Rerouted came out a good Place in third behind Delegator, but the good selection was offset with Rio de la Plata finishing a non-threatening 7th in the mile race. Two bad runs out of two for Rio de la Plata at Meydan, gives enough credence to the fact that the son of Rahy does not like the track, as was the fear in the previous post.
This week-end will be quieter than usual with the FA Cup matches taking over from the EPL. The competition is a breeding ground for upsets, more so because even the big guns don't always field in their best teams. The certainty level of any match is almost nil, which makes it better to skip analyzing the fixture list altogether from a punting point of view.
Looking at La Liga, and Real Madrid welcome Santander. In normal circumstances, this is a straight win for the hosts. Given their comfortable cushion at the top, and with a Champions League game coming up, will Mourinho field his best team? Possibly not! But I expect him to field a team good enough to win the 3 points. Real is recommended as a Win, but throw this away if the starting line-up on Saturday is close to being the reserve team itself!
La Ligue 1 sees a match of leaders between Montpellier and PSG. The latter will certainly look at the home field advantage to try to extend their 1-point lead. Ancelotti has had his men in pretty fine shape and form since his arrival and I expect him to come out with the right tactical nous to overcome the visitors. I recommend PSG as a draw-no-bet.
In racing, Animal Kingdom, winner of last year's Kentucky Derby makes his seasonal re-appearance at Gulfstream Park on turf. The son of Leroidesanimaux will use this outing as a springboard to the Dubai World Cup next month. His bullet works have looked promising and although he shouldn't be in peak condition, he should have too much class for the field. I expect him to Win.
Win: Real Madrid, Animal Kingdom
Draw-no-bet: PSG
Showing posts with label Rio de la Plata. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rio de la Plata. Show all posts
Friday, February 17, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Meydan Week 6 and Europa
Godolphin again come out with the heavy artillery on the Thursday Meydan card and it would be no surprise if they make a razzia of the wins, leaving the rest to the de Kock team. There are 2 horses that catch my attention on the race card.
The third race 7f Handicap sees Rerouted back in action after his fifth-placed finish a fortnight ago in a 6f Group race. He finished the race very strongly from an impossible position; the step up in trip in handicap company should play well in his hands and is a major contender here. I recommend him as an each-way.
Rio de la Plata makes his seasonal return in the Al Fahidi Fort Group 2 mile race. If he's near to his best, he should be among the main finishers. Word from his trainer is that he is in good form and expected to run well. My worry with him is that the only time he raced in Meydan, he finished a bad last, so he still has answers to give regarding the track. With this element of risk in mind, he is a Place selection.
Finally in football, 2 giants of European football are contesting an Europa league contest as Man Utd visit Ajax. The Dutch outfits are a sorry bunch this year, being only a current 6th in the Dutch league. They are plagued by off-field management problems as well which seem to have had a negative effect on the entire club. It's not vintage Ajax. On the other hand, Man Utd seem to be taking the competition seriously after having been shockingly dumped out of their Champions League qualifying group. I strongly think they will qualify from this tie in a fortnight and this is the recommendation.
The third race 7f Handicap sees Rerouted back in action after his fifth-placed finish a fortnight ago in a 6f Group race. He finished the race very strongly from an impossible position; the step up in trip in handicap company should play well in his hands and is a major contender here. I recommend him as an each-way.
Rio de la Plata makes his seasonal return in the Al Fahidi Fort Group 2 mile race. If he's near to his best, he should be among the main finishers. Word from his trainer is that he is in good form and expected to run well. My worry with him is that the only time he raced in Meydan, he finished a bad last, so he still has answers to give regarding the track. With this element of risk in mind, he is a Place selection.
Finally in football, 2 giants of European football are contesting an Europa league contest as Man Utd visit Ajax. The Dutch outfits are a sorry bunch this year, being only a current 6th in the Dutch league. They are plagued by off-field management problems as well which seem to have had a negative effect on the entire club. It's not vintage Ajax. On the other hand, Man Utd seem to be taking the competition seriously after having been shockingly dumped out of their Champions League qualifying group. I strongly think they will qualify from this tie in a fortnight and this is the recommendation.
Each-way: Rerouted
Place: Rio de la Plata
To qualify: Man Utd
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
The world's best miler
Strong Suit won well for a good recommendation. When in form, he's clearly a notch above anything else in that race at the distance.
They were 3 in contention, now they are down to 2. By soundly beating Goldikova, Canford Cliffs removed one formidable foe that could have halted his quest for being the world's best miler horse. Only the mighty Frankel now stands in his way. It's amazing how these 2 champions have scared away the opposition none of the colts that ran in the French, Irish or English Guineas (besides Frankel himself) will be present. Rajsaman and Rio de La Plata will be the only other ones trying to provide some challenge but it looks more like a lost cause really.
The official handicappers have it that if Frankel repeats his devastating run of the Guineas, he will be 10 pounds clear of Canford Cliffs' best and should win easily. There is no way, in any shape or form, that Canford Cliffs is 10 pounds inferior to Frankel. Unless tomorrow's race proves otherwise, it looks like these 2 colts will not be too far from each other at the finish; it might be by the bob of a head, a neck or a length, but it won't be by many lengths if they both produce their best, in my opinion.
Canford Cliffs is the real deal. After showcasing his abilities at 2, there were question marks whether he could shed his sprinter-type tag during his Classic season. After all, most progenies of Tagula would find a mile too taxing. But Cliffs can easily stay the distance and there are not many horses that possess his finishing kick. He's answered all question marks about him and while the course cambers of Goodwood are of concern to his trainer, Hannon, there's not much of a chink in his armour.
Frankel, the horse on everyone's lips because no-one knows yet what he's capable or incapable of doing. After a stellar 2-year old season, he devastated his peers in such a grand fashion in the Guineas that talks of being "the best ever" were circulating around him. Yet, despite him winning the St James Palace Stakes at Ascot, the manner of his win mostly disappointed the racing world. He "only won" but did not display his dominant self that is expected of him. Connections were quick to point to the tactics and his rider seemed to go at pains to say that he had lots of horse left. One thing that every one seems to agree on is that such tactics will doom him against Canford Cliffs. Being a 3-year old, Frankel will have the advantage of an 8-pound deduction in the race. Not that he would really need it, but that could be the decisive factor in separating the two. This is certainly the reason the bookies have him at odds-against with Canford Cliffs at a more generous 1.5/1.
The racing world wants an undisputed champion, and if possible, an overly-dominant one. Frankel fits the bill and carries with him the hopes and dreams of an ever-increasing legion of fans. With Canford Cliffs, the expectations are more predictable and they are huge indeed. The ground will be good and will suit both. There will (hopefully) not be any hard-luck stories in this small field. In the end, the difference might be the weight difference. As far as a punting certainty goes, Canford Cliffs will be in the first 2, so is a sure Place recommendation. Frankel should be in the placings as well, but Cliffs is the surer thing. After all, he very well might win this thing and be of interest to punters looking for value.
This one should be a classic. Come to the fore the world's greatest miler.
Place: Canford Cliffs
They were 3 in contention, now they are down to 2. By soundly beating Goldikova, Canford Cliffs removed one formidable foe that could have halted his quest for being the world's best miler horse. Only the mighty Frankel now stands in his way. It's amazing how these 2 champions have scared away the opposition none of the colts that ran in the French, Irish or English Guineas (besides Frankel himself) will be present. Rajsaman and Rio de La Plata will be the only other ones trying to provide some challenge but it looks more like a lost cause really.
The official handicappers have it that if Frankel repeats his devastating run of the Guineas, he will be 10 pounds clear of Canford Cliffs' best and should win easily. There is no way, in any shape or form, that Canford Cliffs is 10 pounds inferior to Frankel. Unless tomorrow's race proves otherwise, it looks like these 2 colts will not be too far from each other at the finish; it might be by the bob of a head, a neck or a length, but it won't be by many lengths if they both produce their best, in my opinion.
Canford Cliffs is the real deal. After showcasing his abilities at 2, there were question marks whether he could shed his sprinter-type tag during his Classic season. After all, most progenies of Tagula would find a mile too taxing. But Cliffs can easily stay the distance and there are not many horses that possess his finishing kick. He's answered all question marks about him and while the course cambers of Goodwood are of concern to his trainer, Hannon, there's not much of a chink in his armour.
Frankel, the horse on everyone's lips because no-one knows yet what he's capable or incapable of doing. After a stellar 2-year old season, he devastated his peers in such a grand fashion in the Guineas that talks of being "the best ever" were circulating around him. Yet, despite him winning the St James Palace Stakes at Ascot, the manner of his win mostly disappointed the racing world. He "only won" but did not display his dominant self that is expected of him. Connections were quick to point to the tactics and his rider seemed to go at pains to say that he had lots of horse left. One thing that every one seems to agree on is that such tactics will doom him against Canford Cliffs. Being a 3-year old, Frankel will have the advantage of an 8-pound deduction in the race. Not that he would really need it, but that could be the decisive factor in separating the two. This is certainly the reason the bookies have him at odds-against with Canford Cliffs at a more generous 1.5/1.
The racing world wants an undisputed champion, and if possible, an overly-dominant one. Frankel fits the bill and carries with him the hopes and dreams of an ever-increasing legion of fans. With Canford Cliffs, the expectations are more predictable and they are huge indeed. The ground will be good and will suit both. There will (hopefully) not be any hard-luck stories in this small field. In the end, the difference might be the weight difference. As far as a punting certainty goes, Canford Cliffs will be in the first 2, so is a sure Place recommendation. Frankel should be in the placings as well, but Cliffs is the surer thing. After all, he very well might win this thing and be of interest to punters looking for value.
This one should be a classic. Come to the fore the world's greatest miler.
Place: Canford Cliffs
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)