Gamla Stan
At the Start
- Joined
- Aug 19, 2005
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- 4,337
Not sure how this Group One hasn't got it's own thread but I'll kick things off....
Amour Propre (Rated 90) 7/2
Made rapid progression last year as a 2 year old winning 3 out 4, culminating in Group 3 win over course and distance. Made reappearance this year in the competitive Palace House stakes where he won easily by over 2 lengths in taking fashion in an incredibly strong time. Sure to build upon that as he is a lightly raced sort from a yard which produces improving sprinters. He is well drawn here towards the stands rail and he should have no excuses from there.
Anglezarke (Rated 84) 33/1
Had quite a busy time as a 2 year-old, the highlight probably being a 2nd to Madame Trop Vite at Doncaster in September in the Flying Childers. Proved she has trained on this year with a good performance to win a conditions race at York which has some reasonable formlines, she then stepped up to Listed company to chase home Ialysos at Haydock. All that form and speed figures indicate she is up against it at this level against these sprinters.
Borderlescott (Rated 92) 17/2
A credit to connections over the years and he’s as consistent as anything in training, placed in his last 12 runs. His day in the sun came in the rearranged Nunthorpe at Newmarket last August where he won the Group One on the July course when he broke the course record. That represents his best form and speed figure but it was last August and he hasn’t consistently really gone on from that. Went on to chase Marchand D’or home in the Abbaye before finishing the season on the all-weather at Dundalk where he won easily at odds-on. This term he finished 3rd behind Amour Propre at Newmarket and 2nd to Look Busy at Haydock in boggish conditions. He well certainly be in the mix in the final furlong but I can’t see where he’s going to pull the 2 ½ lengths out to get near Amour Propre.
Cannonball (Rated NA) 40/1
American sprinter who’s form is very hard to get a handle on, never won at graded level and never won at five furlongs, would be a surprise to see him trouble the principles.
Captain Gerrard (Rated 89) 66/1
Used to be a very good sprinter who looked to be going places after landing the 2008 Palace House stakes after a successful 2 year-old career. Has regressed since then and been well beaten on his last five starts, couldn’t hold out much hope after those outings but a bounce back to early 2008 form would see him have a fighting chance, looks unlikely though.
Dandy Man (Rated 90) 33/1
Labelled an unlucky loser in this race for three years running when the draw has beat him, and it hasn’t been too kind to him here either drawn in stall 13. He’s now 6 and hasn’t shown anything which would give him a chance in this since a 3rd in the Audi stakes at Goodwood which represents his best effort on the clock since he got beat by Miss Andretti two years ago. Only ever won outside of Listed company once and difficult to see him doing so again in a race as tough as this.
Equiano (Rated 88) 20/1
Impressive winner of this race last year, making all up the stands rail and winning well. Didn’t go on from that and hasn’t won since having picked up a minor fracture last year. Came back this year with a cracking effort behind Tax Free in the Abernant Stakes at Newmarket but has bombed out twice since then. He’s now tried in blinkers and it’s hard to recommend him after 2 very disappointing efforts and doesn’t have the best draw for repeating last year’s effort.
Fleeting Spirit (Rated 97) 9/2
Put in one of the best sprinting performances in a long time in the Temple Stakes last year where she earned a massive 97 on the clock. Went on to run creditably in the Kings Stand and Abbaye but never repeated the Haydock effort. Finished the season in the Breeders Cup Sprint over a unsuitable distance and was put firmly in her place. She does go well fresh and she may have come on for this longish and repeating the Temple effort would see her scoot clear in this but for whatever reason (jaded later on last year?, tough races take the shine off her?) she never did. Her price reflects all of this and she’s probably on the skinny side all things considered.
Hoh Hoh Hoh (Rated 86) 28/1
Never won outside handicap and conditions company and whilst he chased Amour Propre home at Newmarket, that probably flattered him and would need to build significantly on his best performance which came in a Sandown handicap last August.
Mythical Flight (Rated NA) 20/1
Another foreign runner who’s form is difficult to get a handle on, hasn’t won for over 2 years however and whilst he’s bossed South African sprints in the past, this looks beyond him.
Rievaulx World (Rated 83) 66/1
Best performance came when finishing 4th behind Finjaan in the Molecomb. 5th to Amour Propre in the Palace House and 2nd to Anglezarke at York, has an enormous amount to do to even finish in the top half in this field.
Scenic Blast (Rated NA) 7/2
Australian runner who I don’t have any figures for but he’s won 7 of his 17 races and Australian runners always have to be respected in the sprints at Royal Ascot as they have landed 3 of the last 6 runnings of this. (Infact this race has only been won by a British horse 4 times in the last 10 years). He doesn’t have an easy time of it from stall 15 but his hold-up style negates some of this concern.
Spin Cycle (Rated 83) 50/1
Started with great promise as a 2 year old and only went down narrowly to South Central in the Norfolk over C&D last season. Never really built on that and looked to be feeling his earlier races later on in 2008. Bounced back this season with a win in a conditions race at Musselburgh, that doesn’t look to be any great shakes but yard does well with sprinters like this and it would’t be surprising to see him land a decent prize before the end of the year but it’d be hard to see it being today, especially from stall 14.
Tax Free (Rated 94) 10/1
Easily comes into this race with the best recent speed figure, a massive 94 for a convincing and incredibly game battling show at Chantilly (in the race Equiano ran in prior to taking this last year). Before that he has a very admirable record, bossing the Abernant stakes and winning several soft Irish sprints for his shrewd trainer. On speed figures, he’s the best horse in the race on known recent form but doubts come in when you look at his record at Ascot (come here twice before in similar form and beaten out of sight) and he could do with being quite handy and Adrian Nicholls will have a tough job from stall 11, especially with Amour Propre to his inside.
Wi Dud (Rated 96) 80/1
Comes here off the back of a good showing in the Dash at Epsom where he earned a good rating for carrying huge amounts of weight and also in the Temple Stakes behind Look Busy but was probably flattered there by being on the far side. Bottom line is, the horse hasn’t won since September 2006 and was beat in a Thirsk handicap a month ago, very hard to fancy here.
Conclusion
This is a decent sprint and whilst it might not be as good a renewal as some in recent years, it contains two very exciting horses in Amour Propre and Scenic Blast. The Australians have a great record in the race but Amour Propre has all the marks of a champion sprinter and the draw has been kind to him, he should be awfully hard to beat. Tax Free is probably the best of the rest unless Fleeting Spirit can get back to her best.
Prediction
1st – Amour Propre
2nd – Scenic Blast
3rd – Tax Free
Amour Propre (Rated 90) 7/2
Made rapid progression last year as a 2 year old winning 3 out 4, culminating in Group 3 win over course and distance. Made reappearance this year in the competitive Palace House stakes where he won easily by over 2 lengths in taking fashion in an incredibly strong time. Sure to build upon that as he is a lightly raced sort from a yard which produces improving sprinters. He is well drawn here towards the stands rail and he should have no excuses from there.
Anglezarke (Rated 84) 33/1
Had quite a busy time as a 2 year-old, the highlight probably being a 2nd to Madame Trop Vite at Doncaster in September in the Flying Childers. Proved she has trained on this year with a good performance to win a conditions race at York which has some reasonable formlines, she then stepped up to Listed company to chase home Ialysos at Haydock. All that form and speed figures indicate she is up against it at this level against these sprinters.
Borderlescott (Rated 92) 17/2
A credit to connections over the years and he’s as consistent as anything in training, placed in his last 12 runs. His day in the sun came in the rearranged Nunthorpe at Newmarket last August where he won the Group One on the July course when he broke the course record. That represents his best form and speed figure but it was last August and he hasn’t consistently really gone on from that. Went on to chase Marchand D’or home in the Abbaye before finishing the season on the all-weather at Dundalk where he won easily at odds-on. This term he finished 3rd behind Amour Propre at Newmarket and 2nd to Look Busy at Haydock in boggish conditions. He well certainly be in the mix in the final furlong but I can’t see where he’s going to pull the 2 ½ lengths out to get near Amour Propre.
Cannonball (Rated NA) 40/1
American sprinter who’s form is very hard to get a handle on, never won at graded level and never won at five furlongs, would be a surprise to see him trouble the principles.
Captain Gerrard (Rated 89) 66/1
Used to be a very good sprinter who looked to be going places after landing the 2008 Palace House stakes after a successful 2 year-old career. Has regressed since then and been well beaten on his last five starts, couldn’t hold out much hope after those outings but a bounce back to early 2008 form would see him have a fighting chance, looks unlikely though.
Dandy Man (Rated 90) 33/1
Labelled an unlucky loser in this race for three years running when the draw has beat him, and it hasn’t been too kind to him here either drawn in stall 13. He’s now 6 and hasn’t shown anything which would give him a chance in this since a 3rd in the Audi stakes at Goodwood which represents his best effort on the clock since he got beat by Miss Andretti two years ago. Only ever won outside of Listed company once and difficult to see him doing so again in a race as tough as this.
Equiano (Rated 88) 20/1
Impressive winner of this race last year, making all up the stands rail and winning well. Didn’t go on from that and hasn’t won since having picked up a minor fracture last year. Came back this year with a cracking effort behind Tax Free in the Abernant Stakes at Newmarket but has bombed out twice since then. He’s now tried in blinkers and it’s hard to recommend him after 2 very disappointing efforts and doesn’t have the best draw for repeating last year’s effort.
Fleeting Spirit (Rated 97) 9/2
Put in one of the best sprinting performances in a long time in the Temple Stakes last year where she earned a massive 97 on the clock. Went on to run creditably in the Kings Stand and Abbaye but never repeated the Haydock effort. Finished the season in the Breeders Cup Sprint over a unsuitable distance and was put firmly in her place. She does go well fresh and she may have come on for this longish and repeating the Temple effort would see her scoot clear in this but for whatever reason (jaded later on last year?, tough races take the shine off her?) she never did. Her price reflects all of this and she’s probably on the skinny side all things considered.
Hoh Hoh Hoh (Rated 86) 28/1
Never won outside handicap and conditions company and whilst he chased Amour Propre home at Newmarket, that probably flattered him and would need to build significantly on his best performance which came in a Sandown handicap last August.
Mythical Flight (Rated NA) 20/1
Another foreign runner who’s form is difficult to get a handle on, hasn’t won for over 2 years however and whilst he’s bossed South African sprints in the past, this looks beyond him.
Rievaulx World (Rated 83) 66/1
Best performance came when finishing 4th behind Finjaan in the Molecomb. 5th to Amour Propre in the Palace House and 2nd to Anglezarke at York, has an enormous amount to do to even finish in the top half in this field.
Scenic Blast (Rated NA) 7/2
Australian runner who I don’t have any figures for but he’s won 7 of his 17 races and Australian runners always have to be respected in the sprints at Royal Ascot as they have landed 3 of the last 6 runnings of this. (Infact this race has only been won by a British horse 4 times in the last 10 years). He doesn’t have an easy time of it from stall 15 but his hold-up style negates some of this concern.
Spin Cycle (Rated 83) 50/1
Started with great promise as a 2 year old and only went down narrowly to South Central in the Norfolk over C&D last season. Never really built on that and looked to be feeling his earlier races later on in 2008. Bounced back this season with a win in a conditions race at Musselburgh, that doesn’t look to be any great shakes but yard does well with sprinters like this and it would’t be surprising to see him land a decent prize before the end of the year but it’d be hard to see it being today, especially from stall 14.
Tax Free (Rated 94) 10/1
Easily comes into this race with the best recent speed figure, a massive 94 for a convincing and incredibly game battling show at Chantilly (in the race Equiano ran in prior to taking this last year). Before that he has a very admirable record, bossing the Abernant stakes and winning several soft Irish sprints for his shrewd trainer. On speed figures, he’s the best horse in the race on known recent form but doubts come in when you look at his record at Ascot (come here twice before in similar form and beaten out of sight) and he could do with being quite handy and Adrian Nicholls will have a tough job from stall 11, especially with Amour Propre to his inside.
Wi Dud (Rated 96) 80/1
Comes here off the back of a good showing in the Dash at Epsom where he earned a good rating for carrying huge amounts of weight and also in the Temple Stakes behind Look Busy but was probably flattered there by being on the far side. Bottom line is, the horse hasn’t won since September 2006 and was beat in a Thirsk handicap a month ago, very hard to fancy here.
Conclusion
This is a decent sprint and whilst it might not be as good a renewal as some in recent years, it contains two very exciting horses in Amour Propre and Scenic Blast. The Australians have a great record in the race but Amour Propre has all the marks of a champion sprinter and the draw has been kind to him, he should be awfully hard to beat. Tax Free is probably the best of the rest unless Fleeting Spirit can get back to her best.
Prediction
1st – Amour Propre
2nd – Scenic Blast
3rd – Tax Free
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