatcher of the Day – Sole Power – Edward Lynam –
Maybe a 9 year old now but he was travelling as well as Limato, but was caught behind a wall of horses at the furlong mark and had to be switched inside the final furlong. Had no chance after that and was never going to take a hand in the finish but still ran well to be beaten just under 5 lengths into 8th at the line. He had the quick ground he needs and he showed enough here to think there could be another Nunthorpe Stakes in him, if he goes into that race in the same form as he did this one as long as he gets quick ground.
If you are a subscriber to the Eyecatcher Pro software I will be doing some housekeeping of the tracker horses this week, if time permits.
That’s it for now, and now all that’s left is to wish you a profitable weeks betting and let’s hope we get some better results.
