With the best will in the world I must confess that I haven’t got a clue. All I hope for is some pointers from the race for later runs. Good luck to all of you who have taken (or will take) the plunge.
It really isn't the kind of race in which to take a plunge; tentative dabbles, more like, and up to the calves with one.
These are my figures for the race, done on Thursday, with the synopsis written yesterday morning. I'm not sure I would want to put anyone off anything they feel remotely enthusiastic about. The figures (MON column) take into account all form going back to the start of last season:
[TABLE="width: 515"]
<tbody>[TR]
[TD]
Draw
[/TD]
[TD]Horse
[/TD]
[TD]Age
[/TD]
[TD]Weight
[/TD]
[TD]MON
124+
[/TD]
[TD]Notes
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
7
[/TD]
[TD] United Front
[/TD]
[TD]5
[/TD]
[TD]8-8
[/TD]
[TD]132
[/TD]
[TD]p A
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
17
[/TD]
[TD] Safe Voyage
[/TD]
[TD]9
[/TD]
[TD]9-10
[/TD]
[TD]129
[/TD]
[TD]e d
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
21
[/TD]
[TD] Notre Belle Bete
[/TD]
[TD]4
[/TD]
[TD]8-8 5ex
[/TD]
[TD]128
[/TD]
[TD]? e I
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
10
[/TD]
[TD] What's The Story
[/TD]
[TD]8
[/TD]
[TD]9-3
[/TD]
[TD]126
[/TD]
[TD]+ t?
[128]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
22
[/TD]
[TD] Fame And Acclaim
[/TD]
[TD]5
[/TD]
[TD]8-11
[/TD]
[TD]125
[/TD]
[TD]e I y
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
15
[/TD]
[TD] Scottish Summit
[/TD]
[TD]9
[/TD]
[TD]8-8
[/TD]
[TD]124
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
14
[/TD]
[TD] Brunch
[/TD]
[TD]5
[/TD]
[TD]9-6
[/TD]
[TD]123
[/TD]
[TD]p
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
16
[/TD]
[TD] Marie's Diamond
[/TD]
[TD]6
[/TD]
[TD]9-4
[/TD]
[TD]123
[/TD]
[TD]y
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
11
[/TD]
[TD] Revich
[/TD]
[TD]6
[/TD]
[TD]8-11
[/TD]
[TD]123
[/TD]
[TD]?
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
18
[/TD]
[TD] Another Batt
[/TD]
[TD]7
[/TD]
[TD]8-10
[/TD]
[TD]123
[/TD]
[TD][124]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
9
[/TD]
[TD] Eagleway
[/TD]
[TD]6
[/TD]
[TD]8-7
[/TD]
[TD]123
[/TD]
[TD]e AN
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
4
[/TD]
[TD] Johan
[/TD]
[TD]5
[/TD]
[TD]9-4
[/TD]
[TD]122
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
12
[/TD]
[TD] Hortzadar
[/TD]
[TD]7
[/TD]
[TD]8-6
[/TD]
[TD]122
[/TD]
[TD]129e
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
20
[/TD]
[TD] Darkness
[/TD]
[TD]4
[/TD]
[TD]8-11
[/TD]
[TD]121
[/TD]
[TD]? e Fr
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
1
[/TD]
[TD] Irish Admiral
[/TD]
[TD]5
[/TD]
[TD]8-13
[/TD]
[TD]120
[/TD]
[TD]f
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
13
[/TD]
[TD] Ametist
[/TD]
[TD]5
[/TD]
[TD]8-10
[/TD]
[TD]120
[/TD]
[TD]p +t?
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
5
[/TD]
[TD] Broken Spear
[/TD]
[TD]6
[/TD]
[TD]8-2
[/TD]
[TD]119
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
8
[/TD]
[TD] Modern News
[/TD]
[TD]4
[/TD]
[TD]9-7
[/TD]
[TD]118
[/TD]
[TD]+p
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
2
[/TD]
[TD] Mujtaba
[/TD]
[TD]4
[/TD]
[TD]9-0
[/TD]
[TD]118
[/TD]
[TD]+p
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
6
[/TD]
[TD] Teodolina
[/TD]
[TD]4
[/TD]
[TD]8-5
[/TD]
[TD]118
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
3
[/TD]
[TD] Saleymm
[/TD]
[TD]4
[/TD]
[TD]8-13
[/TD]
[TD]117
[/TD]
[TD]p AW
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]
19
[/TD]
[TD] Rogue Bear
[/TD]
[TD]4
[/TD]
[TD]8-3
[/TD]
[TD]117
[/TD]
[TD]p
[/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]
Mujtaba and Modern News are the sexy ones turning all the punters’ heads, with their respective trainers’ excellent records in the race probably telling their own story. Neither has any eyecatching entries at this stage, though. Ifthe ratings are anything to go by, it looks like the pace is likely to be among the higher drawn half but if they go too fast they could end up stopping. I’m going to ignore the draw, back one or two from each side and hope for the best.
I took Notre Belle Bete (12/1), Scottish Summit (50/1) and United Front (40/1) during the week. The first-named I took because Paul Kealy put it up and when I read his case for it I knew it would end up high on my figures so I followed him in half-blind. Scottish Summit looks entirely exposed and vulnerable to the improvers but he’s handicapped to win a £20k Saturday handicap so probably should be around the 20/1 mark. The last-named’s form has taken off on the All-Weather since he was gelded but there’s no conclusive proof that he needs a synthetic surface. At the price, I’m happy to pay to find out as his AW mark is 13lbs higher than here.
The only other one I’ll be backing is Safe Voyage (40s tops at the moment). He is the established class horse in the race, the trainer has won it from only three runners in the last ten years and the claimer won on his only ride for him this season, at 33/1. The horse was pushing G1 level, beaten a head in a mile G2 at Leopardstown 18 months ago and officially rated 116 at his peak.
The chances are one of the hotpots will win but I can’t split them and I don’t really want to dutch them so I’ll probably have to settle for a place return to cover the outlay.
But you never know; racehorses are only human…