Tweet

racing news

Tanya's Blog - Saturday 10th August 2013

Amazing Maria can be a Star

Shergar Cup Day at Ascot offers something different; a bit of fun with added razzamatazz, a concert and an introduction to families to our sport without being intimidated. 

Plus it brings star name jockeys from all over the world to participate within the team competition.  Sponsors Dubai Duty Free put up a healthy and lucrative amount of prize money.

There are six races. Each rider has five rides and points are awarded to the first five past the post with 15 to the winner, 10 for second, and seven, five and three for the rest.  The jockey who accumulates the most points wins the Silver Saddle.  Two previous winners of the accolade take part today, Kieren Fallon who won in 2003 and Gerald Mosse the victor in 2008.

Mosse could certainly get off to a flying start with Jack’s Revenge and Mutual Regard, but Kevin Manning and Gary Stevens are to be my two picks for the gleaming saddle.  Gary Stevens and Stone Of Folca seem a match made in heaven. The fastest horse over the sprint trip with an American jockey to work out the fractions. 

Kevin Manning is meticulous and has a head for precision and his mounts could reap rewards, Boonga Roogeta, Chesterfield and Beaufort Twelve can amass a hefty points tally.  Connoisseurs and cynics have plenty to keep them occupied with six other meetings from Britain and Ireland.

Haydock has Telescope and his quest to rebuild his career after being blighted by niggles. A win at Leicester by 24 lengths has him tipped for the top, now he has to overcome rivals in the Rose Of Lancaster Stakes before he can even consider running in a Group One.  I’ll be watching from Ascot. 

I am in the middle of a couple of weeks off so can go racing recreationally. It is time to relax and recharge the batteries and also do a bit of research for my own satisfaction. 

With all the talk and reporting on small fields I thought I would see just how bad the numbers have deteriorated. 

They read with concern.  From July 5 to the July 31 inclusive I counted 479 handicaps on the Flat, 218 of which had seven or less runners! That means 45.5% of those races could not offer us 1-2-3 on each-way terms! That means 45.5% which could not generate the levy it should and recycle much needed funds into our sport. What’s more, 57 of the 479 races only had three or four runners so there was not an each-way option at all!  That’s nearly 12%! 

Then my great crusade: standard terms on each-way bets for 16-runner + handicaps which bookmakers on-course seem uncomfortable offering.  In the period that I state above, there were only 15 such handicaps, yes 15, that’s just 3%.  I wonder whether those at the negotiating table even consider to take such figures to the table.  My studies continue, which will hopefully reveal more interesting results.

Last Sunday was 182 days, not that I’ve been counting, since the Superbowl and Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins took to the field for a cracker of a Hall Of Fame game signalling the start of the NFL preseason.  We are underway.  The actual regular season starts on Thursday September 5 with the Baltimore Ravens visiting Mile Hile Stadium, the home of the current Superbowl favourites, Denver Broncos.  At this stage I won’t be rushing in to back Peyton Manning and his team.  Instead Seattle, Cincinnati and New Orleans are taking their place on my shortlist at this stage, even Detroit and St Louis may be worth looking at. 

Tanya’s Saturday tips:

2.20 Haydock Park: Sennockian Star at 6-1 with William Hill

3.35 Newmarket: Amazing Maria at 11-2 with Paddy Power

4.10 Newmarket: Gabriel’s Lad at SP.

Tanya’s pointers:

Eight of the last nine winners of the Shergar Cup Mile came from the first three in the betting

Andrew Balding has won the Shergar Cup Mile three times from just six runners

Eight of the last nine winners of the Shergar Cup Stayers came from the first three in the betting, five of them favourites

All of the last nine winners of the Shergar Cup Challenge came from stall five or higher

Nine of the last ten winners of 1.45 Haydock came from the first four in the betting

Both Chosen Character and Postscript have won three of their six races at Haydock Park and run in the 1.45 Haydock

Eight of the last nine winners of  2.20 Haydock came from the first four in the betting

Eight of the last nine winners of 2.20 Haydock were no older than four, with five of them being three-year-olds

The last four favourites have won 4.30 Haydock

John Gosden has won 2.25 Newmarket three times in the last eight years

Six of the last ten winners of 3.00 Newmarket were aged three, Ningara represents that age group today

Godolphin have owned the last four winners of the 3.35 Newmarket

The biggest priced winner in the last ten years of the 3.35 Newmarket was Maids Causeway at 5-1 in 2004

The last five favourites have won the 3.35 Newmarket

Highland Colori has won two of his three races at Newmarket’s July Course and rusn in the 4.10 Newmarket

Eight of the last ten winners of 2.00 Redcar came from the first two in the betting