Weekend Horse Racing Review

There was plenty of international flavour amongst last weekend’s racing where Kingman’s victory in the Group 1 Jacques le Marois in France on Sunday stood out.

Patiently ridden in a race that wasn’t run at a strong pace, Kingman used his brilliant turn of foot in quickening to leave the field trailing by over 2l.

John Gosden’s runner has now won seven of his eight races, with his only defeat coming in the 2,000 Guineas, and there should be a few more good prizes in him this season, with races like the QEII Stakes (at Ascot next month) and the Breeders’ Cup in November. He is around the 1/2 mark for Ascot.

Meanwhile over in America, Aidan O’Brien added yet another big race to his résumé when Adelaide, under Ryan Moore, landed the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes at Arlington Park (1m2f, firm), and now has the Cox Plate over 1m2f in Australia as his autumn target. At the rate he is improving, along with his versatility regarding ground, he is an interesting contender at 10/1.

Talking of Australia in the autumn, Marco Botti’s, Seismos, won a Group 3 at Newbury and now goes for November’s Melbourne Cup. Having gained a wealth of experience around the world, including a German Group 1, this battle-hardened 6yo could be interesting at 25/1 to land the ‘race that stops the nation’.

Also at Newbury was Breton Rock’s short head defeat of Gregorian in the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes, and could be a possible for the Park Stakes at Doncaster in September, while the Prix de la Foret at Longchamp in October is another option.

Jockey, Richard Hughes, also bagged a winner at Newbury in Ryan Moore’s absence, who Hughes is chasing for the Flat Jockeys Championship. Moore now leads by around a dozen winners, but Hughes looks hungry to win the title and rate value at 5/2 with over two months still to go.

Punters who prefer their handicaps to the Group action would have been treated to a couple of big-field sprints at Ripon last Saturday where Out Do won the valuable Great St Wilfrid.

While the winner could land a similar race, Richard Fahey’s, Tatlisu, really caught the eye in fourth having been drawn on the wrong side of the track, and could be one to note for either the Ayr Gold Cup or Silver Cup next month.

There were a few other weekend handicap eyecatchers, including Julie Camacho’s, Wilde Inspiration, who was a creditable third in a 1m handicap Chester from a wide draw.

Having won two of his three prior outings, there should be more to come granted a better stall next time.

Another who was handed a tough draw to overcome was Hugo Palmer’s, Suzi’s Connoisseur, who finished fifth (of 12) in a decent 6f handicap at Newmarket on Saturday. With the first four home all coming up the stands’ side, Suzi’s Connoisseur did well down the centre and could gain compensation in the autumn as she handles soft ground.