Tag: Ruler of the World

Champion Stakes Preview

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The Group 1 Champion Stakes is the feature race on Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday with a maximum field of eleven. That number is likely to be reduced further after persistent rained turned the going to heavy by midweek.

The quality of the race is certainly not up to standard following the enforced retirement of Derby winner Australia. Several other leading contenders have also fallen by the wayside and second favourite Free Eagle could join them unless the going improves by Saturday morning. Dermot Weld has already said that his lightly-raced colt will not be risked on heavy ground.

One trainer who is not overly concerned by the weather is Madame Barande-Barbe who has aimed Cirrus Des Aigles at this race for some time. Formerly the top rated racehorse in the world, the eight-year-old won this race in 2011 and has finished runner-up for the past two seasons. He has been first past the post in his last four races, although he was subsequently disqualified at Longchamp for causing interference.

His winning margin of a head over Fractional is not earth-shattering form but it was his first run since beating Flintshire in the Coronation Cup at Epsom in the summer. He pulled up with an injury that day and will surely improve for his comeback race. Last year’s Derby winner Ruler Of The World gained his first win since his classic triumph when winning the Prix Foy under a front-running ride from Frankie Dettori. He was unable to repeat that effort in the Arc when finishing fifth behind Treve and I am not convinced that he really likes deep ground.

Noble Mission has lived under the tag of Frankel’s brother throughout his racing career but has not done too badly himself. He is probably not within 20lbs of his brother but could follow his sibling into the history books in this prestigious race. He has won two Group 1 races this season and was just beaten in a slog last time out. He has been the mainstay of Lady Cecil’s yard in a disappointing season and will put up his usual game display.

Free Eagle has a lot to prove even if he does run and it is very difficult to make a case for anything else. Al Kazeem does not seem to be the force that he was last season while Sheikhzayedroad and Pethers Moon are grand servants to their respective connections but have never looked up to Group 1 class. Cirrus Des Aigles may be in the autumn of his illustrious career but he should still be too good for these.

Cirrus Des Aigles @6-4 Skybet

Irish Derby Preview

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The Epsom Derby victory of Ruler Of The World was overshadowed by the dramatic self-destruction of the short-priced favourite Dawn Approach. An awful lot of rubbish has been written and spoken since including talk of a cunning plan by Aidan O’Brien to beat the Guineas winner by setting a slow pace!

The general consensus seems to be that it was not a great race with Ruler Of The World given the lowest rating for a Derby winner for many a year. Five of the runners have been beaten on their reappearance with Dawn Approach (St James’s Palace Stakes) being the only subsequent winner in the field to date.

The Irish Derby sets up a rematch between the first, second and third. Godolphin have moved in to purchase Libertarian who will be running his last race out the Burke stable before switching to Bin Suroor. They have also declared a pacemaker in the form of Cap O’Rushes in the hope of ensuring a suitably strong test for Libertarian.

Ruler Of The World could be joined by stablemate Festive Cheer but there are doubts over the participation of Battle Of Marengo and Count Limonade. The prospect of a pacemaker holds no fears for Ruler Of The World who settled well at Epsom but was chased up by Ryan Moore who could see that he needed to be nearer the front. He actually felt that he hit the front a bit early and there could easily be more improvement to come.

Galileo Rock, third at Epsom, is also set to line up this weekend but already looks as though the Leger distance would suit him better. He was always handily placed in the Derby but may lack a finishing kick. He is closely matched with Sugar Boy on Sandown form in May and the latter has also changed hands this week. Certainly that Sandown race leads a lot better now than it did at the time but Libertarian has come on in leaps and bounds since then and should have his measure.

John Oxx will be represented by Little White Cloud who has been beaten in the Derrinstown Trial and the Gallinule Stakes. Jim Bolger’s Trading Leather set a good clip in the Irish Guineas but had nothing extra in the closing stages and weakened into fourth behind Magician. He won a listed race over ten furlongs last time out but is not guaranteed to stay this trip.

I can see no reason why Ruler Of The World won’t confirm his supremacy over his Epsom victims and he is a top-priced 6-5 with Sportingbet.

Irish Derby Ante-Post Preview

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Epsom Derby winner Ruler Of The World has been given an official rating of just 120, the lowest rating for a Derby winner this century. His figure is just one short of that given to Sir Percy who prevailed in a similarly bunched finish in 2006. Although Ruler Of The World had a length and a half to spare at the line, there were seven horses within four lengths at the end of a hugely controversial race.

For all the nonsense that has been said about Aidan O’Brien’s brilliant tactical move to slow the race down, the fact is that Dawn Approach destroyed his own chances by refusing to settle. I can think of many Guineas winners that did not stay the Derby distance but none that imploded so dramatically as Jim Bolger’s colt. That issue aside, what can we deduce about the future prospects for the first half dozen or so?

Ruler Of The World has been installed 15-8 favourite to follow up in the Irish Derby with runner-up Libertarian at 9-2, Battle Of Marengo 6-1, Galileo Rock and Mars 8-1. The betting suggests that the places should be confirmed at the Curragh. The problem with betting ante-post on the O’Brien horses is that you can never be too sure what is going to run where. Once again he has three of the first five in the market and other options including the Eclipse and the King George.

It was ironic that after such a sedate early pace the first three home were arguably the most stoutly-bred horses in the race. I was not keen on the Derby prospects of Libertarian after York because I felt that he would get too far out of his ground early on. To some extent this was true but he overhauled half a dozen horses in the last furlong and will almost certainly be supplemented for Ireland.

A couple of respected judges put up Galileo Rock as an each-way bet at huge prices last week and just scraped into third after racing prominently. It’s easy to imagine him developing into a leading St Leger contender but I’m not convinced that he has the speed to reverse the placings with the winner. Battle Of Marengo has yet to convince me that he stays a mile and a half and it wouldn’t surprise me if he bypassed the Curragh but Mars ran a hugely promising race.

Richard Hughes was probably hoping that the field would come back to him as they did in the Oaks a day previously but things did not pan out that way. Instead he found himself trying to make ground on horses that were quickening up the hill. He and Ocovango were the worst sufferers in the skirmishing that took place when the pace finally quickened but Mars ran on most encouragingly. He reminds me a little of Rip Van Winkle in that he finished out of the money at Newmarket and Epsom before proving to be top class over a mile to a mile and a quarter.

Because of my reservations about backing O’Brien’s horses ante-post, I am going to have to sit on the fence for the time being. I have a feeling that we may see Mars run in the Eclipse and Ruler Of The World run at the Curragh but I’m not about to risk my cash second-guessing the master of Ballydoyle.

Chester Preview May 9th

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The opening day of the Chester May meeting started with the three worst drawn horses being withdrawn from the first race. The official reasons were a knocked joint, not eaten up and the going. Now, call me cynical but isn’t it time that Chester reviewed the maximum number of runners for their races over sprint distances? If trainers are viewing it as a complete waste of time running a horse with a high draw then it makes sense to reduce the maximum field to 12 and save everyone’s time and money.

The Chester Cup was run at an unusually pedestrian pace but there appeared to be no excuses for Countrywide Flame. He was well placed throughout and looked certain to be in the frame until the last fifty yards. I would imagine that he will now be given a well earned rest and prepared for another tilt at the Champion Hurdle 2014. The best performance of the day came from Banoffee in the Cheshire Oaks, cutting through the pack on the inside rail and winning cosily. Connections now face the prospect of stumping up the cash to enter her for the Epsom Oaks but that looks the most logical step, especially after a bunch finish to the 1000 Guineas last weekend.

Day 2 of Chester gives Richard Fahey a golden opportunity to add to his Cup gains when he saddles Gabrial for the Huxley Stakes. He looked as good as ever when sprinting clear to win the Doncaster Mile, although he clearly retains his inability to run in a straight line. Fallon is claimed to ride Danadana for Luca Cumani and that rival is respected but Jamie Spencer has won on Gabrial in the past and knows what to expect. If you can get any of the 3-1 about Gabrial that seems a fair price in a decent little race.

The Boodles Diamond Handicap features a return clash for Here Comes When and Ribaat, second and fourth in a decent race at Newbury last time. Both horses ran far too freely for their own good but I was impressed by the way Here Comes When quickened up going to the line and he can confirm the placings. The one stall may mean he sees plenty of daylight but I hope his jockey lets him run up front rather than dropping him in behind horses.

The Chester Vase looks unlikely to have a big impact on the ante-post market for the Epsom Derby but it will be interesting to see Ruler of the World lining up for Aidan O’Brien. Feel Like Dancing and Havana Beat should be good enough to give him a decent test but this looks like a race to watch rather than invest in.

Gabrial 3-1 Boylesports
Here Comes When 3-1 Bet Victor