Hi all,
Sacred was an impressive winner of the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes. Her victory ensured not to match damage was done to the betting bank. If you backed Embour (33/1) each way in the William Hill Great St Wilfrid Handicap with the couple of bookies, including the sponsors, paying seven places you got a nice return as that one sneaked into 6th in Ripon’s big sprint handicap.
A busy week of racing ends with Group 1 action at Deauville with the highlight being the Prix Jacques Le Marois. Palace Pier last year’s winner bids for back to wins in the race. However, he faces some serious rivals in 2,000 Guineas winner Poetic Flare and last year’s runner-up Alpine Star who will be all the better for her recent York reappearance.
This side of the English Channel Pontefract stages a competitive Listed race EBF Stallions Highfield Farm Flying Fillies’ Stakes (3:10). There’s £57,500 in guaranteed prize money for the race and it’s attracted a big field of 15 fillies, including runners from the Aidan O’Brien & Jessica Harrington yards.
There’s also a good card on the all-weather at Dundalk with the feature race being the Irish Stallion Farms EBF “Red God” Handicap (4:25).
I will be preparing for York’s Ebor Festival over the next few days so today’s selections will be the last until Wednesday.
Let’s begin today’s preview at where else but Deauville.
Deauville
2:50 – Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois (Group 1) – 1m
Palace Pier is the best older miler in Europe. He’s won all three of his starts this season. Granted he wasn’t at his best when winning the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot last time but prior to that had been at his best when comfortably seeing of Lady Bowthorpe in the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes. Remains the one to beat.
Alpine Star won the Group 1Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot last season and then ran Palace Pier to ¾ length in this race 12 months ago. Her half-sister Alpha Centauri won this in 2018 and she will be sharper for her recent reappearance at York.
Poetic Flare is one of the best if not the best 3-year-old miler in Europe. The 2,000 Guineas winner was so impressive when landing the St James Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot on good to firm ground. Not quite at his best when a 1 ¾ lengths runner-up to Alcohol Free in the Sussex Stakes last time. Its was still an excellent run by the colt, given he wasn’t totally at home on the track at Goodwood, would have preferred a stronger pace to chase and the going was soft. If he gets good ground today, he will give Palace Pier a race and can beat him.
The best of the home team could be Midtown. The Andre Fabre trained colt won both juvenile starts last season and made a really promising seasonal reappearance when a 1 ¾ length 3rd of 13 in the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat here over 7f 35-days ago. Today’s extra furlong should suit him. Has yet to race on going better than soft/heavy but his dam’s best form came on a sound surface so good ground could see him improve further. Which he will need to do to beat the likes of Palace Pier and Poetic Flare.
Pontefract
3:10 – EBF Stallions Highfield Farm Flying Fillies’ Stakes (Listed Race) – 6f
Valeria Messalina, trained by Jessica Harrington, needs good or quicker ground so will hope the rain stays away. Her best form has come at 7f and this will be the 4-year’s old first start over 6f. Runner-up in Group 3 at Fairyhouse 35-days ago. If she can reproduce her short head 2nd of 12 to One Master at Goodwood last year over today’s shorter trip, she will be tough to beat from stall 5.
Happy Romance has a 3lb penalty for winning a Group 3 (6f) at Newbury last month. This is her distance and Newbury was the first time she had her favored sound surface this season. Stall 11 could be better but she’s a strong contender.
Double Or Bubble is another who prefers a sound surface. She won a Newmarket handicap over 7f on her seasonal reappearance and a reproduction of that performance would see her go close here. Likely didn’t stay a mile in a Group 2 at Royal Ascot and was back in better form back at 7f when a neck 2nd of 8 in a Chelmsford Listed race last time. Has a good draw in stall 2 and has only had six career starts so remains open to more improvement. A strongly run 6f may well be ideal for her.
Keep Busy is in the mix on her best form over 5f but that maybe that is her optimum distance and she also may prefer slightly easier ground.
The best of the Aidan O’Brien trained pair could be More Beautiful. She was well behind Valeria Messalina at Fairyhouse but showed that 6f could be her trip when a ¾ length 2nd of 13 in Listed contest at Naas 25-days ago. The 3-year-old will like the ground and is interesting in the first-time blinkers. Stall 12 isn’t ideal but she could get into the places if building on her Naas run.
1pt win – Double Or Bubble – 9/2 @ Coral & Ladbrokes
Dundalk
4:25 – Irish Stallion Farms EBF “Red God” Handicap – 1m 2 ½ f
Safecracker will be popular after making a winning all-weather debut over C&D last time. Prior to that success had finished a 1 length 2nd of 10 behind recent Leopardstown Listed winner Interpretation. The 3-year-old has only had five career starts and is capable of more improvement on his handicap debut.
Bowerman is 3-3 at Dundalk and is having his first start here since winning a Group 3 over C&D last September. Hasn’t cut much ice on turf so far this season but he’s a real synthetics specialist and his form figures on the all-weather are 21117111. Can’t be ruled out back on his favoured surface.
Alhaazm is another Dundalk specialist and he made it 4-4 here when winning over 7f in April. Last of 17 in a valuable Curragh mile handicap 50-days ago. Takes a big step up in distance here but seemed to stay 1m 2f turf when trained by Sir Michael Stoute. The key to the 5-year-old could be a return to a course and surface that really suits.
1pt win – Alhaazm – 11/1 @ Coral & Ladbrokes
1pt win – Bowerman – 9/1 @ Bet365
1:30 – Eloy D’amerval has dropped down to winnable mark and the 4-year-old gets the addition of the first-time blinkers for a return to the all-weather. Colin Keane booked so a big run could be forthcoming.
Previous C&D winner Phoenix Open shaped with promise when a 3 ½ length 2nd of 15 at Gowran Park 4-days ago. Handy draw in stall and looks on a handy mark if the quick turnround doesn’t inconvenience the 5-year-old.
2:05 – Adapt To Dan made all to win at Bellewstown last month. The top weight hasn’t been disgraced on either start since and ran better than his finishing position suggests when 7th of 18 at Galway 19-days ago. He’s yet to win any of his six starts but went very close over C&D last November.
1pt win – Adapt To Dan – 6/1 @ Bet365 & Paddy Power
3:50 – The Highway Rat took his Dundalk form figures 1411 when comfortably winning a 5f handicap here 34-days ago. The 3-year-old has been hiked up 12lb for that victory and is in a deeper race here but he’s going the right way. First run at 6f here but did win a 7f maiden here on his racecourse debut so should be fine at the new distance.
Harry’s Bar is an all-weather specialist all his nine career wins have come on the synthetics and he’s 2-2 over C&D since joining the Adrian McGuinness yard. Top-weight but has a touch of class and will appreciate the return to the all-weather after running on turf in Group/Listed company of late. Cian MacRedmond takes off a handy 7lb
Riot is interesting on his first start for Johnny Murtagh. The 4-year-old won at Kempton when trained by John Gosden and finished 3rd of 28 in the Buckingham Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot last time. All his career starts have been over 7f and the cheekpieces he’s worn on his last three starts have been removed.
Major Power took advantage of a lower turf mark when dropping back to 6 ½ f to land the valuable Scurry Handicap at the Curragh last month. He’s 7lb higher now but has won five times at Dundalk in the past all over 7f. Totally unexposed over sprint trips and could be capable of better back here.
1pt win – Harry’s Bar – 6/1 @ Bet365
5:00 – Ragtime Red is a three-time C&D winner and was a 1 length 3rd of 13 here over 1m 4f in May. The 6-year-old maintained his good run of form when a close-up 4th of 18 at Fairyhouse 65-days ago. Must be respected back here but has no great record after a layoff though.
Herodotus has dropped down to a tempting mark. The 4-year-old ran his best race for present yard when a 6 ½ length 3rd of 14 over C&D in April.
Dawn Tapper won a 1m 1f handicap at Leopardstown 10-days ago. He seemed to enjoy the soft ground that day and the 3-year-old can improve further for the step up to 1m 2f here. First run on the all-weather but he’s related to two who won here so should handle it.
1pt win – Dawn Tapper – 6/1 @ Coral & Ladbrokes
Cheers
John