Haydock Park Sprint Cup

Ardross

Senior Jockey
Joined
Aug 8, 2007
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Surely Bewitched it too long a price for this . She had an excuse for the run in the Golden Jubilee and her profile before then was very progressive unlikely many of her rivals

Shortening today but some 14s still available - I think she should be about 7-1 .
 
Tempted by Dream Ahead at around 9/2. Can excuses be made on account of the trip sapping his stamina at Deauville? His July Cup win is obviously the best form on offer and I don't buy the theory that Bated Breath let it down at York. The ground that day was horrible.
 
Could be a bit of value. On his July Cup form he'd win. If he performs like he did last time he won't. On balance his price is big enough to take the chance.

Taking him out of the equation it's wide open. I wouldn't put anyone off a good handful of them.
 
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Considering how he finished in the July Cup, and how he didn't over 110 yards further at a sharper Deauville, albeit on slightly softer ground, I'd say stamina definitely wasn't the problem.
Wouldn't know what caused his poor run the latter day, neither (so it would seem) do his connections.
 
RP have the time-based ground for Newmarket as good, and Deauville as g/s , their going allowance difference -0.37 s/f - or, just about 2 secs for the whole trip.
 
Just as a matter of interest, with all this talk of English and French going - do Clerks of the Course in France use the same TurfTrax going monitor as British Clerks do? If not, what system do they use, and what differentials - if any - are there?
 
I'd agree that Bewitched is the most obvious one at the prices. Bewitched first, followed home by Hoof It and Tiddliwinks.
 
Tempted by Dream Ahead at around 9/2. Can excuses be made on account of the trip sapping his stamina at Deauville? His July Cup win is obviously the best form on offer and I don't buy the theory that Bated Breath let it down at York. The ground that day was horrible.

I seriously like Dream Ahead for this. If he had come straight here after the July Cup he'd be 6/4 against this lot. Sprinters can have their off days and I'll forgive him Deauville and take my chances at 9/2.
 
Just as a matter of interest, with all this talk of English and French going - do Clerks of the Course in France use the same TurfTrax going monitor as British Clerks do? If not, what system do they use, and what differentials - if any - are there?

Definitely not the same tool as the going stick that British clerks use (not without it's either), forgot it's name but some googling will find it but Martin will know better.

French going descriptions are always a lot softer than British, you very very rarely see Good to Firm given in France. As a crude rule of thumb, I tend to move up the scale by one when looking at French going descriptions so French Good would be British Good to Firm, French Soft would be British Good to Soft etc.
 
Isn't it axiomatic that standard times obviate the need for reliance on official going descriptions?
 
Thanks, Gamla, for that. Re standard times (here she goes again!) - how are they reached? Does someone take winner's times over all the different goings over a set distance, then do an average of the lot? And presumably standards are set for every course, since they all differ, depending on stiffness of turns, camber, hills, etc.? So, for example, the standard time for 6f at Chester would be different from Goodwood's, owing to the former being a turning distance, and the other straight as a die?
 
I seriously like Dream Ahead for this. If he had come straight here after the July Cup he'd be 6/4 against this lot. Sprinters can have their off days and I'll forgive him Deauville and take my chances at 9/2.




thats the problem, he has been beaten in a race where conditions were all right for him and with no apparent excuse, the trainer is a bit incompetent and looks a risky proposition
 
Dream Ahead was miles better, and it would have been awful if he didnt hold on. He is one quirky horse though!
 
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