Leopardstown Tomorrow

G

Guest_

At the Start
Joined
May 2, 2003
Messages
14,178
Location
Ireland
Starting off with the Ballysax which is a decent Derby trial (but not to be confused with the Derrinstown a few weeks later).

Ballydoyle run three with Murtagh on Alessandro Volta, facing Washington Irving's conquerer Unwritten Rule while Prendergast runs Moiqen who actually beat AV last year.

The opening 2 year old race see Ballydoyle's second juvenile runner of the season, Four Star General (half brother to Spartacus and Johan Cruyff). The usual yards are all represented with Prendergast's charge Vilasol having the benefit of the run to his name. This is run over six furlongs....unlike most of the two year old races to date..in fact is it the first this season?

Followmyfootsteps ran with credit in the French and Irish Guineas last season and while he has been off for some time he makes plenty of appeal of these Giants Causeways often improve with age and he looked immature last season. He faces the useful Tian Shan,Alarazi (out again and in first time blinkers) and Hard Rock City.

The 1m2f maiden at the backend of the card is really interesting. Ballydoyle run 4...Murtagh on Moonstone (by Dalakhani and a half sister to L'Ancresse),William Hogwarth (well touted last season), Bashkirov (useful maiden) and Decree ( half brother to Catcher In The Rye by Pivotal). John Oxx introduces Galiyan (an Aga Khan owned son of Dalakhani), Dermot Weld has another Dalakhani colt called Daasij etc. This looks a maiden to keep a close eye on as it could throw up plenty of future winners.
 
I still reckon Alessandro Volta will end up being the number one Ballydoyle colt.

Really interested to see how Vilasol gets on tommorrow over 6 furlongs. 1m2f definitely a race to watch with interest as well.
 
Should be interesting today, the different yards will be getting a line on each others running and the fitness levels should be getting up there. I think Welds Dalakhani should win the Ballysax but possibly won't have the beating of O'Briens runner in the future.
 
Gareth O'Brien reports that they had a steady fall of rain this morning so there might well be more cut in the ground than the official going in todays papers.

So far this morning the markets are speaking in favour of Four Star General in the 2 year old opener.

Followmyfootsteps is noticeably weak with plenty of support for the Weld horse Tian Shan.

Unwritten Rule and Alessandro Volta are pretty much neck and neck while in the 3 year old maiden Winchester is the big mover from 8s into 5s.
 
Four Star General looked a sour thing the moment they came out of the stalls. Definitely one to have reservations about.
 
If a horse (Alazari) takes his time to pick up races (as was admitted by his trainer) why on earth ride him out the back on a track like Leopardstown? Great ride from Smullen, poor ride from Kinane.
 
Is Ballydoyle really believing they are more clever than everybody else allowing their fancied horse inside the pacemaker at the bend ?
They don´t even know who the best horse in their stable is at this point of the year !
Pathetic stuff from them, very annoying manoevre imo.
 
Well, I like variety in flat racing, but 6f in April for 2-y-os is wrong, imo.

The winner's time of 1'18"5 says it all really, just as well the going wasn't heavy otherwise some of the runners may have struggled to beat 1'30.

I just can't see the point of it.
 
You're not alone Ven. IIRC the official WFA scale doesn't include any weights for 2yos over 6f until May.
 
I thought most of those 2yr olds should've been out in a field growing up. O'Briens horse looked weak to me but will be nice if he doesn't break down first. Going for dinner I have more opinions about this meeting to air later. :D
 
Very dissapointing effort on the face of it from Alessandro Volta; had every chance, but just didn't go through with his effort in the straight. In fairness, Murtagh said the saddle slipped early on and the colt was never comfortable after that (which is fairly evident from the close-up shots).

The fact that the Weld horse Unwritten Rule could only manage third doesn't do a lot for Washington Irving either.

I have a feeling that the first two home in the 1m2f maiden are very decent colts. Weld obviously has a very high opinion of Winchester, and I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up an Irish Derby colt. The Ballydoyle filly certainly wasn't knocked about, but picked up really nicely when the penny dropped.
 
Luxie is the smallest race horse I've ever seen, she idled when she got to the front and I wouldn't be surprised if she won again after her break if they go for a better race and keep the weight off her.

I think Gal asked as to why the aga Khan had sold alarazi some time ago and it would appear to me that this fella is a bit of a monkey and not to be backed,either that or Kinane is a monkey.Blinkers on today he again looked an unlucky looser which leads me to believe that he isn't.

That might be as good as Moiqen is. He looked fit. Hebridean has an impressive turn of foot and may improve more than the winner. His sire Bach was sent straight to cover NH mares i wonder what it would take to make him attractive to the flat breeders ,Hebridean is certainly doing him good. Unwritten rule never really picked up and I think he's probably better than this run, he did come a lot wider than the others so perhaps the strip of ground he was on didn't do him any favours.

Winchester was ridden as if he couldn't be beaten, he was taken wide to avoid trouble and was just squeezed to get to the front, one to follow over 1m2 and further.
 
I wonder is Aidan getting a little concerned yet. His runners looked fitter today but still wheren't good enough.
 
I'd say he'll have been pleased with the introduction Moonstone got. Alessandro Volta was obviously dissapointing but perhaps that can be put down to the saddle slipping.

Wasn't there today unfortunately (attended the Meath-Dublin slamdown instead). Did you get a chance to see Alessandro Volta or Four Star General in the ring beforehand, Sheikh?
 
Yes, I thoguht four star looked weak, he had a skinny neck on him and I thought he could hve done with being left off for a while.He looked pretty fit but couldn't get home.

Alesandro volta looked fit enough to do himself justice ,from where I was nothing looked untoward with the saddle but we have to take these comments at face value.
 
Noticed it when they were rounding the bend coming out of the back. That said, he did pick up initially only to fail to go through with his effort.
 
Back
Top