Sea The Stars - Retirement Announced

you are right about the soft in Ireland..but that is the race we want isn't it?...being selfish now of course :p

we need those two in a race together before the end of the season...racing needs it in fact
 
EC1 said:
STS won't run at York imo..weather forecast is poor and it only needs someone to pee on the Knavesmire and its a bog

Oxx says he doesn't really favour good to soft ground..never mind soft..so his chance of running is miniscule

I hope they both run in the Irish Champion..a far better outcome for us than him running Tuesday

bring on the rain and force Oxx's hand imo
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Hopefully the couple or three million quid they spent on the course means it can take a piss now, maybe even two.

With luck we can miss the worst of the heavy showers over the next few days and they can leave soft out of the going description.
 
I reckon the prospect of STS coming to York would be enough to prevent them watering, which is only fair on proper fast ground horses. And let's face it, it could easily rain anyway.
 
No chance he'll water before the meeting with Oxx making the threats that he is. May well do later in the week 'to maintain' if nothing comes naturally I'd speculate.
 
I think it will be closer than people think....of the top Ballydoyle three year old colts I think Mastercraftsman has the best chance of beating STS over 10 furlongs. The track should suit his style ideally and if it is true that STS has been idling in front in all these Group 1 races, that will give Mastercraftsman a chance to get into the battle he enjoys.....

I think Ballydoyle will make this into an absolute war of a race - the type of race Mastercraftsman (who will be absolutely trained to the tee for this) enjoys but also they will have it in their mind that another tough race here for STS could do them favours in future races at the Arc and the Breeders Cup.

Sea The Stars is by far a worthy favourite and by far the likeliest winner, but I think Mastercraftsman will put it up to him by rolling along on the pace at York.
 
I suspect that a horse like Mastercraftsman that might actually be able to give STS a proper lead - until now STS has found himself in the front with very little effort might well lead to an even more impressive STS run than ever .
 
It will be something to see Mastercraftman set sail for home to be joined by STS and a ding dong to the line. Backed Mastercraftman but as long as we get a good race I would love STS to win..... money won takes a back seat for me on these races.

Probably why I am a loser long term!!
 
Bar the Bull said:
I too feel that MCM would beat Fame and Glory over 10f, and is therefore Ballydoyle's best hope of beating Sea the Stars this year.
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I think Ballydoyle's best hope of beating him over 10f has already tried and failed. It's no coincidence Murtagh stuck with Rip Van Winkle as he must be the best horse at home.
 
Aragorn said:
I think Ballydoyle's best hope of beating him over 10f has already tried and failed. It's no coincidence Murtagh stuck with Rip Van Winkle as he must be the best horse at home.
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Rip probably is the better of the pair in terms of brilliance, but I think MCM will see the race out in the last half furlong that bit better that RIP did over 10 furlongs at Sandown.
 
Can't get on the RP at work to check but I always thought MCM had a miler's pedigree (I know he's by danehill dancer but not sure of the Dam and his siblings). I think he is a horse that grinds victories over a mile giving the perception he'll stay a lot further but i'm not convinced. Physically he does looks as though he will though as he is quite tall and Lengthy.
 
Aragorn said:
Can't get on the RP at work to check but I always thought MCM had a miler's pedigree (I know he's by danehill dancer but not sure of the Dam and his siblings). I think he is a horse that grinds victories over a mile giving the perception he'll stay a lot further but i'm not convinced. Physically he does looks as though he will though as he is quite tall and Lengthy.
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From the RP:

Sire: Danehill Dancer (IRE) (8.0f) Dam: Starlight Dreams (USA) Dam's sire: Black Tie Affair (10.5f)

6th foal, quite closely related to smart US turf sprinter Genuine Devotion (by Rock Of Gibraltar), half-brother to Nordhock, 6f winner at 2; dam dual winner over 1m on dirt at 2 in US, half-sister to smart 10f 2yo Matahif, family of Sakhee
 
Dam is Starlight Dreams who is by Black Tie Affair(average winning distance of progeny 10.5f.).

Stralight Dreams hasn't produced anything that's won over further than a mile.
 
There is enough in his pedigree, in his style of racing and in his physical make up that suggests he should get the 10 furlongs well imo.
 
John Oxx has said it is highly unlikely that he'll train on as a 4 year old and that he'll have no reservations in withdrawing Sea The Stars on Sunday/Monday.
 
MCM has been working with Grand Ducal at home and in racecourse gallops. Grand Ducal has been out only once this year, in May, winning a G3, when AOB's horses usually needed their first run. The G3 was over 10f and on heavy ground, when he finished late to take the race on the line. I imagine that is the way he has been working with MCM. Grand Ducal is obviously a good horse, but his career has been 'sacrificed' for the sake of MCM. I think we can take it that MCM gets 10f and gets it very well.
 
Danehill Dancer generally produces 6f-1m horses of great quality and isn't a great stamina influence. Tie that up with his dam's other progeny and it doesn't look a strong case for the defence. His running style and physique suggest he could get it but the dam and her offspring are normally a very good pointer. Questionable he'll get it imo.

Murtagh will strike for home, STS will canter all over him and MCM will fade in the final furlong whilst the champ waltz's home unopposed.

Fair play to O'Brien and Coolmore though. I think many people would try and avoid STS but they always give it a go.
 
Aragorn said:
Danehill Dancer generally produces 6f-1m horses of great quality and isn't a great stamina influence. Tie that up with his dam's other progeny and it doesn't look a strong case for the defence. His running style and physique suggest he could get it but the dam and her offspring are normally a very good pointer. Questionable he'll get it imo.

Murtagh will strike for home, STS will canter all over him and MCM will fade in the final furlong whilst the champ waltz's home unopposed.

Fair play to O'Brien and Coolmore though. I think many people would try and avoid STS but they always give it a go.
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Danehill Dancer is likely to go the same route as his own sire Danehill....starting out producing speed horses but as he covered a better class of mare he started to get classic/middle distance type horses. The likes of Ice Queen got 12 furlongs well for him.

The mare (Starlight Dream) has produced 3 other runners...Genuine Devotion, Famous and Nordhock.

Genuine Devotion (by Rock Of Gibraltar) won over a mile, in fact it is the only trip she has won over. All her over efforts have been in sprinting distances where she has failed.

Famous is a winner over 7 furlongs....a full sister to Mastercraftsman.

Nordhock by a sprinting American stallion, has just raced a handful of times over sprint distances.

Starlight Dream herself only ran a handful of times in America winning at a at a mile twice as a year old and then did nothing at three when dropped down in trip. Starlight Dream is by a sire who generally gets 10 furlong type animals. So his dam won over a mile at two, Mastercraftsman himself won over 7 furlongs in barely raceable ground at 2 as well. On decent ground he could have got a mile last year so I do not have that many worries about him over 10 furlongs.
 
davidjohnson said:
No chance he'll water before the meeting with Oxx making the threats that he is. May well do later in the week 'to maintain' if nothing comes naturally I'd speculate.
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from RP

Conditions at York continue to dry out ahead of the Ebor Festival - with officials not ruling out the possibility of watering ahead of the big kick-off on Tuesday.

on past form that means it will get flooded
 
Tricky situation for W. Derby and his team. Obviously wants STS to run but Sariska's connections won't if its too firm and we might not get any significant rainfall between now and next week. (Cue thunder sound effects and the sound of water lashing the windows).

I am not qualified enough on going descriptions to have an opinion but I walked on the track near the home bend and 6/7f shute after work on thurs evening and it looked green and grassy to me!
 
maybe they should get the next two meetings worth of horses scheduled to run at Bath to run at York instead next week..those horses seem special..they can run on unwatered ground :rolleyes:
 
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