10.45am Golden Horn owner worried by forecast of heavy rain
Tony Paley: Owner-breeder Anthony Oppenheimer has admitted the forecast for heavy rain at Ascot is a worry as Golden Horn bids to continue his winning run in Saturday’s King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
Connections are confident the Dante, Derby and Eclipse Stakes winner remains at the peak of his powers but are fearful of conditions deteriorating at a track which can prove very testing when the ground gets testing.
Oppenheimer said: “I think one’s always nervous before a race like this and especially when there is some rain around. The way the weather is at the moment, you don’t know how much they’re going to get, so that’s a bit of a worry.
“The horse came out of the Eclipse very well and is such a tough horse now. [The trainer] John Gosden has done a tremendous job with him. I think the decision to run in the Feilden earlier in the year rather than going for the 2,000 Guineas has paid off. The Guineas might have been too much too soon.”
Gosden also admits the possibility of rain is a bigger worry than the fact the horse will be seeking a third Group One win in the space of seven weeks.
He told http://www.godolphin.com: “I have been asked whether we are going to the well too often. My answer is that I am more worried about the forecast of rain at Ascot on Saturday than any fear that we might be overfacing him. I think he will be all right if it is ‘good to soft’ but we will be in unknown territory on soft ground.”
Friday’s best bets, by Tony Paley
Tipsters are an easy target - it comes with the territory. Look at the Racing Post’s National Press Challenge table (page 21 of today’s edition if you have a copy). Selecting a horse in every race means the winning percentage will only reach the high 20s. Tipsters are generally disparaged and so are weather forecasters. Most remember the losing tips and the times the Met Office makes a mess of the forecast.
However, I’m banking on the weathermen and women today and I believe them when they say there is going to be a deluge at the race meetings in the southern half of the country on Friday. When looking at today’s cards at Chepstow, Ascot and Newmarket I’ve been specifically looking for horses that have winning form on soft ground, those with sires whose progeny exhibit a preference for testing conditions and those racing whose connections say rain will be a help to their charges.
For that reason, Northgate Lad (4.35) would make plenty of appeal at Ascot if the ground, currently good-to-firm, has eased considerably by then. The selection could not be in better form and trainer Brian Ellison says “there is improvement to come and any rain would help”. The nap selection has only been seen out on surfaces with some cut, is lightly raced and won last time as if the 6lb rise in the ratings wouldn’t stop him collecting again. Le Maitre Chat (2.55) has shown his best form over extreme distances and the Ascot round course is as stiff as they come when the conditions get testing. Clive Cox’s runner is admirably consistent and should give backers a good run for their money.
The most interesting runner of the day is at York where the ground is set to stay on the fast side. Crystal Zvezda (7.30), who pulled too hard when well fancied in the Oaks, makes her return to the track and provided those tendencies are kept in check she should appreciate this drop in class.
Tipping competition, day five
Our winners so far:
Monday
Get Knotted 9-1
Cruchain 3-1
Slip Sliding Away 6-1
Tuesday
Beach Bar 9-2
Katie Gale 13-2
Picture Dealer 11-2
Wednesday
Letters Of Note 6-1
Strawberry Martini 9-2
Macdillon 5-1
Thursday
Fireglow 9-4
Royal Normandy 2-1
Bishop’s Leap 7-2
And our leader is ...
dean055 +24.50
... who shored up his lead with Bishop’s Leap. Other good scores: wiggy12 +9.50, 72luca +6.75, ken_taylor +6.50, Lindsey6677 +5, PHILYERBOOTS +4.
For today’s thrilling climax, we’d like your tips, please, for these races: 3.30 Ascot, 4.35 Ascot, 8.30 York.
This week’s prize is a pair of Premier enclosure tickets to Sandown for Thursday 6 August, when an evening of racing will be followed by live music from top indie rockers (it says here) Kaiser Chiefs! More details are here for anyone who wants to buy tickets, having not won this week. Good luck!
As ever, our champion will be the tipster who returns the best profit to notional level stakes of £1 at starting price on our nominated races, of which there will be three each day up until Friday. Non-runners count as losers. If you have not joined in so far this week, you are welcome to do so today, but you will start on -12.
In the event of a tie at the end of the week, the winner will be the tipster who, from among those tied on the highest score, posted their tips earliest on the final day (TODAY).
For terms and conditions click here.
Good luck!
And post your tips or racing-related comments below.
