Queen Anne Stakes

Both Gladiatorous (beaten by Scintillo) and Eastern Anthem looked after before and after they went in training in Dubai...

If athletes made similar jumps of improvement there would be questions asked. The form cannot be taken seriously.
 
Galileo said:
Have to be careful what I say, but Gladiatorous's trainer in Dubai has had horses failed dope tests over there. Make of that what you will. The jump in form for the likes of Eastern Anthem and Gladiatorous was hard to believe for me.
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I was thinking the same myself. I'm not one prone to conspiracy theories, and I think there is probably a middle ground between those who question and rate the Dubai form, but these two ran like 85 rated horses, which is too bad to be true, just as their improvement in Dubai was almost too good to be true. Wasn't the trainer caught in some doping issue after the Dubai World Cup?
 
To be fair, it's one horse. I appreciate there might be question marks over the drugs policies in the UAE but even so, they still put in scintilating performances. If Shafya's "at it" then surely the other locals are too, yet he put them all in their place.

I don't think any of us are well equipped to speculate on what does and doesn't go on in Dubai.

The debate should more be about how Godolphin have fielded two fancied runners for a premier Group One and how they both bombed out along with a scrapheap of others before them.
 
I'm definitely not saying i'm qualified to judge, but considering he was caught doping around the same time, it's unlikely a trainer picks and chooses which ones to dope. That, and the marked improvement does throw up quite reasonable questions.

What was funny was Crisford saying he never got into his rhythm (fair enough), but since his main target is the Breeders Cup, they have 5 months to get that rhythm back (that is laughable, and especially from someone who is usually good enough with the press).
 
Nicky Henderson was caught doping around the same time as Afsoun's Champion Hurdle win though, it's one horse and until there is more evidence, you can't make strong assumptions that Gladiatorus and all his stable were on performance enhancing drugs.
 
I'm not assuming they were, I'm saying it throws up a reasonable question, wouldn't you say? That horse caught and the massive improvements shown make it a very fair question, but one that is unlikely to be able to be answered definitively.
 
Plenty of British trainers have been caught with the odd horse and had other horses improve. Until there is more evidence, it's blind speculation at best.
 
Hamm said:
That's not relevant to the cases of horses transferred to Godolphin from Al Shafya (sp?), otherwise hundreds of horses could be added to the list begun with Paco Boy.
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Check the title of the thread for relevance.
 
Both horses were average (relatively) speaking before going to Dubai, Gladiatorous was beaten by the likes of Scintillo and co when in Italy long before Godolphin got his hands on him. Eastern Anthem was running in handicap and low black type races (and getting beaten) before going to Dubai....all of a sudden once in Dubai they turn into world class Group 1 horses and indeed the highest rated horse in the world?

They then return to Europe and within a couple of months they return to their previous form. They were either flattered by their form in Dubai (they would not be the first horses) or the trainer brought around remarkable improvement some how.

In the case of Gladiatorus, I would say his demise was exagerated yesterday by the way he was ridden on a straight mile at Ascot and he was also heavily eased once his chance went. For me Alexandros has just returned to his previous pre-Dubai form....aka not a Group 1 horse.
 
That's a massive drop in form Gal! He only just missed out on the Lockinge last time out and didn't go near Shafya's in the Winter.

The debate should be about Godolphin and how their two fancied horses bombed out after both acquitting themselves in Group Ones.
 
Gamla Stan said:
Nicky Henderson was caught doping around the same time as Afsoun's Champion Hurdle win though, it's one horse and until there is more evidence, you can't make strong assumptions that Gladiatorus and all his stable were on performance enhancing drugs.
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I don't think there is a performance enhancing substance that has been invented that could even get Afsoun to win a Champion Hurdle.
 
Hannon said (regarding the Summer Mile): "If the rain came we would have to think about it, but there is very little chance of Paco Boy running. It is more likely he will go for the Prix Maurice De Gheest at Deauville on August 9 and then the Prix Jacques Le Marois a week later."
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No Sussex Stakes? Why?
 
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