Skip to main content

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. 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The York Ebor Festival - Tips for the Week

  The York Ebor Festival - Fancies for the week York Racecourse There is some great racing ahead this week with racing at York taking centre stage🏇 Let's hope for a successful week 🤞 Wednesday 23rd August  York 2.25pm: Acomb Stakes (Group 3)  BALLYMOUNT BOY appears to be a solid favourite in this. His close 1L finish behind VANDEEK at Goodwood, who went out to win the G1 Prix Morny next time out, hints at his potential.  That was on soft ground but given his pedigree I think he may have preference for good ground and no rain expected until Friday, conditions seem favourable. The step up to 7f could also work in his favour given his breeding & to me all signs point to a strong showing from BALLYMOUNT BOY. BALLYMOUNT BOY to win at 9/4. York 3.00pm: Great Voltiguer Stakes (Group 2) This race is quite a puzzle with a small field, which often makes picking a bet a bit tricky. GREGORY is currently leading in the betting, but this shorter distance might not be his ide...
Post a Comment
Read more

Horse Racing Tips - Saturday 19th & Sunday 20th August

   The Sumbe Prix Morny - Race Overview & Tips River Tiber The Subme Prix Morny 🇫🇷 Our main race this weekend comes on Sunday over in France at Deauville is the 3.25pm Group 1 Prix Morny over 6f. The market is topped by one of Aidan O’Briens star 2YO’s River Tiber.  The 9 stand their ground it what looks to be the most exciting 2YO race of the season.  RIVER TIBER is favoured by outstanding Coventry form, but a recent setback raises concerns.  RAMATUELLE, the French contender, gains a 4lb allowance being a filly but needs to improve on her impressive G3 victory. She will act on any ground.  VANDEEK impressed on soft ground at Goodwood & his knee action suggesting more improvement on better ground, but the quick turnaround is a concern.  ELITE STATUS burst onto the scene & has a C&D victory to his name. Discounting a loss to a 150/1 shot at Royal Ascot, he's a contender.  JASOUR seems to excel on firmer ground, not yet e...
Post a Comment
Read more

Week Review - A Brief Look at Last Week

Week Reflections - The Weather didn't help Mystical Power  The Weather didn't help matters this week, with Goodwood having to be called off halfway through the Saturday card. Having winners was a tough task but we managed a few.  Mystical Monday 🔮 The week started off nicely with 2/3 coming in on Monday. MYSTICAL POWER (Galileo x Annie Power) proved that he was bred to be a champ and disposed of his rivals smartly.  Under a top trainer in Willie Mullins, this lad could go right to the very top. Different class! Mystical Power - by Galileo out of Annie Power - bolts up in an exciting start to the 2023 Galway Festival and remains unbeaten for Mark Walsh, Willie Mullins and JP McManus 🏇 pic.twitter.com/Zs71BtEvVM — Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 31, 2023   MYTHOLOGY made it 2/2 to start the day off. As I've been suggesting the softer ground & 7f seem to suit this horse. He showed his class with no potential Ballydoyle superstar lurking, he won comfortably. Anoth...
Post a Comment
Read more