Glorious Goodwood

Actually to go back to my Johnston theory, although he won first and penultimate races, I think his horses on the whole look very over-trained. They are Uber lean and I suspect he’s been galloping the sh*t out of them at home. Many certainly under-performed.

Agree. Not a fan.
 
He ran one at Newmarket today against Mahrajaan, 11/10 shot, and he was awful.

Mahrajaan, a tracker horse who blew out in the Magnet Cup was 6/4 when betting opened - drifted to 6/1. Couldn't believe it, was not tempted to back and he almost won.
 
Last edited:
Actually to go back to my Johnston theory, although he won first and penultimate races, I think his horses on the whole look very over-trained. They are Uber lean and I suspect he’s been galloping the sh*t out of them at home. Many certainly under-performed.

Aye, I reckon they have a hard life there. Don’t they say not to buy and ex Johnston horse because they’ll be stone empty.
 
Some interesting performances this week.

Of the younger horses my namesake Marbaan was an eyecatcher showing a potent turn of foot. Trillium could keep improving and The Platinum Queen bolted up.

Of the older horses Rebel Romance is of interest for the future. It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if they stepped him up in trip to 1M6F next time out and he looks like a horse who could progress again from his group three win this week.

There's currently three bookies offering odds of about 20/1 on him for the Caufield Cup on October 15th Down Under.

It's a long way off but Godolphin have won the race before so it's obviously a race they are happy to send one over to have a go at. Watch this space...
 
Last edited:
Aye, I reckon they have a hard life there. Don’t they say not to buy and ex Johnston horse because they’ll be stone empty.
Back in the day, I looked at a couple of his at the Horses in Training sale at Newmarket. Not only were they extremely “fit” but they were not what you would call sound! When I asked the staff about it...in fact all their horses were distinctly “dot and carry one” they got very defensive. I wouldn’t touch one out of his yard, or Skeltons. Yeah sure they get the winners but at what cost?

MCP to be fair was said locally to be very kind at rehoming even back when he was at his peak although I know a lot went to the local dispatch unit. I did have a friend who worked for him for several seasons and she said she preferred her time there to the time she spent at Hendos as she said that MCP was far more concerned re welfare and would do his utmost to treat any issues.
 
Actually to go back to my Johnston theory, although he won first and penultimate races, I think his horses on the whole look very over-trained. They are Uber lean and I suspect he’s been galloping the sh*t out of them at home. Many certainly under-performed.

Correct.
 
I did have a friend who worked for him for several seasons and she said she preferred her time there to the time she spent at Hendos as she said that MCP was far more concerned re welfare and would do his utmost to treat any issues.

I'm relieved to read that.

I was a fan of MCP and never enjoyed reading the innuendo about his methods.
 
Actually to go back to my Johnston theory, although he won first and penultimate races, I think his horses on the whole look very over-trained. They are Uber lean and I suspect he’s been galloping the sh*t out of them at home. Many certainly under-performed.

Yes, Jinny, and with those sorts of SPs,14/1 & 18/1, the strike rate doesn’t need to be that great.
 
It will be interesting to see what Simon Rowlands and his “sectional” followers make of yesterday’s Lily Langtree (2.45). A very attritional race where the first four home seemed to have very hard races. I was rather surprised when Jason Weaver made the comment that the fourth-placed Yesyes, running after a nine-month break, was the one to take out of the race. Has he never heard of “the bounce”?
 
It will be interesting to see what Simon Rowlands and his “sectional” followers make of yesterday’s Lily Langtree (2.45). A very attritional race where the first four home seemed to have very hard races. I was rather surprised when Jason Weaver made the comment that the fourth-placed Yesyes, running after a nine-month break, was the one to take out of the race. Has he never heard of “the bounce”?
 
The theory is that the bounce doesn't happen after 42 days so it might just be a question of waiting.

Then again, it was a very hard race and none of the principals might ever recover from it.
 
A bit naughty of me to post this but as there seems to be some leeway being given to after-timers lately, what the hell? If you remember me pointing out Rohaan in the Wokingham and a couple of othes in big-field handicaps being C/D winners and run well in huge fields. Well in yesterday’s Stewards’ Cup I came up with three qualifiers Mr. Wagyu,xxxxxxx and Comanche Falls!
 
A bit naughty of me to post this but as there seems to be some leeway being given to after-timers lately, what the hell? If you remember me pointing out Rohaan in the Wokingham and a couple of othes in big-field handicaps being C/D winners and run well in huge fields. Well in yesterday’s Stewards’ Cup I came up with three qualifiers Mr. Wagyu, Summerghand and Comanche Falls!
 
Last edited:
I'm relieved to read that.

I was a fan of MCP and never enjoyed reading the innuendo about his methods.

It was a bit unfair, he was a pioneer of the scientific approach to test horses fitness and well-being. He did run his horses a lot, but only if the science confirmed that they were up for it.
 
A bit naughty of me to post this but as there seems to be some leeway being given to after-timers lately, what the hell? If you remember me pointing out Rohaan in the Wokingham and a couple of othes in big-field handicaps being C/D winners and run well in huge fields. Well in yesterday’s Stewards’ Cup I came up with three qualifiers Mr. Wagyu, Summerghand and Comanche Falls!

I've never 'got' the animosity towards after-timers.

It's a forum, a community (at least that's how I prefer to view it), and we should all be happy for those who mange to find winners in a tough game, even if they don't tell us about it until afterwards.

Maybe I see it differently because I'm very close to the brother I often mention on here and he often tells me he had a winner that day. I'm pleased for him when he tells me. I know he only bets £1 or £2 a time and it's more of a pastime for him. I don't see it as any different from coming home from a game of football and saying "I scored a hat-trick" or from a round of golf and saying "I eagled the ninth".

And the above is hardly after-timing anyway, Colin. Just pointing out a fact.

Unless you backed it, ya aftertimin' bastert...

:lol:
 
Last edited:
It will be interesting to see what Simon Rowlands .and his “sectional” followers make of yesterday’s Lily Langtree (2.45). A very attritional race where the first four home seemed to have very hard races. I was rather surprised when Jason Weaver made the comment that the fourth-placed Yesyes, running after a nine-month break, was the one to take out of the race. Has he never heard of “the bounce”?
Were SR to cover it, he'd probably say the stalls were in the wrong place. 9.7s for the 1st furlong would be beyond most horses in training.
Though it wouldn't negate the bounce, it renders further time study pointless.
 
Back
Top