Craven Meeting

A

Ardross

Senior Jockey
Joined
Aug 8, 2007
Messages
5,489
Delighted to see this has reverted to 3 days next week - considering the very high calibre of horses that have been running there over the last few years it is a shame still no terrestrial TV coverage .
 
I didn't realise it was next week. Jeeez... my name is gonna be mud at home when Mrs O sees me studying midweek races again!

I can just hear her now... "Is that you in racing Purdah again!!"
 
Von Blucher is entered in the Feilden on Tuesday. Trained by Gosden who won the race with Golden Horn last year. Dettori is already jocked up in the entries in the Post which suggests (a) he's an intended runner and (b) they're prepared to blow a handicap mark of 86. From what I read in Timeform's Horses to Follow, I don't think DJ will be too impressed as he had him as a likely Britannia type. He'd have to go up from 86 to get in at Ascot but if he wins or runs really well on Tuesday handicaps will basically be out for him.
 
Ardross said:
Delighted to see this has reverted to 3 days next week - considering the very high calibre of horses that have been running there over the last few years it is a shame still no terrestrial TV coverage .
Click to expand...

Racing UK doing an offer for next 24 hours only, £10 a month for the first year
 
Heavy in Ireland today, heavy in France.

The Craven Meeting will be the first flat meeting of the year to be run on decent ground.

Foundation has an entry in the Craven itself and is clearly an intended runner, from Gosden's comments in today's Post. Johannes Vermeer is also entered and he's been scratched from his Lepardstown engagement this afternoon. If that's on account of the ground rather than something physical he might well be rerouted to HQ.
 
Von Blucher isn't declared for the Feilden so the dream and his handicap mark live on.

For the time being.
 
I want him to run in a handicap off 86, if only to highlight how someone hasn't done their job properly. He'll be about 4/6 when he does run off that mark. How many times did Ennaadd need to boost that form before it got looked at again? Quite a few valuable handicaps at 1m before the Britannia, would expect him to be around 100 by early summer!
 
The Feilden has cut up badly. Five declared but Southdown Lad doesn't run so only four go to post. No bet suggesting itself at present.

I'd like to see Nathra run well in the Nell Gwynn to boost my Minding ante-post voucher but, to be honest, Minding is for me so far clear of her Guineas rivals that nothing that might happen tomorrow could shake my confidence.

Fawaareq in the 7f maiden really interests me. Ran second in what turned out to be a very decent Leicester maiden last autumn. If he's straight for this, he'll win or go very close.
 
As you guys are discussing well-handicapped types, Merhoob in the last looks interesting on Wednesday.
He has Frankie Dettori booked for the ride, carrying a six pound penalty for a win at Chelmsford the last day. He stays further so I expect Frankie to kick on over 5F here to make use of his stamina.
 
Last edited:
gus said:
I'd like to see Nathra run well in the Nell Gwynn to boost my Minding ante-post voucher but, to be honest, Minding is for me so far clear of her Guineas rivals that nothing that might happen tomorrow could shake my confidence.
Click to expand...

If the ground is proper fast for the 1000 I think Lumiere is a likelier winner of the race.
 
Euronymous said:
If the ground is proper fast for the 1000 I think Lumiere is a likelier winner of the race.
Click to expand...

I hope you're right. My first (of three) ante-post bets on the race was on Lumiere at 20/1 after her debut win. The second was on Alice Springs at 16/1 - doesn't look so hot now - and the third Minding at 9/2. Not a method that would suit everyone but it suits me.

Anyway, Lumiere is a bigger winner for me than Minding but, as stated earlier, Minding looks in a different league. She's perceived as ground-dependent but her time in the Fillies' Mile wasn't a soft ground time and to the naked eye the race looked like a test of speed, not a slog.
 
Last edited:
Having gone back over my time ratings for last season, I'm tempted to back Mustajeer in the Feilden, given that he's the outsider of the four. The time of his maiden win over this track in September was pretty good. Hanagan has chosen the owner's other horse and that's clearly a worry and there's also the possibility of a false-run race given the small field. On the other hand, the lack of an obvious front-runner could mean he gets an easy lead if O'Neill rides him that way - the horse looked a strong stayer at a mile and, presumably, he wouldn't let it develop into a crawl.

Talked myself into it.
 
gus said:
Anyway, Lumiere is a bigger winner for me than Minding but, as stated earlier, Minding looks in a different league. She's perceived as ground-dependent but her time in the Fillies' Mile wasn't a soft ground time and to the naked eye the race looked like a test of speed, not a slog.
Click to expand...

The ground was good in the Fillies Mile but it was good to firm when Ballydoyle beat her two starts previous.

Bottom line is she had optimum conditions at Newmarket and Lumiere didn't, I think she would have been better over 7f than 6 at the time she won the CP.
 
Did anyone see the interview with William Haggas? He was asked for a dark one and mentioned adding a horse to the Oaks entries this morning. His owner was excited because its so unusual for the trainer to do that.
 
SlimChance said:
Nathra :eek:
Click to expand...

That's a pretty pathetic emoticon. I was thinking more like this...

images
 
Back
Top