2 Year olds 2009

Hamm said:
I think he travelled like much the best horse in the Acomb, was by far the last off the bridle and I put him not winning down to his over-exuberance and cut gum at the start, or the ground being a shade too quick. I think he goes to the National Stakes with a real chance.
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Should get a boost of the form from Vale Of York today, who didn't settle well enough last time to see out the trip.
 
Flame said:
Should get a boost of the form from Vale Of York today, who didn't settle well enough last time to see out the trip.
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Any idea why Frankie chose Atlantis Star? It surprised me, and I wouldn't write Vale of York off (i think he's overpriced today at 6s).
 
Hamm said:
Any idea why Frankie chose Atlantis Star? It surprised me, and I wouldn't write Vale of York off (i think he's overpriced today at 6s).
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He didn't have a choice, Ahmed rides him in most of his work and Ted only rode him last time as they didn't have runners at lots of meetings. He was always likely to be Ahmed's ride, and he rides him today. Frankie didn't have a choice.
 
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Thanks. So, you're saying Frankie no longer has the choice of which Godolphin horses to ride?
 
That's not what I said. I simply said Ahmed rides him all the time at home and he is his ride. Please try to read what I write and not make general assumptions.
 
It's not a general assumption, it was a question. I presume between them Durcan and Atjebi ride many more horses than Frankie yet he is always first up on the best (Gladatorius aside), hence it is not something which has happened often before.
 
I'd imagine Murtagh is in the same position. He has the choice as long as he chooses the one O'Brien/Magnier want him to ride. Usually there would be no contention but there always the odd occasion that Murtagh's presence would add more value to one over the other.
 
Ahmed is being progressed to probably be Frankie's replacement when he finally packs up in a few years time. He rides out a lot for the yard and rides a lot of the tricky rides at home. Vale Of York is not an easy ride and takes a strong grip, very similar to Gladatorius and those horses will be offered to Ahmed when he is available. If you see Ahmed on one and not Frankie, don't presume it's a 2nd string, as it may not be the case.

They rate Ahmed highly and he will certainly get the leg up on a lot of good horses.
 
Good ole Ahmed,

Broke too well, pulled hard, couldn't get much cover, pushed out wide by Frankie, never lost composure, never went for the stick, hand ride to win by 3 parts comfortably.

When he learns to settle he'll be a bloody good horse this, still so raw and unfurnished.
 
Thanks for letting us know the riding arrangements - The prices were reflective of the fact that everyone assumed Frankie must be on the better one and therefore vale of york can't be that good. Amazed I got a bit bigger than 6's earlier on the exchange.

Apologies for the blatant aftertiming!
 
I wonder is Murtagh's decision to go to Doncaster on Saturday anything to do with the two year old they plan to run in the Champagne Stakes?
 
Vale of York, and the P.Cole horse gave the Acomb form a boost today , as did Emmerald Commander at Haydock on Saturday.
 
Galileo said:
I thought he would go to The Curragh as well...makes me think perhaps the two year olds were the deciding factor.
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I'm not quite with you. The Curragh race is a Group 1 with decent opposition (Prendergast and Godolphin). The Champagne is a Group 2 and looks weaker. I'd also be surprised if Viscount Nelson was rated higher than Alfred Nobel or Cape Blanco.
 
Alfred Nobel is definitely their runner on Saturday.

Again I agree with you that riding in the National Stakes would (I thought) have been a higher aim than a Group 2 - but that is my point. It seemed obvious that The Curragh looked the more likely option for Murtagh but it is not....so something must be bringing him over there to take him away from Yeats, Alfred Nobel, some other decent two year old events all on a day that is marketed around Coolmore's great trainer Vincent O'Brien. I do not think the ride on AOA (however well fancied) would be enough to do this.
 
Agreed, it's certainly surprised me. I see also that O'Donoghue is going over to ride Changingoftheguard so it'll be interesting to see who rides their other runners, particularly in the National Stakes. I'm guessing Cape Blanco doesn't run. Would be interested to see if Await the Dawn does.
 
Narcotic Nora said:
Agreed, it's certainly surprised me. I see also that O'Donoghue is going over to ride Changingoftheguard so it'll be interesting to see who rides their other runners, particularly in the National Stakes. I'm guessing Cape Blanco doesn't run. Would be interested to see if Await the Dawn does.
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Await The Dawn runs in the Champagne as well according to O'Brien.
 
I would assume it is more to do with them wanting to give Age of Aquarius every possible chance of winning the Leger.

A 1.4 million yearling with a blue blood pedigree winning the leger will certainly ensure a NH stallion career at the very least. Yeats has already cemented his reputation and so I would think this is a commercially driven decision that Murtagh had no choice in...
 
Interesting reports about Coordinated Cut who makes his debut tomorrow...beardo any light to be shed on this matter?
 
Chabal looked a promising prospect at Leopardstown last Saturday. Thought he picked up like a decent colt having raced freely through the first couple of furlongs. Awful lot of very bullish talk about him beforehand as well.
 
trackside528 said:
Chabal looked a promising prospect at Leopardstown last Saturday. Thought he picked up like a decent colt having raced freely through the first couple of furlongs. Awful lot of very bullish talk about him beforehand as well.
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Whilst there was some debate about how he never put them to the sword, I liked the fact that he was there to be shot at from a long way out and nothing got to him.
 
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