The Oaks & Irish Oaks

Galileo said:
I think today's ride showed just what a liability Spencer is when the pressure is on. For him to allow her to make such a move across the Stoute filly when she was full of running and under control shows just how little he has come on since his Ballydoyle days.
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You want to watch all his rides today ~ barely one of his mounts remained balanced on the track. On Sariska, he seemed to angle her across the field which led to interference. She was beautifully balanced for a big filly and I don't believe she drifted across of her own accord.
 
Galileo said:
I think today's ride showed just what a liability Spencer is when the pressure is on. For him to allow her to make such a move across the Stoute filly when she was full of running and under control shows just how little he has come on since his Ballydoyle days.
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Spot on, if he'd done that in France he'd have been thrown out and the talk would be about what a cock up he'd made.
 
JS isn't a big race jock imo...in ordinary races he can occasionally look brilliant in the way that any average dart player can throw a 180 every now anD then...but the best dart players can throw 180's very frequently

as in most sports consistency is what sets apart the average performer from the best performer
 
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Gareth Flynn said:
I'd find it hard to believe that Sariska and Midday weren't the two best horses, regardless of what went on.
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This is what's wrong with this country.

Transgressions are tolerated in the face of raw ability. In every walk of life.

I reckon in 100 years' time these islands will be a backwater because we tolerate wrong over right.
 
Before my sleepy relapse on the other thread with typing phrases out wrong and posting stuff on the wrong thread....

Whilst calculations today were difficult due to slowly run races, I've got her 3 lengths behind Look Here and about half a length behind Light Shift. There's room for improvement but I can't see her going down in the Ouija Board/Peeping Fawn folklore book.

She'd get bloody battered in the Arc, I think there will be plenty of mug Motivator/Authorized style money keeping the prices of her opponents up with British bookmakers though.
 
Remember that Peeping Fawn was still fairly modest at this stage; Sariska is the only one in the Oaks field to have scope to improve into a genuinely top class performer.
 
Fair point Rory, I just think that whilst Michael Bell is a decent trainer, he isn't in AOB's league who's training of Peeping Fawn that year was bloody amazing and he basically repeated it with Halfway to Heaven to a certain extent. Granted, he ruined them both long-term racing wise but I don't think Ballydoyle were too arsed about that.
 
Sariska was the total package and there is no substitute for a horse with good breeding, proportion and attitude regardless of their speed. The little 5 minute preview on the BBC with Bell and Sariska was a fine sight and would of swayed many people into betting on her.

I can't wait to see where she will go next gents!
 
I suppose they'll go Irish Oaks - Yorkshire Oaks. Big fat who cares for me unless you backed her. The boys will eat her alive.
 
I think it's a pity that the Spencer knockers can't give it a rest even when he wins a Classic - a lot of the outpourings are really unpleasant Certain jockeys with quiet styles get picked on all the time - e.g. Richards Hughes and Hills - and I am sorry to see that Ryan Moore is now getting a lot of flak.
 
One thing that strikes me nowadays is how everyone goes for home so early at Epsom nowadays .

If you watch the older races Lester in particular ( except say on Teenoso which was a masterpiece of riding ) would deliver their challenges between the 2f and 1f pole . In all the G1's now at Epsom they are all going for home three out.

Yesterday's Oaks was a prime example and is it just me but do jockeys seem to have more trouble keeping horses balanced round Epsom that they used to ? They were rolling all over the place in the Oaks and the CC .
 
Yesterday's Oaks was a prime example and is it just me but do jockeys seem to have more trouble keeping horses balanced round Epsom that they used to ? They were rolling all over the place in the Oaks and the CC .
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I agree it's happening. Having to keep a horse balanced can be at the expense of forward momentum, so jockeys will only correct a horse if they have to, and stewards are not as strict as they used to be.
 
I think they are kicking on early now to ensure that those with stamina doubts do not get home....I think its a good thing.

And if what you say is true (more getting unbalanced than in years gone by) its probably tied in to the kicking on just off the bend and trying to maintain it for three furlongs.
 
Ardross said:
If you watch the older races Lester in particular ( except say on Teenoso which was a masterpiece of riding ) would deliver their challenges between the 2f and 1f pole . In all the G1's now at Epsom they are all going for home three out.
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I'd say that's the case in most races in the modern era. They've proved that horses can run at their peak speed for about two furlongs so they tend to hit that peak about 3f out and hope stamina carries them through the final furlong. When Turftrax put up horse speeds during a race it almost invariably showed that pattern and that almost all horses are slowing down in the last furlong.

I reckon it means horses are having harder races than they once did, which means they have to be harder trained than they once were.
 
I think Harry Wragg said that you were mad to go for home more than 2f out in the Derby ! until Teenoso !
 
True but Manning although he got the horse into terrible trouble delivered New Approach in the Harry Wragg fashion !
 
Going is Yielding To Soft.

Beauty O'Gwaun
Belle Chose
Chirkova
Destined For Fame
Grace O'Malley
Midday
Oh Goodness Me
Roman Empress
Rory Anna
Roses For The Lady
Sariska
The Miniver Rose
 
Sariska readily available at 5/4, which looks a fair enough price to me.

Paddy Power go stand-out 9/2 about Beauty O'Gwaun, which looks a shade too big.
 
Beauty O'Gwaun
Belle Chose
Chirkova
Destined For Fame
Grace O'Malley
Midday
Oh Goodness Me
Roman Empress
Rory Anna
Roses For The Lady
Sariska


The Miniver Rose is the only withdrawal from the 5 days.
 
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