King George can put smile back on racing’s face after difficult week
Graham Dench on an action-packed afternoon that promises so much
It should not be too difficult, as there’s plenty of it, with 57 races spread across eight meetings, and the very best of it would compare with the best on any Saturday this year.
The King George is a cracker. It’s a shame the ten-runner field does not include the winners of any of Europe’s three main Derbys, but it features six individual Group 1 winners and the presence of Oaks and Irish Oaks winner Enable is ample compensation.
Only the great fillies and mares have succeeded in a race traditionally dominated by the male of the species, and none has done it after winning at both Epsom and the Curragh, but John Gosden knows what is required.
He saddled Oaks winner Taghrooda for a clear-cut success only three years ago and he will have high hopes Enable can add her name to a list also graced by such as Park Top, Dahlia, Time Charter and Danedream.
One of only two three-year-olds in the field, with sex allowance added to 11lb weight-for-age she receives 14lb from her rivals, assuming Frankie Dettori’s wasting has succeeded in slimming him down to 8st 7lb – and for a ride like Enable we can surely take that as read.
She was tremendously impressive both at Epsom and the Curragh, and while there is a suspicion we lack an outstanding middle-distance three-year-old colt this year, there’s no question we have an outstanding filly.
Highland Reel out to join the elite
Highland Reel bids to join an exclusive club, for Dahlia and Swain have been the only dual winners since the King George was first run in 1951.
Last year he beat Wings Of Desire under a masterful front-running ride from Ryan Moore, but that was in a small field on fast ground and this scenario is trickier.
As short as 11-10 in places last week, Highland Reel has drifted to such an extent he is available now at as big as 5-1, much the same odds as Jack Hobbs, who he had back in last place when landing the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot last month.
Conditions might not be ideal, but Highland Reel, who is joined here by his little brother Idaho, is a six-time Group 1 winner and you underestimate him at your peril.
Pioneering challenger no forlorn hope
While the head says the King George will be won by Enable, Highland Reel or perhaps Coral-Eclipse winner Ulysses, the heart will be rooting for outsider Sixties Song and the bold party which has travelled all the way from Argentina to support him.
Sixties Song, the first South American-trained runner ever to race in Britain, is widely available at 66-1, but he’s a dual winner at the very highest level at home since connections worked out he needed holding up.
Top-level South Americans have held their own in the States and the United Arab Emirates, and with a rating of 119 on the International Classifications he is not a forlorn hope.
Fiendish handicap puzzle
If the King George does not present a hard enough puzzle, the fiendishly competitive Gigaset International Handicap ought to keep you occupied for an hour or two.
A Raceform algorithm has determined that nine of the last ten winners were either ‘in form’ or an ‘improver’, leaving just one theoretically harder-to-find ‘sleeper’. However, that does not narrow it down that much and each of the market leaders has a question mark over him.
William Haggas would almost certainly not have chosen easy ground for Victoria Cup winner Fastnet Rock, and Roger Charlton was probably none too thrilled at seeing Makzeem draw stall one.
Chester Listed winner Viscount Barfield is 10lb well in but conditions- race form is notoriously unreliable when applied to handicaps, and Chester and Ascot are chalk and cheese.
As for one-time Classic hope Flaming Spear, he was devastating on the all-weather at Newcastle in the winter, but he’s been off for 198 days.
Perhaps we ought to be looking for that rare ‘sleeper’.
Could it be Ted’s time at York?
Punters love an improving Stoute older horse, but that’s not the only reason why Autocratic would be an especially popular winner of the Sky Bet York Stakes.
For Autocratic offers a great opportunity for Oaks and St Leger winning-jockey Ted Durcan following a wretched nine months during which he suffered not one but two separate ankle injuries.
The 44-year-old, often said to be one of the nicest men in racing and an important cog in the Freemason Lodge set-up these days, has a medical book that must look more like that of Sir Anthony McCoy, with whom he was apprenticed at Jim Bolger’s, than most of his contemporaries on the Flat.
Compared to Racing Post columnist Freddy Tylicki, he got off lightly of course in that hideous melee at Kempton last October, but April’s Leicester injury not long after his return must have been hard to take.
Group 2 success at York would help make up for some of the missed opportunities.
fonte : RacingPost
“L’UNPCPS ricevuta dal Sottosegretario Castiglione al MIPAAF”
Il giorno 26 luglio il Consiglio UNPCPS è stato ricevuto dal Sottosegretario Castiglione.
All’incontro erano presenti il Presidente Masini, il Vice presidente Villa, i Consiglieri Callegari, Cannarella e Cantoni. Dopo una breve presentazione dei convenuti, il Sottosegretario ha ascoltato e condiviso quanto dettagliatamente illustrato dai Consiglieri in merito alla drammatica crisi del settore che presenta una costante flessione delle scommesse ippiche, un montepremi sempre più esiguo, una situazione precaria degli ippodromi, un pericoloso calo di cavalli nati e allevati con conseguente riduzione di proprietari e allevatori, per poi soffermarsi sui seguenti argomenti:
TEMPISTICA DEL PAGAMENTO DEI PREMI - Le procedure dello Stato sono purtroppo complesse e non eludibili. Pur ponendo ogni attenzione e riguardo non si è in grado di ridurre il tempo sotto i 90/100 giorni. Su questa tempistica il Ministero si sente in grado di prendere impegno. Sono comunque allo studio eventuali soluzioni di tipo normativo.
LEGGE DI STABILITÀ - Di fondamentale importanza in attesa delle evoluzioni del Collegato Agricolo mantenere in essere i fondi destinati al settore ippico e su questo non mancherà l’impegno del Ministero.
RISORSE PROVENIENTI DAL D.L. N. 185/2008 E LORO DESTINAZIONE - Le risorse verranno impiegate esattamente come previsto per legge quindi con attenzione e tutela del finanziamento del montepremi delle corse. In tal senso è stata predisposta una circolare interna. Rimane ferma comunque la preoccupazione per la situazione di alcuni ippodromi.
DECRETI ATTUATIVI DEL COLLEGATO AGRICOLO - Il lavoro procede all’interno dei Ministeri interessati ma ancora una volta occorre notare troppe spinte non concentriche di esponenti del settore e questo non favorisce la fluidità dei percorsi. Non solo su questo argomento è auspicabile e necessaria una rappresentanza ristretta ed univoca del Galoppo
SPLIT PAYMENT E GRANDI SCUDERIE - Appare chiaro come questo sistema normativo penalizzi le grandi scuderie, inducendo preoccupazione anche in merito al recupero dei crediti IVA. Sarà necessario verificare con gli uffici legislativi ulteriori nuove formule possibili.
Gli esponenti UNPCPS ringraziando il Sottosegretario si sono impegnati a fornire, dopo la pausa estiva, un loro contributo scritto con proposte a livello organizzativo e di modifiche legislative per un confronto costante e costruttivo a salvaguardia dell’intero settore ippico.
Roma 26 luglio 2017″
U.N.P.C.PS. - Il Presidente Mario Masini
Viale Federico Caprilli, 30 - 20151 Milano
Tel +39 02 4042416
Fax +39 02 48700410
www.unpropcav.it
Galileo’s TDN Rising Star The Pentagon Takes the Tyros
Thursday, July 27, 2017
| 4th at LEP, Gr. Stk, €60,000 | G3 JRA Tyros S. | (7f) | Winner: The Pentagon (Ire), c, 2 by Galileo (Ire) |
‘TDN Rising Star’ The Pentagon | Racing Post
By Tom Frary
Although the Tyros in its former guise at The Curragh did boast Go and Go (Ire) and King of Kings (Ire) among its winners, it was not until 2006 that the race began a rapid transition into one of Ireland’s most crucial staging posts. In that year, which was its last at listed level, Teofilo (Ire) signalled his take-off to championship heights and the following season New Approach (Ire) became Galileo’s latest celebrated son to resonate ahead of his later glories. This is a contest that has continued to showcase Coolmore’s world superpower, with five of the next nine winners also by the pre-eminent sire of his generation and all going on to succeed at the top level with the likes of Rip Van Winkle (Ire), Cape Blanco (Ire), Gleneagles (Ire) and Churchill (Ire) reaping several prizes in that sphere.
Where The Pentagon will eventually sit among such esteemed company is the stuff of forecast, but this performance at least underlined that he is a quality colt towards the elite of those seen out so far in 2017. His outstanding pedigree suggests that what he has already achieved is a perk, as everything in that regard points to the future but the best ones always show a glimpse of what is to come through their crude ability at two. Much as his stable’s commandant Highland Reel (Ire) had as a juvenile, The Pentagon blew his cover wide open with his maiden success which represented a bound forward from his distant debut sixth behind TDN Rising Star Verbal Dexterity (Ire) (Vocalised) over this trip at The Curragh June 10. Few buttons were pressed in the interim, so his 8 1/2-length defeat of the useful-looking yardstick Medal of Honour (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) under Ana O’Brien back at the same course and distance was an exhibition of embryonic class and prompted his promotion to Ballydoyle nominee for this in the space of just 12 days.
Provided with an ample pace regulator in Berkeley Square (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) throughout the early stages, the bay son of the 2005 G1 Prix Saint-Alary heroine Vadawina sat third tracking a bona fide target in Theobald who carried no less pressure as the Bolger representative. Soon after turning for home, the favourite took time to gather together as Berkeley Square began to pose a threat from within and it took four reminders from Ryan Moore’s whip for The Pentagon to close the deal. From 200 yards out came his most impressive section of the race and past the line he galloped out strongly as all the qualities of his Aga Khan bloodlines manifested themselves.
While the display had more Derby to it than Guineas and as the stable already have a warm order for Newmarket in fellow TDN Rising Star Gustav Klimt (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the prospect of The Pentagon lining up for the May Classic is far from strong but this form still places him among the best of the precocious juveniles seen so far. When one of this distinguished “V” family possesses pace, the results can be surprising with the six-furlong 2-year-old winner Valixir (Ire) able to overwhelm the cream of the milers in the G1 Queen Anne S. after reaching a high level at a mile and a half when successful in the G2 Prix Niel and finishing third in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club in its former guise. His dam Vadlamixa (Fr) (Linamix {Fr}), who was successful over a mile in the Listed Prix de Lieurey, is a half-sister to another versatile heavyweight in Val Royal (Fr) who went from 10-furlong G2 Prix Guillaume d’Ornano winner in Europe to Breeders’ Cup Mile hero in the States. More recently, the Aga Khan’s Veda (Fr) (Dansili {GB}) who shares Vadaza as a second dam with The Pentagon possessed enough pace to be second in the G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (French 1000 Guineas) and his half-sister by the similarly stout influence Dalakhani, Vedouma, was third in the 2015 G3 Prix de la Grotte at a mile.
It is easy to state the winner’s case for the 2018 Derby and Aidan O’Brien, who was extending his tally to 11 here, is already thinking that way. “He was a little bit green and raw and Ryan said he galloped out very well after he really organised himself and lengthened,” he said. “Ana [O’Brien] thought that maybe we should take our time on him a bit the next day and teach him and he was a little bit green first time around a turn here so it was the right thing to do. I’d say he’ll stay well. He travelled well and is a very good mover who I would imagine will have no problem getting a mile this year and start at a mile and a quarter next year. If he’s good enough, the Derby trip is something we will look at but he’s not short of pace either. The [G2] Futurity [S. at The Curragh Aug. 20] could be next.”
Thursday, Leopardstown, Ireland
JRA TYROS S.-G3, €60,000, LEO, 7-27, 2yo, 7fT, 1:28.05, gd.
1–THE PENTAGON (IRE), 129, c, 2, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Vadawina (Ire) (G1SW-Fr, $267,195), by Unfuwain
2nd Dam: Vadaza (Fr), by Zafonic
3rd Dam: Vadlamixa (Fr), by Linamix (Fr)
*1st stakes win.
O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Barronstown Stud (IRE); T-Aidan O’Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €35,400. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $55,679. *1/2 to Vadamar (Fr) (Dalakhani {Ire}), GSW-Fr & G1SP-Ity, $354,965; Vedouma (Fr) (Dalakhani {Ire}), SW & MGSP-Fr; and Vedevani (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire), GSP-Fr. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Theobald (Ire), 129, c, 2, Teofilo (Ire)–Sanaara, by Anabaa. O-Mrs J S Bolger; B/T-Jim Bolger (IRE). €12,000.
3–Would Be King (Ire), 129, c, 2, Lethal Force (Ire)–Smart Coco, by Smarty Jones. (€18,500 Wlg ’15 GOFNOV; €42,000 Ylg ’16 GOFORB). O-Gaelic Thoroughbreds; B-Rockfield Farm (IRE); T-Ger Lyons. €6,000.
Margins: 1 3/4, HF, 3/4. Odds: 0.35, 4.00, 8.00.
Also Ran: Burgundy Boy (Ire), Berkeley Square (Ire), Red Persian (Ire).
Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
fonte : TDN
Irlanda: #Galileo dominatore con #Happily, The Pentagon ed il promettente Delano Roosevelt. Egemonia e misteri..
A Leopardstown c’è stato un giovedì con qualche spunto degno di interesse in termini di corse pattern dominate da figli di Galileo, tanto per cambiare. Ma ne parliamo perchè sono pur sempre soggetti che faranno parlare di se in futuro, nelle corse buone, in ottica Classiche. E poi dicono dell’Italia, mentre nessuno spende parole negative per le corse irlandesi. Anzi. In particolare si correvano le Silver Flash Stakes G3 per femmine e le Tyros Stakes G3 per i maschi, entrambe sui 7 furlongs e per puledri di 2 anni. Nella prova per femmine, già vinta in passato da campionesse come Maybe e Together, a vincere è stata Happily (Galileo), Aidan O’Brien al training, che ha dominato la compagnia lasciando la prima battuta a 5 lunghezze di margine, confermando il riferimento con Shalailah (Showcasing), già battuta in maiden un mese fa al Curragh, ma stavolta con un divario più ampio. Al debutto invece non aveva fatto bene giungendo settima alle spalle di September, che poi abbiamo visto in grande spolvero anche ad Ascot. Happily ora alzerà l’asticella nelle Debutante Stakes G2 del 20 Agosto al Curragh, dove potrebbe incontrare altre 2 ragazze terribili della generazione come Clemmie e September stessa, prima di puntare alle Moyglare Stakes G1. Allevata dalla Orpendale and Chelston Ireland, Happily è sorella piena del campione e vincitore di 4 G1 Gleneagles, della Classica Marvellous e del meno buono Taj Mahal. La mamma è You’resothrilling (Storm Cat), sorella piena del campionissimo ed Iron Horse Giant’s Causeway, una famiglia di cui fa parte anche Decorated Knight.
Les italiens: Doppietta a Maisons-Laffitte per Marcialis e Botti. Sabato a Deauville Stella Di Camelot in Listed.
Da registrare in Francia un doppio italiano a firma di Andrea Marcialis e Alessandro Botti. In apertura di pomeriggio a Maisons-Laffitte affermazione per Sweeticon (Sixties Icon), in una reclamare per cavalli di 3 anni con in sella Cristian Demuro. Poco più tardi, in un’altra reclamare, ecco il successo di Magical Forest (Casamento) con Alexandre Chesneau a bordo con una convincente prestazione vittoriosa per 4 lunghezze di margine. Il weekend degli italiani potrebbe essere ancora più succoso….
Scandalo a Yarmouth! Cavallo vince a 50/1, ma era il compagno di scuderia.. Charlie McBride sotto inchiesta
Tutto il mondo è paese. Ieri Yarmouth ha vissuto uno scandalo sportivo di grossa entità e senza precedenti. Si è verificato un grossolano scambio di cavalli nella prima corsa del pomeriggio, una prova per cavalli di 2 anni, vinta da un cavallo a 50/1 a sorpresa, ma che ha 3 anni!
A passare il palo per prima è infatti stata tale Mandarin Princess che ha battuto il favorito Fyre Cay a 6/4, ma solo successivamente al verde pagare è stato scoperto che in realtà la vincitrice era Millie’s Kiss, una 3 anni che era stata dichiarata partente nella quarta corsa del pomeriggio. L’allenatore responsabile in questione è Charlie McBride, che ha parlato di un errore “in buona fede” in quanto la ragazza che si è occupata di portare i soggetti in pista li ha semplicemente scambiati, mentre lui stesso non si è accorto di nulla in quanto, adducendo giustificazioni più o meno plausibili, era stata già insellata al momento del suo arrivo in ippodromo dopo pranzo.
