Betfair Sprint Cup

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reet hard

Senior Jockey
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Aug 4, 2011
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Shaqille odds-on,but it's been a while since one won this race.
I reckon he's vulnerable on a speed track likely riding at its quickest for a while, and he won't get away with his customary tardy start.
They've worked on improving his trapping, but I wouldn't be taking 10/11 they've done so.
Sacred's fascinating in his first time blinds and he and Believing might carry my small ew interest.
 
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It’s really difficult to see past Shaquille who has been doing heavy stalls training and has James Doyle back up who got him away not too badly before. Almost all the trainer comments are about fighting for second unless Shaquille messes up and they seem to think he’s a freak and unbeatable except by himself.

Sacred is interesting, but she (transgender police will be after you, reet :eek:) was found out by Khadeem who couldn’t cope with Shaquille. I can’t believe the 16/1 price for Run to Freedom who proved himself best of the rest at Newmarket and his splits there make interesting reading. That’ll be my bit of each way, I think.
 
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I don't agree re Sacred being found out by Khadeem. That Ascot race was weird. They went too fast far side and Sacred was asked the question by her jockey too soon. Was easy to pick off from there. Sacred plainly hates York (her placed effort in the worst Lowther ever a massive red herring) and Haggas loves the place too much to not run her in that race despite the evidence. That said I'm not betting the race.
 
barjon said:
It’s really difficult to see past Shaquille who has been doing heavy stalls training and has James Doyle back up who got him away not too badly before. Almost all the trainer comments are about fighting for second unless Shaquille messes up and they seem to think he’s a freak and unbeatable except by himself.

Sacred is interesting, but she (transgender police will be after you, reet :eek:) was found out by Khadeem who couldn’t cope with Shaquille. I can’t believe the 16/1 price for Run to Freedom who proved himself best of the rest at Newmarket and his splits there make interesting reading. That’ll be my bit of each way, I think.
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Agree here. I think Shaquille is a freak and if he runs his best race he wins.

That said, Run To Freedom looks the best for an each way. He could improve again on his last run, and perhaps even get a bit closer to Shaquille.
 
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I think it's stretching it a bit to call Shaquille a freak (and I'm a fan).

He's currently the one-eyed man in the world of the blind. The sprinting crop is dire and he is very good. He probably wouldn't get within three lengths of a proper sprinter.
 
How many of those "proper sprinters' could give horses lengths at the start though.

I for one can't underestimate how he has been winning his races.

I do get the 'what has he beaten' angle though, and would like to see him beat more proven at the top level horses, for sure.
 
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Desert Orchid said:
He's currently the one-eyed man in the world of the blind. The sprinting crop is dire and he is very good. He probably wouldn't get within three lengths of a proper sprinter.
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Beyond dire. I think there are maybe six races across Britain and Ireland tomorrow that are more interesting
 
Shaquille should be 1/2. It’s only because there is the risk he misses the start he’s not and if he gets away on terms he will be 1.5 on betfair instantly. Even if he misses the break he’ll still pick this lot up they’re worse than what he faced in the July Cup.
 
And the wonder horse finished last, after going off far too quick.
And I was castigated for calling him a speed horse.:lol:
 
Maybe they need to just him come out slowly and not hit the front from the break? Great that they have tried but clearly didn't work today. He was, as shown, very upset just before the stalls opened. I wasn't paying that much attention to the loading, did he go in late/last?
 
Well he has obviously peaked early-mid summer this season. They should put him away now and come back stronger next season. This was one race too many anyway.

They're not machines. 99.9 + percent of horses can have a bad day or lose their form. That's why I don't tend to back anything under about 2/1. Just look at Auguste Rodin from nowhere in the Guineas to winning the Derby...to nowhere in the King George to winning the Irish Champion.

3 year old colts eh... What a bunch.
 
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Marb said:
Well he has obviously peaked early-mid summer this season. They should put him away now and come back stronger next season. This was one race too many anyway.

They're not machines. 99.9 + percent of horses can have a bad day or lose their form. That's why I don't tend to back anything under about 2/1. Just look at Auguste Rodin from nowhere in the Guineas to winning the Derby...to nowhere in the King George to winning the Irish Champion.

3 year old colts eh... What a bunch.
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Stud,Breeders' Cup or next year's King's Stand,imo.
 
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Sectionals below.

Shaquille wasn't fastest through any furlong. Not one..

The winner was fastest through the first furlong and still won.

Something wil probably come to light re the fav's poor show.

Screenshot (34).png
 
Depends what kind of picture you want to paint.
In much the quickest race of the day he broke well, and was up there the whole way until capitulating.
He's a speed horse and I doubt he'll even turn up for what's likely to be a proper contest on Champions' day.
 
The first four were all rated below 110.

Paint it whichever way you want, they are not G1 horses and when he won the July Cup he was beating horses rated in the mid-to-high 1-teens.

Maybe he needed the race after his break; maybe the stalls training affected his concentration. I have no idea.

My own opinion is that it's one of those races to write off but at this stage of the season I've no idea where he goes next. Champions Day? America?
 
His team probably have no idea where he goes next, the sectionals won't tell,either.
As Patrick Veitch (no mean mathematician and a very succcessful punter) once said "Race reading's an artistry that cannot be number crunched"
Suppose that qualifies him for rhe same bin you put Andew Beyer in. :lol:
 
reet hard said:
His team probably have no idea where he goes next, the sectionals won't tell,either.
As Patrick Veitch (no mean mathematician and a very succcessful punter) once said "Race reading's an artistry that cannot be number crunched"
Suppose that qualifies him for rhe same bin you put Andew Beyer in. :lol:
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As I see it the artistry of race reading benefits from the information provided by sectionals and vice versa.
 
BJ,
The whole thrust of my standpoint isn't that sectionals aren't very useful, but the formulaic approach to them is misleading and of very little use practically.
Shaquille's just a case in point, race reading identified him as a speed horse and, despite the figures vaunting him as otherwise, nothing he has done changes that view.
 
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