Brilliancy in Sport, Your favourite moments

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#221
All Happy Days at Chez system7. I bought my neighbour a £10 ticket on Supremacy (win) and Tactical (ew) in the Middle Park because she asked for a tip:

UK & Ireland Results - Horse Racing - BBC Sport

She gets £37.50 back and my reputation is intact. I was on it myself, too. 😀

Big one next weekend is the Prix de L'arc de Triomphe. Biggest race in the Wold:

4:00 Longchamp (FR) | Standard Racecard | 4 October 2020 | Racing Post

Tough one to call. Might look for a 1-2-3-4 place at good odds. More my sort of races coming up at Ascot. A few of me good little earners running.

The cricket is looking difficult for Somerset on the last day against Essex. Lot to do and not much time. Gloomy weather might help the bowlers though.
 
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#222
Today, if you didn't know was International Podcast Day. This is like having a 1000 stations on your Radio, in which you can just pick out the best. I went for the Botham-Richards Trophy which is the new name for England versus the West Indies Series at Cricket:

BBC Radio 5 live - Test Match Special, Richards and Botham: rivalry and friendship

I knew both these Somerset players like the back of my hand. Cricket is brutal, a game for heroes. I had to laugh when Beefy referred to Sir Viv as "Smokey". Are you allowed to do that any more? Between real friends, I think so.

Sir Viv was slightly aggrieved that his seniority didn't get his name first, but let it go. 🙂

Anyhoo, The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe Horse-Race is looking very exciting. The ground seems to have turned into a bog:

Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe 2020 ante-post betting odds and news

Enable — 13/8
Love — 11/4
Stradivarius — 15/2
Sottsass — 10/1
In Swoop — 12/1
Mogul — 12/1
Raabihah — 16/1
Persian King — 16/1
Serpentine — 16/1
Japan — 25/1
Deirdre — 50/1
Gold Trip — 50/1
Way To Paris — 50/1
Sovereign — 66/1
Chachnak — 66/1
Royal Julius — 66/1
Click to expand...

So many good ones there. I won't be putting the big bucks on this one. There's nothing in it. 😀
 
#224
Shocking news for Paris Longchamp on Sunday.

Predicted going is Heavy, meaning the track will be a bog, Sottsass is coming in, because it does well on soft ground. Love has been pulled out of the Arc because it doesn't. Racecard | 15:05 Qatar Prix de l'''Arc de Triomphe - Group 1 | ParisLongchamp (FR) | Sky Sports Horse Racing

Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe 2020 odds and declared runners

Enable — 5/4
Stradivarius — 13/2
Sottsass — 8/1
In Swoop — 9/1
Mogul — 11/1
Raabihah — 12/1
Persian King — 12/1
Serpentine — 12/1
Japan — 14/1
Way To Paris — 25/1
Gold Trip — 33/1
Deirdre — 50/1
Chachnak — 66/1
Royal Julius — 66/1
Sovereign — 66/1
Click to expand...

Battaash has been pulled out of the sprint too: Racecard | 16:25 Prix de L'''Abbaye de Longchamp Longines - Group 1 | ParisLongchamp (FR) | Sky Sports Horse Racing

The other top race is: Racecard | 16:55 Qatar Prix de la Foret - Group 1 | ParisLongchamp (FR) | Sky Sports Horse Racing.

Fascinating stuff. I think I shall take Stradivarius for the Win because it's a tough old stayer and Sovereign EW because it's got a chance, Glass Slippers and Earthlight. All good nags. But just a punt really. What do you think?
 
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#225
The Prix de l'Arc is getting intense!

A drug scandal looms over this Horse-race! Can you spot the affected horses? 😱

Enable — 5/4
Stradivarius — 13/2
Sottsass — 8/1
In Swoop — 9/1
Mogul — 11/1
Raabihah — 12/1
Persian King — 12/1
Serpentine — 12/1
Japan — 14/1
Way To Paris — 25/1
Gold Trip — 33/1
Deirdre — 50/1
Chachnak — 66/1
Royal Julius — 66/1
Sovereign — 66/1
Click to expand...

I thought horses ate grass and oats and drank water. Apparently not in Aidan O'Brien's stable. Gala Equine Nutrition have advised Aidan that some of their feed (mysteriously) has become contaminated with a banned substance called, er, Zilpaterol. Something the French test for, but we don't. 😕

He could be in deep trouble here. The field might shrink dramatically by Sunday.
 
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#228
I have to admit that Aidan O'Brien did nothing Sinister in the drug-infested Prix de l'Arc yesterday. A seriously boggy and heavy weekend at Paris Longchamp in October. The reason he entered Serpentine and Sovereign was just to keep the gallop pace up.

I can only blame myself for a minor disaster. 😱

Sottsass wins Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe as Enable fades – as it happened | Sport | The Guardian

Everything I touched went into second-place by a neck, or just fell outside an EW result. Far too cautious. Happily I won huge on Saturday at Newmarket. So well ahead. Again. 🙂
 
#229
Paris Longchamp was a quagmire. But every serious Horse-trainer knows it is about NEXT weekend! 😀

Two huge upcoming races at Newmarket:

Friday for the Fillies: Racecard | 15:35 bet365 Fillies''' Mile (Group 1) | Newmarket | Sky Sports Horse Racing

Saturday for the Colts and Fillies: Racecard | 14:55 Darley Dewhurst Stakes (Group 1) | Newmarket | Sky Sports Horse Racing

Both worth about £220,000 to a mere 2-y-o horse. And remember these nags will be in the Classic Derby and Oaks and 1000 and 2000 Guineas next year. What do you fancy? I am excited to study the form. 🙂
 
#230
Got me nags sorted out for tomorrow at Newmarket!

13.50 First Edition EW.
14.25 Saffron Beach.
15.35 Famous Fillies Mile: Isabella Giles.

Nothing I can't afford. Undecided about the Famous Darley Dewhurst on Saturday in the 14.55. We shall see. 🙂
 
#231
Not the worst day of my life. But I have had better. 🙂

13.50 First Edition EW.
14.25 Saffron Beach.
15.35 Famous Fillies Mile: Isabella Giles.
Click to expand...

I shall never bet on one of Clive Cox's 2-y-o unfailingly. First Edition has let me down twice on the trot. Happily Saffron Beach came in at 9/4. I actually ducked Isabella Giles because Shale was offered at 5-1.

But a complete waste of my time. Pretty Gorgeous romped it:

UK & Ireland Results - Horse Racing - BBC Sport

Still, more good races tomorrow.

UK & Ireland Results - Horse Racing - BBC Sport

I am on Alkumait.
 
#232
Sophie, at my local Grocery store is one for the nags. 😀

We were lamenting Enable's poor performance in the bog of Paris Lognchamp.
Full Result | 15:05 Qatar Prix de l'''Arc de Triomphe - Group 1 | ParisLongchamp (FR) | Sky Sports Horse Racing

One of those things, IMO. 😱

Rarely do I bet 4 on a card and come up with nothing. But it was OK because Friday was a huge winner.

I am feeling increasingly confident about my second choice, after Alkumait at Newmarket, at York on Saturday:

Racecard | 14:00 coral.co.uk Rockingham Stakes (Listed) | York | Sky Sports Horse Racing

Winter Power broke my heart today in beating First Edition. But Ben Macdui has beaten this nag. 😀
 
#233
I am already studying the card at Ascot next weekend!

Racecard | 13:20 Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Series) | Ascot | Sky Sports Horse Racing

What a brilliant weekend for the nags! 😀

Enable, Love, Stradivarius, Kameko, Magical are all running. The best weekend in the British Sporting calender, TBH, horse-racing is terribly inbred. Most of the nags are descended from Galileo. Nothing in it, IMO.

But we look for a bit of fun. I am not going to bet huge on the first five races. But the fields are huge as you might expect from the huge money involved. . We can dump the 6th Race, BTW. Never bet on handicaps or favourites.

My yardstick in the sprints is always Battaash:

Battaash (IRE) | Horse Profile | Sky Sports Horse Racing.

Anything that can live with this fast 4-legged monster gets my respect.
 
#234
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#235
#236
Saturday's runners to watch out for

All times BST

13:20 Long Distance Cup, two miles - Triple Ascot Gold Cup winner Stradivarius could kick off a big day for trainer John Gosden, although Dermot Weld sends over Irish St Leger winner Search For a Song.

Fujaira Prince and Sovereign for me.

13:55 Champions Sprint Stakes, six furlongs - Oisin Murphy, on track to be champion jockey for the second consecutive year, rides Dream Of Dreams. Murphy has been allowed to continue riding while he awaits the B sample result after testing positive for cocaine. He denies ever taking the drug.

Struggling with this one. Art Power has the sort of 10-1 odds I like.

14:30 Fillies and Mares Stakes, one mile and two furlongs - Hollie Doyle seeks her first top-level Group One win on Dame Malliot after breaking her own record on Wednesday for winners ridden in a year by a woman. Victory would be an emotional swansong for trainer Ed Vaughan, who is giving up his licence.

Hollie Doyle is due a Group One win. Dame Malliot it is.

15:05 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, one mile - The unbeaten Palace Pier, currently rated the second best racehorse in the world behind Ghaiyyath, runs for Gosden.

A monster race. I am on Nazeef because it has been my best earner this year.

15:40 Champion Stakes, one mile and two furlongs - Magical is likely to be sent off favourite and the five-year-old, who had seemed set for retirement a year ago, could still run in the Breeders' Cup meeting in the United States three weeks later.

Another superb field. Pyledriver and Lord North look like good odds.

16:15 Balmoral Handicap, one mile - Raeeq and Tempus are among the leading contenders in the concluding race.

Never bet on handicaps. You might as well stick a pin on a horse. But if you twist my arm, Tempus is a good nag.
Click to expand...

British Champions Day: Magical, Serpentine, Palace Pier & Stradivarius to run at Ascot - BBC Sport

The Racecard so far, and this is provisional until Saturday and my copy of the Sun newspaper comesl

Racecard | 13:20 Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup (Group 2) | Ascot | Sky Sports Horse Racing
 
#237
All went a bit wrong today. What we call a busted flush.

Racecard | 13:20 Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup (Group 2) | Ascot | Sky Sports Horse Racing

But I showed commendable restraint and only put a tenner on five nags. And ducked the handicap. Hollie Doyle finally landed a Group One winner. 2 wins and two seconds isn't a bad days work. 😎

The old fiddle Stradivarius had a stinker. But quite honestly, all the winners were unfamiliar to me. Though I really should have spotted "Njord". Onto next weekend.
 
#238
My best moment this year came from the Nag that nobody wanted:

PYLEDRIVER - 2020 Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes (G2). Ebor Festival 2020. York, UK. - YouTube

You could have bought this solid horse for a mere £10.000.

Red cap and green shirt. My friends at the local noticed it was second to last halfway through. I was not panicking. Long old race. I told them. Juan Elacano took a huge whack from Pyledriver at 1:40. But Pyledriver found something incredible at 2:40.

But TBH, Pyledriver is not the greatest Horse in the Universe. If you want to move onto Grandmaster level, The Coral Eclipse was a goodie:

ENABLE BEATEN!!! Ghaiyatth wins the GR.1 Coral-Eclipse 2020. UK - YouTube

You could tell the observers were a bit in doubt about Enable.

Happily Ghaiyatth is running next year. More to come from this Nag. I also noticed that Clive Cox ducked the Sprints at Ascot yesterday. Maybe he has a plan for his 2-y-o horses.
 
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