Road to Royal Ascot, 2023

I'm hoping the Wokingham doesn't end up a packed mess all trying to come up the centre. It could lead to a shock result and a stack of hard luck stories.
 
Mums Tipple (bit low), Saint Lawrence (bookies price gone but can still get 30 BF), the Hurricane, and Hierarchy (at the biggest BF available) against the field.

Willie Haggas won't be running Khanjar for fun and it's possible Hurricane would have gone close if he'd made it to the race in 2022. JH may have sorted out what was wrong.
 
Bookies at it, cutting the market leaders to ridiculous odds. I'm on Spangled Mac at 33/1 so I'm encouraged by the move for him into 11/1.

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Desert Orchid said:
5.00 - ... I fancy stablemate Saint Lawrence to run a big race too if the move to this yard has sweetened him up. For bets, I’m looking at anything that might hit 130 on the scale and are drawn around 22 or higher and the ones that do are all really nice prices, bar maybe Khanjar but I can use him to cover the others. [Strong near-side advantage on Friday so lots of high-drawn longshots covered with Khanjar and Orazio]
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The winner and two or three places back to eighth.

Puts me ahead for the day with two races to go.
 
chaumi said:
Can get 25s with B365 on Saint Lawrence in the Wokingham. (Now with) Archie Watson, Hollie riding, drawn 30. I've long thought SL had a big race, but hasn't managed to do what was expected (by both previous stable and owner, I suspect). Has run close in a couple of group races though. Now aged 5, and with the switch, this might be his day.
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Owed me. Hoping someone else had a go :-)
 
After reading what Yorick wrote on his blog I had to back St Lawrence.
Well done chaum and DO.and anyone else who backed it.

And mr wagyu got 7th .

Eye catcher Fresh especially over 7f.
 
Desert Orchid said:
5.35 - I’ve also backed Lion Of War who is worth a substantial mark-up on his recent win and should be suited by stepping up in trip
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Hmmm, pretty unlucky I reckon. Need to see the race again but I thought he got knocked quite far back at the incident and did incredibly well to get so close. Another one that got away?
 
simmo said:
Jamie Spencer very honest in the stewards room. The horse jinked left and then when he corrected it off to his right. Not sure what else he could have done.
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Absolutely right - what a star man.
Loved the sight of Ryan almost lying on the chair at the back!! Would have liked to have heard what he said as well actually. He's of a similar ilk.
 
viking said:
Ffs what a balls of a ride by Crowley
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I need to see the race again but watching it with Mrs O and Orchidette I pointed out RFO as they turned for home and said, "That's mine, looks like it's got the race won," then suddenly he was trapped in and the whole complexion of the race changed.

It might have been the difference of me ending the week in front or behind. :mad:
 
Desert Orchid said:
He's operating at 20%+ for four of his top five employers. Can't be that bad. I always see him as a plus.

Watching live, I thought he'd got it wrong but the replay showed the horse couldn't quicken with the others when it mattered.
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Maybe you should watch more races.:rolleyes:
 
Some great calls from the assembled company during the week and hats off to them. Well done to everyone who finished on the right side over the week. I didn’t :surrender:

PS: what happened to Godolphin and the Appleby horses? Not a winner, must be something amis.
 
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Yeah, strange that one.

Thinking back, I didn't back too many of them during the week so maybe they didn't really have strong chances.

How many beaten favourites did they have?

And I think I only backed one or two in the handicaps and in some of the handicaps they were conspicuous by their absence.

I haven't done any totting up yet but I'm pretty sure I ended the week down. Lion Of War (unlucky in running) and Run For Oscar (poor ride?) in the final two races could have turned that around.
 
I noted early on about the Appleby horses. He’s had winners over the last fortnight but only minor ones and it’s unlike him to come to RA and go away empty handed. SbS withdrew something because it was coughing so I’m wondering if that was the case.

I finished in profit...only £70 or so but my stakes are small, I can get carried away and back 3-4 in a race and without Khaadem, I wouldn’t have done. That said I thought it was an excellent week (it’s always helped by having winners....I had 13 so of course I was happy) but there were some nice stories...Shaquille, Hollie, a Royal winner....even the Iti winning the GC. Some obvious disappointments....for me American Rascal and Al Asifah, both of whom looked special but their bubbles were well and truly burst.
 
Yep,the 4 winners elsewhere were 1-3,1-6,4-9 and 5/4. which suggests the stable's not up to snuff and worth swerving for the meanwhile.
 
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Mostahdaf has been raised to 128, which is the mark I had it on going into the POW last week.

FWIW, I think my new mark for it will be 131+ but I haven't finalised that mark yet.

Pyledriver stays on 124 but punters seem to have overlooked the fact that he was 8lbs clear on ORs (7 if you take Free Wind's gender allowance into account) after Hukum came out so their respective odds were a bit of a head scratcher [for me].

I'll go through the other winner during the course of the day and highlight other changes that catch my eye.

It was genuinely high class racing through the week and I expect the form to be franked right left and centre in the coming months, perhaps, as with the London Gold Cup, not immediately, since many will need time to get over their exertions.
 
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New ratings (UK 3yo+)

Triple Time 121 (+14)
Bradsell 119 (+7)
AHWNN 101 (+5)
Royal Champion 116 (+5)
Rogue Millennium 109 (=)
Jimi Hendrix 111 (+8)
Gregory 111 (+1)
Desert Hero 102 (+8)
Courage Mon Ami 118 (+12)
Docklands 104 (+10)
Waipiro 110 (+3)
Witch Hunter 108 (+5)
Shaquille 117 (+6)
Coppice 105 (+8)
King Of Steel 120 (=)
Rhythm N Hooves 96 (+9)
Khaadem 117 (+9)
Saint Lawrence 106 (+6)
Burdett Road 98 (+8)
 
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