Saturday is a good day for horse racing as the St Leger and Irish Champion Stakes take centre stage across an action-packed afternoon.
AESTERIUS wins at 5/1!
Gritty performance in the Flying Childers to already secure profit for today’s @BestOfBetsUK column 😃#HorseRacing | @DoncasterRaces
pic.twitter.com/04d29iFXpd https://t.co/9Zm7pjaMiy
— Ash Symonds Journalism (@ASymondsJourno) September 13, 2024
Day two at the Leger meeting proved to be fruitful thanks to Aesterius and Sweet William, so let’s hope the momentum can roll on into today.
2:25 Doncaster – Shagraan @ 13/2 with William Hill – 1pt EW
For anyone that has followed the fancies on Twitter or TikTok over the last month or so, you’ll know the success Shagraan has delivered in these big-field handicaps.
Mick Appleby has a good sprinter on his hands who, after two wins and a solid fifth in the Symphony Group Handicap, has only gone up in the handicap by eight pounds.
Slightly frustrating day, but SHAGRAAN helps us out by winning at 11/2.
Thought that Bellum Justum would justify his NAP status but that wasn’t to be.
Tropical Storm suffered from going too hard too early, and one could make the same argument for Lumiere Rock.
Onwards… https://t.co/GOkgqDUkT2
— Ash Symonds Journalism (@ASymondsJourno) August 1, 2024
The handicapper only gave him three pounds for his victory at Haydock seven days ago, which seems on the lenient side, so why not stick with him here?
As a two-year-old, he clashed with Asadna, Big Evs, Purosangue, Task Force, and Seven Questions, all providing a solid base of form to go off.
Furthermore, his age means he gets 2lbs from his elders and there are few things better than sticking with a progressive sprinter who is in lightning form, so he’s my horse for the Portland.
3:25 Leopardstown – Ghostwriter @ 5/1 with William Hill – 1pt EW
Any horse with a piece of City Of Troy form deserves respect, so the fact that Ghostwriter has finished behind the Derby winner twice this season is a big positive.
The Invincible Spirit colt has great form in the book, starting with his fourth to Notable Speech, Rosallion, and Haatem in the 2000 Guineas.
Having run well on heavy ground, a less-than-ideal surface, in the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club, he chased home City Of Troy in the Coral-Eclipse and Juddmonte International.
That first run looks solid as Al Riffa went on to win a Group 1 in Germany and See The Fire, the fourth, won the Group 3 Strensall Stakes at York.
"He's just a beautiful horse to have anything to do with!" 💜
Clive Cox sends Ghostwriter to the Prix du Jockey Club on Sunday… pic.twitter.com/GJzNjyaYHq
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) May 29, 2024
The Juddmonte International, quality-wise, speaks for itself with Calandagan, Bluestocking, and the already-mentioned son of Justify, so there’s a lot going for him in this aspect.
Three-year-olds have won seven of the last 10 renewals, so it will be tough for the likes of Auguste Rodin and Luxembourg to give six pounds away.
For these reasons, Ghostwriter is the horse I’m siding with.
3:40 Doncaster – Deira Mile @ 16/1 with William Hill – 1pt EW
It’s been highlighted before, but the form of this year’s Derby is working out nicely, which gives a boost to the chances of Deira Mile who was fourth in the Epsom Classic.
City Of Troy speaks for himself, but Ambiente Friendly and Los Angeles fought out the Irish Derby, Bellum Justum won the Nashville Derby recently, Ancient Wisdom won the Bahrain Trophy Stakes in July, Tabletalk won the Melrose and Kamboo won in the Racing League.
All jokes aside, that was really great to watch.
Hard not to smile when you see City Of Troy gliding up the rail and kicking clear.
Yet again, that was magic from Ryan Moore. He is simply mustard.
The Epsom Derby always delivers.
— Ash Symonds Journalism (@ASymondsJourno) June 1, 2024
His last run in the Listed August Stakes at Windsor was fine for a horse who was making his first start for 84 days, and trainer Owen Burrows even said to the Racing Post that it was a prep race for the Leger.
He looks like a horse who can stay the extra two furlongs considering he ran through the line at both Epsom (when he came wide around the bend) and Windsor, so I’ll give him a chance here.
4:35 Leopardstown – Nurburgring @ 13/2 with William Hill – 1pt EW
On the day after Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May hung up their driving gloves after their final adventure on The Grand Tour, it’s fitting that Nurburgring – named after Germany’s legendary racetrack – is back out after his Galway Hurdle success.
The four-year-old by Zoffany is well-known to us jumps fans thanks to his placed effort in the Grade 1 Champion Four Year Old Hurdle and Grade 2 Mercedes-Benz South Dublin Juvenile Hurdle.
But, his exploits on the Flat merit good consideration for a horse who has a Flat rating of just 90.
Galway Hurdle No. 2⃣ for Joseph O'Brien 🏆
𝐍𝐮𝐫𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 skips clear around the home turn en route to a dominant performance in the feature @GuinnessIreland Galway Hurdle.@Galway_Races 🟢⚪️ pic.twitter.com/4Va7rk00rs
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 1, 2024
As a three-year-old, he beat the now 107-rated Queenstown in a Navan maiden and then finished a good fifth in the Listed Yeats Stakes behind Peking Opera and the now 111-rated Covent Garden.
That’s good form, and we know he’ll be race-fit as his Galway Hurdle win was just 44 days ago.
Rather than looking at him in a race like this and thinking ‘It’s a prep run’, much like his run at Leopardstown in July, there’s plenty of reason to say today is his day.
Firstly, the race is worth €88,500 to the winner, so it’s fair to say that connections would like that prize money, and if he wins, he gives himself a chance at running in next month’s €600,000 Irish Cesarewitch.
A rating of 90 wouldn’t get him into the race as it stands, but if he got a 7lb penalty for winning today, he would be right on the edge of getting into a race he is the 7/1 ante-post favourite for.
Of course, not everything goes this easily to plan, but Nurburgring has plenty of things in his favour today.
