British 2yo Racing - 2007 Season
<< 2007 Season
Racing Previews Results

Racing Preview - May 6th 
Today's Races
  • [47] : Hamilton 2:05, 5f Auction (5)
  • [48] : Newmarket 4:20, 5f Maiden (2)
  • [49] : Salisbury 2:55, 5f Fillies' Conditions (3)

  • Checkout
    Trainer :
  • Mick Channon has not won the Salisbury Fillies' Conditions race in the last ten years but has regular runners. His record since 2002 is :-
  • 2002 - Salome's Attack 3rd (STO) & Daisy Do 5th (STO), both maidens at season end
  • 2003 - Aces Dancing 2nd (8/1 STO), minor northern maiden winner
  • 2004 - Feminist 5th & a moderate runners
  • 2005 - Dream Rose 2nd (FTO) and supported at 100/30 for owner Jaber Abdullah. Maiden at season end but showed average maiden form.
  • 2006 - Pretty Majestic 2nd (FTO, 8/1) for Jaber Abdullah and a useful winner along with Queen Of Narnia (3TO, 18/1) who was Channon owned and a later seller winner.
  • In general Mr Abdullah seems to own a privileged position with regards to the yard. Despite his wealth he is represented each season by some cheaply bought fillies and the success he has with these would suggest they are possibly passed on to him by the yard when their talent has beome clearer. He owned Queen's Logic who won at Group 1 level for the stable and he kept to breed from (consider that he retained her first foal for 950,000 guineas as a yearling, i.e. he didn't need that much ready money but runs 2yos fillies that cost as little as 12,000 like Tamara Moon here) and recently had Flashy Wings who cost only 32,000 (not a high amount by recent standards).
  • In general the stable targets debut wins only with useful horses after early season and for particular owners with Mr Abdullah well to the fore. The last two seconds in this race by debut runners for him an indication that his 2yos compete more strongly FTO than the stable average (also linked to him having been given some of the best cards to play in some form). Since Mr Abdullah keeps some of the fillies to breed from a place in this type of race is good 'advertising' for the sales catalogues.
  • However, at the sales Tamara Moon look small, light behind and unremarkable like her dam and not up to competing in a normal edition of this race.
  • Paddock Review :
    Ratings :
    Other :
  • The 5f Maiden run at Newbury this year looked well above average on performance and paddock review. However, the only later runner from the front half of the race was the second Legendary Guest. The only good thing to say about his lame effort at Leicester was that it was too bad to be his real ability. He had shown a wound-up attitude at Newbury and ran only 8 days later when failing.
  • We will learn a lot more about that maiden today when the likeable third Party In The Park runs in the Newmarket maiden along with the 5th Mansii. At Salisbury the filly that finished 7th without really being put into the race takes part in the Conditions race. Flying Indian looked a ready sprinter on physical set-up despite her pedigree and able to rate into the lower 70 (Official Ratings).

  •   May 6th Summary : 
     
    • Some brief thoughts on the two main races today. The Salisbury fillies' race has a history which shows that for the most part it is the highlight of the year for the winner. In effect, an early season race-off between some precocious fillies who will be in the 70-84 range of official ratings by season end and not competing well in better races and nurseries at that. The exceptions have been when Richard Hannon has a high class filly and he traditionally uses this race for the best that he has. His last three winners have included Gilded who went on to success in a sub-standard Queen Mary and Presto Vento who won the Supersprint at 2yo and a Listed race at 3yo.
    • So, the key to the race is what you think of Cake, so to speak. She didn't have to achieve much to win a slowly run Lingfield AW race but on the plus side she did win comfortably (and a debut win is usually a good sign with the trainer). She also appeared to show something approaching an ability to quicken when turning a neck lead at halfway into a 3 length lead rounding into the staight. She did only go away from Hucking Harmony who doesn't really do left hand bends on the evidence so far but still a positive. She is by Acclamation and the evidence so far suggests that although often on the small side his early runners have shown they have some 5f zip although they are likely to have limited development potential. He has had three other winners with smaller types already - Cee Bargara, Cracking & My Sheilas Dream (seller) along with a very good debut from Rebel Aclaim. In what looks an average edition of the race she sets a good standard without being overpowering. 
    • Mr Hannon also runs Presto Levanter who is Presto Vento's first foal and retained for 52,000 guineas at the sales. She looks the second string on jockeys and a moderate to average type at the sales despite the price. She looks to be another owner-breeder filly here looking for a place in a small field to go on her CV similar to Tamara Moon.
    • Baytown Blaze is likely to have been given a thorough preparation by Phil McEntee (hasn't he been suspended for a year?) but should be short of the standard needed to win. Which leaves the most interesting alternatives to Cake as Flying Indian and Structura. The first should run well and confirm the upside view of the Newbury race. Trainer Stan Moore has handled the move up in quality of his string well and showed good ability in knowing hos good they are before thye run. Partly due to the better 2yos he now has they show up more prominently FTO and he gets the odd early season win with a debut runner. In that context we should take Structura seriously as a longer term prospect but she would need to be well above average to beat Cake & Flying Indian here. 
    • The Newmarket race appears to have two strong contenders for the win in Party In The Park and Aidan O'Brien's Achilles Of Troy. The firs of those is a big, heavily built 2yo with the size and build to develop with racing. His debut effort was well above the average for his trainer and he showed good maturity, unlike Legendary Guest. With normal improvement he would get a B2yoR estimate above 70 her which would be too high a standard for the newcomers to reach. Achilles Of Troy was third on debut in Ireland and his trainer is happy with 'nice introductions' to develop from. At the sales he was rated above average but not obviously higher class. Physically different from Party In The Park being a compact, deep bodied, 5f sprinter type on set up and in the right race here.
    • For this race and for the upcoming meetings at York and Newbury later in May it is worth taking a look at the 2yos he has run in Britian recently during the month :-
      • 2003 = Grand Reward (Won, FTO Newbuey, EvF), Show Me The Roses (3rd of 5 at Sandown), Old Deuteronomy (1st) & The Mighty Tiger (3rd) on May 31st at Newmarket.
      • 2004 = None before Royal Ascot.
      • 2005 = George Washington (FTO, 3rd in a strong renewal of this race as 13/8 fav), Marcus Adronicus (1st at 5/1 at York), Ivan Denosovich (FTO & second as odds-on favourite at Newbury), Where's That Tiger (3TO, 4th in new Listed race at Goodwood).
      • 2006 = Abraham Lincoln (STO, second as odds-on favourite at York)
    • A variable record with high class 2yos right through to his best in 2003 and 2005 and little either side of those years. Along with the sales report and the previous run it all points to a strong profile for Achilles Of Troy and one that only Party In The Park seems equipped to compete with.
    • While not looking up to competeing for the win today the rest of the field contains a strong group of 2yos who ought to be mainly winners in the season. American Art was another 70+ rater at the sales and ought to be a good maiden winner at least. As with Coolmore it seems unlikely that Sheikh Mohammed waster the name Arab League on an average one and by a sire he must have high hopes for. Definitely one for the future but we have seen the Mark Johnston 2yos not really ready to deal with the opposition in a variety of races this last week and he would need to be Group winner class to succeed today.
    • In a strong midfield from solid trainers the trio of Back Duke, Kinout & Major Willy all have profiles to be maiden winners and how close they get tto the first 3 an indication of what standard they are. Even Patsymartin looked usable at a lower level given the 5,500 sales price tag. In summary, despite a range of shorter priced prospective better types beaten already this season (and Spinning Lucy added to that yesterday when beaten by Enodoc) the front two on profile present a strong case.
    • [Some feedback from Goodwood yesterday - in interview after the win by Enodoc trainer Willie Muir said :
      • "Fancied him at Windsor [Where he was noted as the second best physical type after Red Expresso] but he went a bit too fast and got a 'speed wobble' on and then got hampered back"
      • "I said to the jockey he would win today if he relaxed in the race and does what he does at home. He runs all over an older horse [garbled but probably Tallulah Banks] at home."
      • "We have thirty 2yos in but only this one plus a couple of fillies are sharp [as in 5f early] and the others are more 6-7f+ types".
    • Enodoc is small but a very balanced and neat geometry and this clearly helpd him make the most of his size. The notable thing watching the video is what a very fast action he has for firm ground (i.e. how quickly he recovers for the next stride). The commentator called it 'scuttling' which is a unfair. He's clearly a fast ground 5f type on action. He was clear of Spinning Lucy (less of a 5f type and lightly built in the context of this group of colts) and she was clear of Advertisment (small, very ready 5f sprinter with little room to develop) and Aaim To Storm. The scond of these made €205,000 as a yuearling and only a fraction of that as a foal. On the evidence here the reason is pretty clear, he was one of the biggest horses on show all day and carries his size very well for a 2yo in May. He was also entirly gormless and didn't have much clue what was required of him. Given that his fourth here in a 5f race which isn't really his thing against three professionals (2 who are 'all 5f' set-ups) wans't a bad effort. He is one to follow as he develops.
    Back to Top of Page

    © British 2yo Racing. All rights reserved.