Farrh and Ebony Flyer placed second, but Jackson was the big disappointment and only beat 3 home. At this point, I haven't read anything that went amiss with the Durban July favourite and connections are still scratching their heads on his poor showing. It certainly wasn't the ride because he was ideally placed throughout. Anyway, racing throws a few nuggets here and there at times.
Nathaniel won the Coral Eclipse and I must say that he surprised me with his fitness coming from a long layoff. It remains to be seen if the race has taken a lot from him but if he reproduces that kind of form, he will surely be a leading contender in the top middle-distance races to come.
It was sad to see So You Think retired after his injury that led to his defection from the Eclipse. I've always thought this horse to be a wonder horse and it is a tragedy that Aidan O'Brien took so long to get to the bottom of him. The horse looks like and is a freak. Not wanting to rollback to last year where he lost some of his lustre in some high-profile defeats, but there was an excuse for each and everyone of them.
Prince of Wales's Stakes 2011. Narrowly beaten by Rewilding because was under-done by O'Brien. Self-confessed trainer error.
Arc 2011. 4th to Danedream. Probably wouldn't have won because Danedream was un-catchable that day but was left too much to do at the back by Heffernan. He should have come out second. Pilot error.
Qipco Champions Stakes 2011. Narrow second to Cirrus des Aigles. The race came after only 13 days rest since his Arc outing, so he was tremendous into coming out second. Would have won if the races were further apart.
Breeders Cup Classic 2011. Beaten 3.5 lengths into 6th. He ran honourably considering dirt is not his surface and it was his 3rd Group 1 race in 5 weeks. He would have fared better if he had skipped the Qipco Champion Stakes above.
Finally, Dubai World Cup 2012. Honourable 4th on a synthetic surface that was not to his liking. However, this time, connections should be applauded for taking aim at racing's richest race.
Between all these heart-breaking defeats, So You Think still won 5 Group 1's on European soil. The horse's a legend. Without getting into the British-Aussie squabble as to how good he was, there is no doubt that if one had to select any horse from any era to run a 10-12 furlong race, So You Think would be at the forefront of many minds. Just like the Sea The Stars, Deep Impact, Dancing Brave, Nijinski, Ribot and Sea Bird. To me, he was that good.
Showing posts with label Ebony Flyer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ebony Flyer. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Friday, July 6, 2012
Big chance
Ouch, Roger Federer rolled back the years and stunned Djokovic to reach the Wimbledon final. My bad on this one; Djokovic will beat Federer on most days but today the Fed just did not want to give up the fight on his preferred surface. He will meet Andy Murray in an intriguing final. The London public will want Murray to get his first Major but I'm sure the crowd will not mind Federer winning it, in what very well could be his last Major. The pressure is definitely on the Scot, it's a now-or-never time to win a coveted big one.
Saturday is all about racing, particularly in England and South Africa. The Durban July, SA's most prestigious race runs at Greyville with the fantastic Jackson, sure to play a leading role in the proceedings. He is the best horse by far in the race and it seems only his outside 16th draw can beat him. His main opponent looks to be Ilha Bella from the mighty De Kock stable. However she is drawn even worse in 19th, so he looks favourably drawn in that respect. Jackson looks a safe each-way punt, and should figure at the finish.
On the same card, the Garden Province Stakes pits 2 of the country's best fillies in Ebony Flyer and Princess Victoria. The mile distance will suit Ebony Flyer perfectly and the only question mark regarding her is her adaptability to the Greyville undulating track, on which she has never run before. The winner should come out of those two and my preference goes to a Place on Ebony Flyer.
The Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown looks a wide open affair with the defection of So You Think. Farrh caught the eye when third to the son of High Chaparral in the Prince of Wales Stakes at Royal Ascot. He missed the break and finished best of all to capture third place. Connections are praying for a lot of rain and if the ground is really softish, this son of Pivotal will go in with a big chance. Whatever the ground conditions, Farrh looks set to play a major role and he looks a value Place.
Each-way: Jackson
Place: Ebony Flyer, Farrh
Saturday is all about racing, particularly in England and South Africa. The Durban July, SA's most prestigious race runs at Greyville with the fantastic Jackson, sure to play a leading role in the proceedings. He is the best horse by far in the race and it seems only his outside 16th draw can beat him. His main opponent looks to be Ilha Bella from the mighty De Kock stable. However she is drawn even worse in 19th, so he looks favourably drawn in that respect. Jackson looks a safe each-way punt, and should figure at the finish.
On the same card, the Garden Province Stakes pits 2 of the country's best fillies in Ebony Flyer and Princess Victoria. The mile distance will suit Ebony Flyer perfectly and the only question mark regarding her is her adaptability to the Greyville undulating track, on which she has never run before. The winner should come out of those two and my preference goes to a Place on Ebony Flyer.
The Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown looks a wide open affair with the defection of So You Think. Farrh caught the eye when third to the son of High Chaparral in the Prince of Wales Stakes at Royal Ascot. He missed the break and finished best of all to capture third place. Connections are praying for a lot of rain and if the ground is really softish, this son of Pivotal will go in with a big chance. Whatever the ground conditions, Farrh looks set to play a major role and he looks a value Place.
Each-way: Jackson
Place: Ebony Flyer, Farrh
Monday, January 30, 2012
Highlights all over
5 out of 7 selections obliged with Igugu, Milan, Palermo, Real and Lyon all winning, but Inter and Barcelona disappointing against lowly opposition. The week-end was not short of highlights in many departments.
In La Liga, it is almost done deal for Real who have shot 7 points clear at the top. They look a certainty to win the title and only a cataclysmic occurrence (like Mourinho quitting before the season end) will stop them. It is looking sweet right now, having recommended piling on them a couple of months ago.
In tennis, what else to say about Djokovic beating Nadal yet again in a Major final? He's got his sights on Roland Garros already and Nadal has a few weeks to figure out how to stop the Serbian machine. After all, Paris is the Spaniard's hunting ground and it will be interesting to see if Nole has the ammunition to topple him on his favourite surface. We'll get there in due time.
In golf, Tiger let go of the win in the final round in Abu Dhabi to an English journeyman golfer. It used to be that Tiger would always make the difference in the last round if leading after 3 rounds, but his defeat shows that he's not quite at his best level yet. Still a third place finish looks honorable as he continues his comeback assault.
In racing, the Kenilworth meeting in South Africa was a treat to watch. What a beautiful mover Jackson, the winner of the Cape Investec Derby, is. Definitely one to watch in future middle-distance races. Ebony Flyer, who I have been gloating about in these pages but who flopped badly in the Queen's Plate, redeemed herself and won the Group 1 mile race on the card. But the star of the evening was Igugu, no doubt. She produced a jaw-dropping finishing kick to win when all observers had her beaten. Super Igugu, she would beat any filly on this planet from 10-12 furlongs, in my opinion.
Tuesday sees a rare Premier League fixture and I see Man Utd and Tottenham keeping the pressure on leaders Man City. They should dispatch Stoke and Wigan respectively at home; a Win on Man Utd is recommended, while a conservative draw-no-bet on Spurs looks safer than an outright win (there's always the disruptive effects of manager Redknapp's off-field issues on the functioning of the team).
In La Liga, it is almost done deal for Real who have shot 7 points clear at the top. They look a certainty to win the title and only a cataclysmic occurrence (like Mourinho quitting before the season end) will stop them. It is looking sweet right now, having recommended piling on them a couple of months ago.
In tennis, what else to say about Djokovic beating Nadal yet again in a Major final? He's got his sights on Roland Garros already and Nadal has a few weeks to figure out how to stop the Serbian machine. After all, Paris is the Spaniard's hunting ground and it will be interesting to see if Nole has the ammunition to topple him on his favourite surface. We'll get there in due time.
In golf, Tiger let go of the win in the final round in Abu Dhabi to an English journeyman golfer. It used to be that Tiger would always make the difference in the last round if leading after 3 rounds, but his defeat shows that he's not quite at his best level yet. Still a third place finish looks honorable as he continues his comeback assault.
In racing, the Kenilworth meeting in South Africa was a treat to watch. What a beautiful mover Jackson, the winner of the Cape Investec Derby, is. Definitely one to watch in future middle-distance races. Ebony Flyer, who I have been gloating about in these pages but who flopped badly in the Queen's Plate, redeemed herself and won the Group 1 mile race on the card. But the star of the evening was Igugu, no doubt. She produced a jaw-dropping finishing kick to win when all observers had her beaten. Super Igugu, she would beat any filly on this planet from 10-12 furlongs, in my opinion.
Tuesday sees a rare Premier League fixture and I see Man Utd and Tottenham keeping the pressure on leaders Man City. They should dispatch Stoke and Wigan respectively at home; a Win on Man Utd is recommended, while a conservative draw-no-bet on Spurs looks safer than an outright win (there's always the disruptive effects of manager Redknapp's off-field issues on the functioning of the team).
Win: Man Utd
Draw-no-bet: Tottenham
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Turning point?
This was a week-end full of story-lines to say the least...
Let's start with racing where Ebony Flyer flopped badly in the Queen's Plate. There have been no real official excuses for her tame effort from the connections. There are a couple of things that could have undone her. First, her high draw could have taken a bit out of her as she tried to angle for a stalking spot from the start. Second, the hard race might have come too soon for her. Sure, she came out second in her prep race 3 weeks before, but maybe she needed more recuperation time in between races, particularly coming back from a wind operation. Anyways, her no-show was disappointing, and I would need to re-assess her real chances in her future races.
In football, Real won and Barcelona only drew; I am convinced that the silly points that the Blaugrana are losing on the road (think Sevilla, Espanol) will prove their undermining at the end. My recommendation in previous posts to load on Real for the title is looking good at the present.
But the football news of the week-end were the returns of legends Paul Scholes and Thierry Henry to their respective clubs. Scholes' return was necessary to fill the void left by a missing playmaker in the Red Devil's midfield. It remains to be seen if the red-headed genius still has the legs to perform at this level. Henry's return was fairy-tale as he notched the winner on his return. His game is no longer about speed, so it remains to be seen how he fits in the Arsenal attack.
How Man Utd's win at the Etihaad against neighbours Man City in the FA Cup, will affect the title run-in will be interesting. The Red Devils were on a 2-game slide and their mental strength would have been seriously rocked if they had faltered again. Clearly, the game was changed when Kompany was red-carded. If City can cope with his 4-game absence, they will get out of it full of belief and confidence. If not, this could be the turning point of the season. Mancini can complain all he wants about not having a complete squad. Like everyone, he knows has got the best in the Premier League. The title is still theirs to lose.
Let's start with racing where Ebony Flyer flopped badly in the Queen's Plate. There have been no real official excuses for her tame effort from the connections. There are a couple of things that could have undone her. First, her high draw could have taken a bit out of her as she tried to angle for a stalking spot from the start. Second, the hard race might have come too soon for her. Sure, she came out second in her prep race 3 weeks before, but maybe she needed more recuperation time in between races, particularly coming back from a wind operation. Anyways, her no-show was disappointing, and I would need to re-assess her real chances in her future races.
In football, Real won and Barcelona only drew; I am convinced that the silly points that the Blaugrana are losing on the road (think Sevilla, Espanol) will prove their undermining at the end. My recommendation in previous posts to load on Real for the title is looking good at the present.
But the football news of the week-end were the returns of legends Paul Scholes and Thierry Henry to their respective clubs. Scholes' return was necessary to fill the void left by a missing playmaker in the Red Devil's midfield. It remains to be seen if the red-headed genius still has the legs to perform at this level. Henry's return was fairy-tale as he notched the winner on his return. His game is no longer about speed, so it remains to be seen how he fits in the Arsenal attack.
How Man Utd's win at the Etihaad against neighbours Man City in the FA Cup, will affect the title run-in will be interesting. The Red Devils were on a 2-game slide and their mental strength would have been seriously rocked if they had faltered again. Clearly, the game was changed when Kompany was red-carded. If City can cope with his 4-game absence, they will get out of it full of belief and confidence. If not, this could be the turning point of the season. Mancini can complain all he wants about not having a complete squad. Like everyone, he knows has got the best in the Premier League. The title is still theirs to lose.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Start to the Second Half
Muck'n'Brass was spot on as he comfortably dispatched the weak field.
Sticking with racing, Saturday sees the running of the Queen's Plate, one of South Africa's most prestigious races. Ebony Flyer is the horse I strongly fancy in that race as I rate her as one of the best mares in the country at the distance. She's a superstar in her own right, having taken the scalp of wonder filly Igugu before. Her prep in a sprint 3 weeks ago will have her prime for the race. I cannot see her out of the places, and her main opponent looks to be Variety Club, a rising 3-year old star. I recommend Ebony Flyer as a strong Place.
This week-end sees the return of league football in Spain and Italy. Real Madrid host Granada and although Jose Mourinho was far from happy of the Los Blancos' last match against Malaga in the Copa del Rey during the week, they should have too much firepower for the visitors. A straight Win is the recommendation on the hosts. Barcelona will face a Catalan duel when they visit Espanol. The Blaugrana should prove too strong as well and get the 3 points to maintain the gap with Madrid. A Win on Guardiola's men is also recommended.
Win: Real Madrid, Barcelona
Place: Ebony Flyer
Sticking with racing, Saturday sees the running of the Queen's Plate, one of South Africa's most prestigious races. Ebony Flyer is the horse I strongly fancy in that race as I rate her as one of the best mares in the country at the distance. She's a superstar in her own right, having taken the scalp of wonder filly Igugu before. Her prep in a sprint 3 weeks ago will have her prime for the race. I cannot see her out of the places, and her main opponent looks to be Variety Club, a rising 3-year old star. I recommend Ebony Flyer as a strong Place.
This week-end sees the return of league football in Spain and Italy. Real Madrid host Granada and although Jose Mourinho was far from happy of the Los Blancos' last match against Malaga in the Copa del Rey during the week, they should have too much firepower for the visitors. A straight Win is the recommendation on the hosts. Barcelona will face a Catalan duel when they visit Espanol. The Blaugrana should prove too strong as well and get the 3 points to maintain the gap with Madrid. A Win on Guardiola's men is also recommended.
Win: Real Madrid, Barcelona
Place: Ebony Flyer
Monday, December 5, 2011
They are back!
7 winners out of 8 over the week-end; Everton failed at home to Stoke while the rest of the selections won. Very frustrating not to hit a perfect score on this one; Stoke are just playing spoilers and it's hard to gauge their actual form going into a game. Suffice to say it's better to stay away from Mowbray's men.
Very much the expected statu quo as far as the major European league tables are concerned. In the EPL, Man Utd clang on to the 5-point deficit to City after the Citizens had thrashed Norwich. However, they lost Chicharito in the process, which might make life a little difficult for Sir Alex Ferguson given that he's already without Berbatov and Owen for a while.
In La Liga, both Real and Barcelona won against minnows, and it's this coming week-end's Clasico that will play a major role in the destiny of the title. I'll get to the game in due time.
There are 2 events of note that took my attention over the week-end and they were not football related. The first one is Tiger's first PGA Tour win in 2 years. It looks like he's finally back and that should set him up very nicely for next year. A dominant Tiger is one of the best recommendations in Major tournaments.
Talking of dominance, Igugu, the South African superstar filly made her return to the tracks on Sunday, and it was a winning one as well. This followed the winning return a few days before, of another superstar filly in Ebony Flyer, who cantered home easily after months off the track due to an operation. According to Team Valor supremo, Barry Irwin, she's the best filly he's ever had; better than Ipi Tombe, kind of scary to think of it! Ebony Flyer did beat Igugu before, so she's the real deal. At 17.1 hands, she's even more imposing than Zenyatta. Igugu/Ebony Flyer, 2 fillies to follow closely in this coming South African racing season.
Very much the expected statu quo as far as the major European league tables are concerned. In the EPL, Man Utd clang on to the 5-point deficit to City after the Citizens had thrashed Norwich. However, they lost Chicharito in the process, which might make life a little difficult for Sir Alex Ferguson given that he's already without Berbatov and Owen for a while.
In La Liga, both Real and Barcelona won against minnows, and it's this coming week-end's Clasico that will play a major role in the destiny of the title. I'll get to the game in due time.
There are 2 events of note that took my attention over the week-end and they were not football related. The first one is Tiger's first PGA Tour win in 2 years. It looks like he's finally back and that should set him up very nicely for next year. A dominant Tiger is one of the best recommendations in Major tournaments.
Talking of dominance, Igugu, the South African superstar filly made her return to the tracks on Sunday, and it was a winning one as well. This followed the winning return a few days before, of another superstar filly in Ebony Flyer, who cantered home easily after months off the track due to an operation. According to Team Valor supremo, Barry Irwin, she's the best filly he's ever had; better than Ipi Tombe, kind of scary to think of it! Ebony Flyer did beat Igugu before, so she's the real deal. At 17.1 hands, she's even more imposing than Zenyatta. Igugu/Ebony Flyer, 2 fillies to follow closely in this coming South African racing season.
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