Lockinge Stakes

Very disappointing from Paco Boy - bad trip but he hit the front and fell in a hole . He clearly does not get a mile in that ground .
 
Awful "Group 1" just awful....Paco Boy is not a miler. 3 years olds will surely be better than this lot come the Sussex Stakes.

Dettori lost his whip.
 
Both of the front two genuine Group One performers, both given good rides though I think it would be naive to assume they were both suited by the way it was run, Alexandros likes to come off a strong pace and was just versatile enough to run well in a race like that. Virtual a solid G1 horse with this ground.
 
Hughes now reported by Lydia H as saying he was never going at any stage and didn't feel he would have won at any distance .

Sounds there is something up with the horse.Watching it again the horse was lit up in the race in a way that was very unusual for him he tends to settle brilliantly.

If he had been mullered by Aqlaam that would be one things but he beat Virtual easily giving him 6lb last time out.
 
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Ardross said:
Hughes now reported by Lydia H as saying he was never going at any stage and didn't feel he would have won at any distance .

Sounds there is something up with the horse.
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Horse cruised most of the way and just got out stayed. Hope plenty fall for the jockeys comments and he goes off favourite for the Queen Anne.
 
Galileo said:
Horse cruised most of the way and just got out stayed. Hope plenty fall for the jockeys comments and he goes off favourite for the Queen Anne.
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No he didn't cruise most of the way , he was pulling. Hughes was riding , horses sometimes look like they are cruising with him when they are not - he didn't even pick up properly between the two and one pole which if stamina was the only thing that did him one would have expected . Watch the Foret for heavens sake .
 
I thought Paco Boy travelled okay in behind, came to win the race, moved into contention well, but then found the limits of his stamina. Then when his race was run, the others continued to move away.

I like the horse, but would oppose all day when a G1 over 8f is going to be made a test.
 
Paco Boy was basically in front a furlong out, it was an absolute textbook example of a horse being outstayed. He is top class over 7 and probably 6 but he is simply not a miler, I get the impression Hannon and Hughes have blind faith in his ability to stay and will keep churning out the excuses until they run out.
 
They didn't go very fast there . Moreover the three horses that beat him are not G1 horses on form.

Fit and well I wouldn't oppose Paco Boy with anything but Goldikova out of the Queen Anne entries .
 
betsmate said:
I thought Paco Boy travelled okay in behind, came to win the race, moved into contention well, but then found the limits of his stamina. Then when his race was run, the others continued to move away.

I like the horse, but would oppose all day when a G1 over 8f is going to be made a test.
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My thoughts exactly. Paco Boy's best chance over a mile would be the Sussex Stakes....i'd run him in the Group 1 over six furlongs at Ascot.
 
Paco Boy appeared to be travelling with his head carried to the right and Hughes looked to much lower in the saddle than is normal for him.

I'm not convinced that a mile is Paco Boy's best distance though.
 
Gutting for Frankie, his horse was in front all except the nose, as Alexandros had his head up and Virtual's was down - wish they had some way of measuring it from the horse and jockey's body!

Queally was using his whip with some force - don't think Frankie was holding his very firmly as he doesn't use it for strength but more for 'swishing and flicking'. A very genuine animal anyway, to keep trying for him so hard with just hands and heels.
 
I dont think the real Paco Boy turned up today, I've seen him travel much much better in the past. I definately think he stays a mile, but dropping him down in trip against the best sprinters around in the Golden Jubilee would make an already fascinating race even better.
 
WTF Luke? - charming! It annoys me when a horse is done in a photo just because it's head is rising when it's chest and the jockey are clearly in front, and its hoof goes over in front. You see it quite often. Just an opinion, no need to be effing rude!
 
"Rudeness" aside, the idea that a horse that gets his nose in front on the line is not the winner is not right. The position of the jockey has no baring and should have no baring whatsoever.
 
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