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Weekend Review - Our First Winner !

   Weekend Reflections - The July Cup 


Shaquille Powers Home to Victory

The July Cup: Shaquille gets a 2 pointer to slam dunk his 2nd G1🏀.

I'll admit it... I got it wrong again in the big race of the weekend. It saw Shaquille make it 2 Group 1's from as many runs & leave me with egg on my face. 

In the July Cup, Shaquille scored his second Group 1 victory, leaving my selection, Little Big Bear, to finish last. Lightning struck twice as Shaquille stormed from the back, overcoming a slow start after rearing in the stalls again. He showed his class  with smart Group 1 winner Kinross in 3rd, despite ground conditions probably suiting him the most. Unfortunately, Little Big Bear failed to make an impact, finishing 8th out of 8

While Little Big Bear's recent performances have been somewhat disappointing, I still believe he has untapped potential. Perhaps his return from injury was too rushed and he should have focused on targets later in the calendar. Although slight doubts are beginning to linger about his progression from 2 to 3 years old, I won't give up on him just yet.


The Trojan Horse in Classic Contention🐴.

In other news, the NAP of the weekend came through with a win. (our first winner for the blog!). Backed from 13/8 to odds-on, he settled beautifully & displayed a stunning turn of foot, before powering through the line with a 6 1/2 length lead. The 2000 Guineas market duly responded making him the 5/2 favourite & he is now also 4/1 for The Derby next year too.  

Looking at his Pedigree & the speed he showed I think the Guineas will be the main target, however, I wouldn't be surprised if he could stretch out to The Derby distance in time. 

He's a real contender for the classics next year and certainly, one to keep an eye on. 

That wasn't in the Brief 💼.

Brad the Brief, our Next Best, had a disappointing run at Chester despite it being a race I believed he could win. The step up to 7f on soft ground might have blunted his speed, although I don't think the ground was the issue since he had won on soft before. I'll refrain from backing him until he finds his form again.

Streets of Fool's Gold 🗑.

Streets of Gold, our Longshot had the worst performance among our selections, finishing 15th out of 15 in the Bunbury Cup. Despite being well in at the weights, the trainer couldn't provide any excuses for the poor run. Upon closer inspection, it appears the yard hasn't had a winner in the past 14 days, highlighting that horses have off days just like humans. I'm willing to forgive a run that was exceptionally bad.

Conclusion:

We managed to secure our first winner, although the other selections fell short. It's still an improvement from last week, and I hope to build on this in the coming weeks.

Bonus Eyecatcher of the Week 👀:

NOSTRUM returned to the track with a convincing victory over 1m, defeating some highly regarded competitors. With room for improvement, he looks like a better prospect as a 3-year-old than he was at 2.  

A potential step up in grade and distance looks on the cards, possibly setting up an exciting clash with the progressive Paddington in the Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.

Please let me know how you think I can improve the blog. I will listen all suggestions and ideas. 


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