Thank goodness for foreign racing on a Sunday. Who knows how we got ourselves into the routine of staging insipid, low-quality fare on this day every week, when millions of Britons are free to turn up if only we'd give them something worth turning up for. But here we are again, with two summer jumps fixtures and a very moderate card at Newmarket.
Meanwhile, neighbouring countries are looking forward to the Grand Steeplechase de Paris and the Irish 1,000 Guineas.
Nahoodh is the name on all lips ahead of the Curragh Classic, as she looked terribly unlucky when fifth in the Newmarket equivalent. But all the value has gone about her -- Mick Channon's filly is being backed as though she'd won last time, but observers are divided as to whether she'd actualy have prevailed with a clear run.
Caribbean Sunset (3.35) is Dermot Weld's second-string, though he has taken the trouble to book Ryan Moore and the suspicion is that there is very little between the pair. As her stablemate, Mad About You, hasn't raced this year and is a shorter price, I prefer Caribbean Sunset, who won Group Threes at Leopardstown on each of her last two starts. She beat Halfway To Heaven and Newmarket third Saoirse Abu (second-favourite today) in the first of those, and Oaks second-favourite Katiyra in the second, so the form is high-quality and she's too big at 10-1 on Betfair.
Duke Of Marmalade can't be opposed in the preceding Tatersalls Gold Cup but, at 1-2, I'm content to let him win without my support.
The day's other bet is Mango Catcher (3.50) in Uttoxeter's two-mile handicap hurdle. It's been years since he ran in such a contest but Rebecca Curtis has got this ex-Irish gelding back in form and his recent efforts over fences suggest he's well treated.
2.35pm Intense Focus a name to remember
The six-furlong maiden on today's Irish 1,000 Guineas card has thrown up some useful winners -- Oratorio, George Washington and Saoirse Abu in the last four years -- so Intense Focus, today's winner, could easily be a bit useful. He comes from the Jim Bolger stable that won the race last year and holds a Dery entry for next year, though presumably Bolger will stick to his line about preferring to win an Irish Classic . . .
3.15pm Duke Of Marmalade wins at 1-3
. . . though Finsceal Beo makes him work for it and both could be in line for productive years.
3.40pm Halfway To Heaven wins 1,000 Guineas
A rough-looking race, with Halfway To Heaven edging home from 66-1 outsider Tuscan Evening, from the same stable (John Joseph Murphy's) that sent out Newmill to be a shock winner of the Champion Chase a couple of years ago.
Dermot Weld's pair finished third and fourth, with Caribbean Sunset an unlucky fourth after being carried across the track by the drifting Tuscan Evening.
Halfway To Heaven is trained by Aidan O'Brien, who also won the Irish 2,000 yesterday with Henrythenavigator. It's the third time he's won both races in the same year.
4pm Tuscan Evening demoted
The Curragh stewards have demoted Tuscan Evening from second to fourth in the Irish 1,000, having ruled that she interfered with Caribbean Sunset, who moves up to third. Mad About You finished third but is now officially second.
That's terrible news for John Joseph Murphy, who can't have had a horse placed in a Classic before. His horse has lost €64,000 because of that decision.
Mango Catcher a 2-1 winner
You lucky people.
Tough day, Fetlocks!
Three busts there, thanks to Jump For You refusing to race -- the sort of thing that puts people off horses . . .
Click here for all the day's racecards, form, stats and results.
And click here for today's latest odds.
