Saturday Goodwood rides & more
DRAGON SYMBOL has come out of York well and hopefully he’ll go for the Group One Derrinstown Stud Flying Five Stakes next at the Curragh on September 12.
The Haydock Sprint Cup might just come too soon and so the plan is to go for the five-furlong race on Irish Champions Weekend, where hopefully he can finally bag his Group One.
He jumped very well in the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes, he ran straight and true and Winter Power just got away from him a little bit on what is a fast five furlongs.
It can happen at York, but he ran a great race in defeat and has held his form well all season. He just needs to win that so far elusive top-level prize now.
Autumn juvenile team taking shape
With summer just about over it’s time to look ahead to the autumn and that means some really good races for the juveniles in September and October.
There’s a handful I’m really looking forward to with MASEKELA towards the top of the list. He could go for the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster’s St Leger meeting next – that hasn’t been confirmed but it has been mentioned.
HOO YA MAL impressed me when he won the Convivial Maiden Stakes at York and he’s now in the running for a better race. He had been showing plenty at home and we were pleased with how he did it on the Knavesmire.
IMPERIAL FIGHTER could only manage second in the Acomb Stakes but he could go for a top-level race in the next few months. I’d say he’ll get a mile well and he could be our horse for the Vertem Futurity Trophy at Doncaster in October.
And finally HARROW will most likely go to the big sales race at Doncaster. It’s a valuable race and he’s got the right sort of profile for something like that. A fast pace will suit him and though he probably wants to go a bit further than six and a bit furlongs, it’s a valuable prize and he can always step up in trip afterwards.
Chrono Genesis Arc plan remains the same
I’m counting down the weeks now until CHRONO GENESIS comes over from Japan for me to ride in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and the plan remains the same – no prep race in France before the big one.
I see no reason why she should need one, we’ve seen Japanese horses win the Prix Foy before and then not win the Arc, so let’s try something different with her. She’s a very tough filly that’s run in several big races so she’s got the right sort of profile for Longchamp.
I’m obviously excited about riding her in the Arc. She’s the best middle distance horse in Japan and her regular jockey is out injured, so the opportunity arose and I was keen to grab it with both hands.
Look abroad for marketing solutions
Talking of Japan leads me onto the recent talk about how British racing promotes itself as I’ve been listening with interest but haven’t heard many solutions. We need to get together as a collective effort to get this right.
Racecourses charge a lot for admission fees. Hospitality on a racecourse is very expensive. I do think it should be more accessible and when I look at other jurisdictions I’m envious of the models they have in place.
Japan has two divisions, the JRA and NAR. The JRA is twice a week - normally at weekends - and that’s what everyone is interested in, that gets the 80,000 to 100,000 people going racing. The NAR doesn’t get any crowds, the prizemoney at that level is like ours, it’s quite poor.
Australia’s the same. We go on about how great the prizemoney is there and it’s great for the Metropolitan racing, the Sydney racing, your Moonee Valleys and your Flemingtons, that’s fantastic prizemoney. But your everyday stuff at tracks like Geelong is not great prizemoney and isn’t well supported.
Predictably with our funding model being the way it is with bookmakers taking so much out and not putting much back in relatively, it’s very hard to find extra money to promote racing like they do in those countries. Huge billboards in cities and buses with horses on the side of them – the funding just isn’t there to do things like that over here.
I know it’s not easy to find the money to market the sport better in the UK, but looking at the models abroad might be a good starting point for inspiration.
Goodwood Saturday rides
STYLISH ICON - 1.15 Goodwood
She’s a first time out Starspangledbanner filly for James Tate from the family of Grand Lodge. I don’t know much else about her and she’s not the only debutant in the race so we’ll wait and see what happens.
MISE EN SCENE – 1.50 Goodwood
I was very happy with her on debut at Haydock where she won by four lengths. This is a big step up in class to Group 3 company so she’ll need to improve, but let’s see where she is. I know Wilderness Girl has improved a tonne at home for Andrew Balding, she’d appreciate slower ground but they were very happy with her at home this week.
CLASSIC LORD – 3.00 Goodwood
He’s an improving horse although he’ll need to progress again to take the Group 3 Tote March Stakes. He’ll be fine on this ground, he’ll enjoy the test of stamina and he’s not a bad horse, hopefully he’s still going the right way.
BENBATL – 3.35 Goodwood
I’m thrilled to get back on him in the Group 2 Tote Celebration Mile. Saeed bin Suroor has been very happy with him, he’s been taking things slowly with him this year but he’s ready to go now. It looks the right race for him and if he’s healthy and well he should be tough to beat. He goes well fresh and I think that’s because he’s very genuine in his gallops, he can get himself quite fit at home and he always gives everything out on the track.
Of the others I’m a big fan of Mutasaabeq, particularly when he’s allowed to lead. He’s a quick horse with a high-cruising speed and Happy Power is very tough. He hasn’t been at his best this year but he could bounce back, he’s got talent.
RAVENS ARK – 4.45 Goodwood
Some might say this fellow was unlucky last time out but he’s a hostage to fortune as he jumps slowly and stall one is a nightmare draw for him. He gets back, he doesn’t travel and he gets stuck behind slow horses. Having said all that he is capable, but he’ll need luck in running from there.