Tuesday 29 April 2014

To play the King in quest for Classic success?

Do I think Kingman can win this Saturday's 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket? Yes. Would I back him at the generally available odds around the 5/4 mark on the Tuesday before the big race this weekend? Not on your Nellie.

For a start, those fleet-of-finger and with access to a betting exchange could probably achieve similar odds in-running as contenders for the first Classic of the season pass the 'six pole' at HQ this weekend. I can't imagine Kingman will attempt a Frankel-style blitz from the front in his chase for glory. It's much more likely that big race pilot, James Doyle, will attempt to make his move as the field sweeps past the Bushes about a quarter of a mile from home.

There's certainly no doubting the credentials of the horse's trainer, John Gosden, to land the big race. And owner Prince Khalid Abdullah is hardly a stranger to the Newmarket winner's enclosure on the first Saturday in May. But whether Kingman can emulate the likes of Dancing Brave and Zafonic and triumph in this race, I'm still not so sure.

After all, there's the not inconsiderable obstacle of Aidan O'Brien's Australia to contend with (plus a Dewhurst winner from the same yard in the shape of War Command). Trainer Richard Hannon Junior is also bullish about Toormore, his unbeaten Craven Stakes winner. There's even a Spanish challenger this year, Noozhoh Canarias, who ran really well in the big 2-y-o race for colts in Paris on Arc day last October.

Most eye-catching of all, perhaps, is the thought that you don't often get a chance to back a Breeders' Cup winning juvenile in an English Classic at juicy double-figure odds. Yet that's the scenario facing punters currently with Outstrip, this year's lone contender from the mighty Godolphin stable, who currently trades around the 20/1 mark.

There's no doubt that Kingman's win in the Greenham at Newbury was an impressive trial. Even more taking, some have suggested, than Frankel's victory in the same race three years ago on the road to Classic glory (how time flies). Should Kingman go on to win the 2KG then best of British luck and here's to him enjoying a stellar season to boot.

I'd be more confident about Kingman if he was running in the Poulains (French 2,000 Guineas) at Longchamp a week later. In fact, faced with that prospect, I'd be looking to swamp the PMU counters with Euros, travellers' cheques, bitcoins, et al to get on.

But this weekend, I'm just not so sure, especially with little rain forecast for Suffolk. Would it be the biggest turn-up in Classic history if Australia, War Command, Outstrip or another rival were to commit equine regicide on the day? For me the answer has to be 'no'.


Thursday 27 February 2014

Soap plays starring role at Festival

Squirty soap maker Baylis & Harding is to sponsor the three-mile handicap chase on the opening day of this year's Cheltenham Festival on 11 March.

The announcement, which came less than a fortnight before the tapes are due to fly up for the contest, means the race will be known as the Baylis & Harding Affordable Luxury Handicap Chase.

The £90,000 Grade 3 race is a good Grand National trial. West Tip, Seagram and Rough Trade all prevailed in this contest before going on to triumph in the Aintree spectacular.

Sunday 23 February 2014

Nights of passion - Festival style

I've only ever attended a brace of Cheltenham Festival preview nights and both were memorable for the wrong reasons.

At the first one I won a case of Champagne in a raffle which was held during the interval of an interminable affair at one of those "legendary" Cotswolds racing pubs. The only decent tip put up all evening by one of the five panellists (two trainers, a jockey, a racing hack and a professional punter) was the winner of Hexham's four-mile chase which used to be staged the same afternoon as the Gold Cup in the days it was run on a Thursday.

My second experience was at a far swankier affair in London's Mayfair. I'd been invited as a guest of a company which had paid a fortune for a table as part of a swish preview night dinner which turned out to be a complete let down.

Not only did you need a pair of Leica's to see the stage, the guest tipsters were a disinterested bunch from the off. I recall spending most of the night helping the person sitting next to me compose a letter on his napkin seeking membership to The Garrick Club. He was admitted three years later.

Festival preview nights are fine if you enjoy a sociable pint or six and simply want to remind yourself of the name of every fancied runner due to line up at Prestbury Park's four most important days of the season.

Whether you'll come away from an event with anything more valuable than a headache is questionable, though, especially in social media-dominated times such as these. It's a subject Paul Jones refers to in this piece for The Guardian and which offers a decent insight into some of the patois associated with preview nights. In a sense, it's what's NOT said at these evenings which is as important as the numerous tips that end up flying around.

A decade ago, the better-organised affairs served a purpose by showing race videos from the season's earlier contests and which potentially had some bearing on results at the Festival itself. Nowadays if you want to refer to key races or titbits from trainers you can do so with a quick web search, or by visiting the TV section within Cheltenham's own website for replays of various contests.

Entry prices for preview nights vary considerably. Some Cotswolds pubs trade on their proximity to the course and gladly charge north of £25 for the equine equivalent of Festival Question Time. Usually with a warm glass of wine and a soggy egg roll thrown into the, er, bargain.

This SkySports event in Leeds on 5 March looks like better value at a tenner and various racing clubs around the UK put on reasonably-priced get togethers too.

If you're in Ireland in the run-up to the Festival, here's a list of events taking place in the Emerald Isle. I can't find a UK equivalent currently but if I stumble across one before the racing world descends on Cheltenham for 11 March I'll add it to a later post.

Wednesday 19 February 2014

Festival jockeys 'jewel' for top honours

Boodles, the London jewellers, is to sponsor the leading jockey award at this year's Cheltenham Festival.

The award, which recognises the jockey with the most wins across the four days of racing, will be presented during the meeting once an individual emerges with an unassailable lead.

"We have a long relationship with horse racing, having sponsored the three days of the Chester May meeting for some years and we have also created the Grand National trophies," said Boodles managing director Michael Wainwright.

With the pick of the stable firepower from the all-conquering Irish yard of trainer Willie Mullins, current favourite with bookmakers to be crowned leading jockey at the meeting is Ruby Walsh.