Tag: Slade Power

Darley Classic Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The $1million Darley Classic looks the pick of the weekend action at the Spring Carnival with a fascinating clash of some of the top sprinters in the world.

The International flavour is due to the surprise raid by Ireland’s Slade Power, officially the top six-furlong  sprinter in Europe. There has been quite an agitated debate going on over the past week about the loading procedure for this race and whether or not Slade Power should be allowed to go in last.

The Australian authorities have stuck rigidly by the book and insisted that no special allowances can be made. At one point it seemed that the horse may even be withdrawn but some sort of compromise appears to have been reached. Neither side has admitted to backing down so let’s hope that it goes smoothly. Slade Power can get upset in the stalls and is usually loaded last in Europe.

Assuming he gets out of the gates without a problem, he then has to face a turning track and some of the fastest horses on the planet. The bookmakers in the UK have him at around 4-1 while he is almost twice those odds in Australia. I fear that the Australian odds may be closer the mark as he has some seriously good horses in opposition.

Lankan Rupee had to overcome a wide draw to win the Manikato Stakes last time, holding off the chasing pack in a bunch finish. Buffering had previously beaten Lankan Rupee but the places were reversed here using some bold early tactics to get across to the lead. The unluckiest horse of all appeared to be Rebel Dane who flew home in fourth, the second time running that he has finished fast but to no avail. Craig Williams will be hoping it is third time lucky but don’t expect to see him until very late on.

Lankan Rupee was restoring his reputation as the world’s leading sprinter in the Manikato Stakes but he faces a new challenger in the flying grey Chautauqua. This horse has been prepared by Team Hawkes and looked a superstar in the making when bolting up by four lengths in the Group 2 Gilgai Stakes. It is difficult to know how that form matches up to the Manikato but he was on a tight rein with two furlongs to run and that is a rare sight in a six-furlong sprint at Group  level.

Chautauqua @6-4 Sportsbet

Rebel Dane @20-1 Sportsbet (each-way ¼ odds, 1,2,3)

Lankan Rupee wins dramatic Manikato Stakes

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The prelude to the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley on Saturday did not disappoint as Lankan Rupee re-instated his name at the top of the world’s sprinters.

Officially rated the best in the world at the start of the season, Lankan Rupee had suffered two shock defeats going into this race. He was beaten by Angelic Light in the McEwen Stakes before being denied by the front-running Buffering in the Moir Stakes.

Connections had insisted that the horse was approaching his best for this race but a wide draw in barrier nine presented jockey Craig Newitt with a dilemma. Should he sit in behind and hope for the gaps to appear or take the bull by the horns and go from the gate. He chose the latter and blasted from the stalls before crossing over in front of old rival Buffering.

He held off the chasing pack in a dramatic finish which saw eight horses covered by barely half a length. Buffering had tried to get to him by never looked likely to do so while Angelic Light got within a short-head at the finishing line. Famous Seamus was just a nose away in third spot with the luckless Rebel Dane fourth and Terravista fifth.

Lankan Rupee then had to survive a dual protest before connections could claim the $1 million prize. Angelic Light’s jockey Damien Oliver and Famous Seamus’ rider Tim Clark both objected on the ground that Lankan Rupee had caused severe interference only 100m from the start. Oliver told the stewards that his mount was nearly brought down while Buffering was also seriously hampered on his inside.

Lankan Rupee has now earned more than $3 million and is set to clash with the likes of Earthquake, Rubick and Chautauqua in the Darley Sprint at Flemington next month. That race is also the target of Europe’s leading sprinter Slade Power, owned by bookmaker Paddy Power.

The five-year-old disappointed on his only previous start outside Europe when only tenth in the Hong Kong Sprint last year. He has won all three starts since culminating in the July Cup at Newmarket. He has shown his flexibility by winning on a variety of different tracks and going but it is an ambitious raid by Ed Lynam’s five-year-old. No doubt the connections of all of those packed in behind Lankan Rupee will also fancy at a crack at the champion sprinter next month.

Sportsbet quote Lankan Rupee at 5.50, the same price as Slade Power, with Chautauqua the clear favourite at 2.80.

Racing Preview Saturday 12th July

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

I don’t know what is going on at the Race Planning Committee these days? We’ve had a couple of weekends recently where there has been very little racing to get excited about, then suddenly we get Newmarket, York and Ascot all on the same day? I did not even get time to give serious attention to the York and Ascot cards on Friday and it will be the same tomorrow.

The rain continued to hang over Newmarket’s July meeting on Friday, leaving the going soft and sweeping away my selections. Having said that, I think that Ryan Moore’s riding probably had more to do with it than the weather. He stole the Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes on Arabian Queen while Monsieur Guyon was holding up the odds-on favourite High Celebrity. Newmarket is a deceptively difficult course to peg back the leaders, only becoming clear when you realise the steep rise at the finish. Asking horses to make up ground on horses that are still quickening is a recipe for disaster.

I then felt like ripping up my ticket for Rizeena in the Falmouth Stakes after they had travelled a furlong. She wasn’t settled for Olivier Peslier and he gave up the ghost and sent her to the front before halfway. This, after I had written in detail about her tendency to idle in front. Needless to say, Ryan Moore was in the right place on Integral and picked her off in the closing stages.

The opening handicap at Newmarket on Saturday can go the way of You’re Fired who overcame trouble in running to win last time and is still nicely weighted. Unlike many of these, he handles a bit of cut and should give us a run for our money.

Abseil never settled in the Hunt Cup and should be suited by the faster pace in the Bunbury Cup. I am concerned about the draw, not least because jockeys never do what you expect them to! James Doyle should be looking to bring him down the middle on today’s evidence because horses drawn high were doomed if they tacked over to the far rail.

My old friends Aljamaaheer and Gregorian look out of place in the July Cup and conditions seem to favour Slade Power. The Spanish horse ran well in the Guineas but now looks short enough at around 5-1.

The feature race at York is the Magnet Cup and Her Majesty The Queen could lift this prize with Bold Sniper. The half furlong extra should suit him better than Ascot and Moore will have him handy enough. I thought that Farraaj was very impressive at Epsom but I’m worried by a 9lbs weights rise. He probably deserves it so each-way is the advice.

You’re Fired 2.05 Newmarket at 7-1 Paddy Power

Abseil 3.15 Newmarket at 8-1 Ladbrokes, Totesport

Slade Power 3.50 Newmarket at 5-2 Bet365

Farraaj 2.55 York at 12-1 Bet Victor (each-way)

Bold Sniper 2.55 York at 5-1 Betfair

Hong Kong Cup Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Bookmakers Sportingbet are featuring the four main races from Sha Tin this weekend and they are offering some great value bets on the European runners.

I have already previewed the prospects of The Fugue (Vase) and Moonlight Cloud (Mile) and am confident that they will give us a great run for our money. I am concerned about the prospect of fast ground for Moonlight Cloud but her class may see her through.

The Hong Kong Cup sets a similar poser with Cirrus Des Aigles clearly the best horse in the race but not certain to reproduce his best form on a fast surface. Sportingbet offer him at 5-1 which is very tempting! I would love to see him win this at the age of seven but I am haunted by his performance at Ascot in the King George where he patently hated the fast ground.

Normally I wouldn’t put Grandeur in the same league as Cirrus Des Aigles but the going can be a great leveller and the grey absolutely bounces off fast ground. Five of his seven victories have been on a fast surface and he comes here on the back of a light campaign.

He looked to have a leading chance in the Arlington Million this year before drawn in the car park. He made late headway into seventh place and can be rated a lot better than that. He went on to win nicely at Goodwood and Jeremy Noseda has had this race in mind for him all season. He is priced as high as 40-1 with Sportingbet and must have an each-way chance.

According to the bookies, the Sprint is going to be won by Lord Kanaloa. Admittedly he has an impressive wins to runs ratio and will be tough to beat, especially as the Europeans have never won the sprint here. However, I think that the two Irish horses are overpriced on their best form.

Sole Power won at Royal Ascot and Slade Power won on Champions’ day. Both of them like to hear their hooves rattle but the fact remains that Sole Power has yet to win beyond five furlongs. For that reason, I prefer the claims of Slade Power at a generous 14-1 with BetVictor.

Sportingbet also seem to be underestimating the claims of Galileo Rock in the Vase. They have priced him at 9-1 whilst he is a top priced 6-1 in the UK. The colt was third in the Epsom Derby, second in the Irish Derby and third in the St Leger. He is lightly raced and loves fast ground so I could see him sneaking into the frame.

Hong Kong Vase – Galileo Rock (each-way) 9-1 Sportingbet

Hong Kong Sprint – Slade Power (each-way) 14-1 BetVictor

Hong Kong Cup – Grandeur (each-way) 40-1 Sportingbet