11.30am Postponed ruled out of the Arc de Triomphe
Tony Paley: Postponed is out of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp on Sunday week.
The colt was a thrilling winner of the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot in July before following up in the Prix Foy earlier this month. Then the shock news emerged last week that owner Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum was to move all the horses he has in training with Luca Cumani across Newmarket to join up with Roger Varian. With Postponed and a number of his stable companions not set to move until next week, the four-year-old will not make the trip to Paris.
Varian said: “The [Sheikh Obaid] horses are due to arrive next week and I can confirm Postponed will not run in the Arc. I can’t really comment any further than that at this stage. The horses have not even joined us yet, so I’m not going to start making plans for them.”
Postponed does have an entry in the Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot on October 17.
Tuesday’s best bets, by Greg Wood
Victoria Pendleton’s latest foray into the world of jockeyship is the main story at Beverley, though she faces rather more competition aboard Royal Etiquette, both in terms of horses and humans, then when the partnership finished a close second in a race for novice amateur jockeys at Ripon last month.
Royal Etiquette was put up as the likely 5-1 favourite in the Racing Post this morning, but Pendleton’s mount is on the drift towards a more realistic price now, with Brockfield (5.30) and Serena Brotherton among those who look likelier winners.
The feature event at the meeting is a five-furlong sprint worth £14,000, in which Line Of Reason (nap 3.00) will be very hard to beat, assuming that Beverley does not get too much rain. Paul Midgeley’s gelding has several solid pieces of form in the book that give him an obvious chance at today’s weights.
Red Charmer (3.30) and Destination Aim (4.00) are two more worth close inspection on the same card, while at Kempton this evening, Fly (8.10) is the obvious potential improver in the fillies’ handicap on the back of her debut win earlier this month.
The obvious stat concerning Creepy (4.40), who returns to action at Warwick in the Download The Winner App Handicap Chase, is his excellent record first time out. Remarkably, he is unbeaten on all his seasonal debuts and this must be the day to catch him again. The selection is 5lb above the rating off which he won at Chepstow on his first run last season but the way he won that day suggests he can win again here.
Night Generation (3.20), who runs at Lingfield, is a typical late-season improver from the Mark Prescott yard. He won in good style last time out and should be even better suited by today’s longer trip.
Tipping competition, day two
Our winners so far:
Monday
Hero’s Story 7-2
Midlander 5-1
Return Ace 6-1
And our leader is …
slackdad38 +10
… who had Midlander and Return Ace. JahLion (+7.50) also had a Day One double.
Today, we’d like your tips, please, for these races: 4.10 Warwick, 4.40 Warwick, 8.10 Kempton.
This week, we’re offering you a second chance to win a copy of Paul Ferguson’s newly published Jumpers To Follow 2015-16, since we’re approaching the core jumps season. Now in its ninth year, the annual focuses on Ferguson’s 40 best prospects, with many additional features and a foreward from the trainer Jamie Snowden. If you don’t win, you can buy a copy here.
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 -3.
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.
For terms and conditions click here.
Good luck!
And post your tips or racing-related comments below.
