Latest news with #MATTCHAPMAN
Scottish Sun
31-07-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
My headline 11-2 tip can pull off a famous Glorious Goodwood double in the big sprint on Friday
Read on for our man-in-the-know's selections MATT CHAPMAN My headline 11-2 tip can pull off a famous Glorious Goodwood double in the big sprint on Friday Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) FIRST came Evs and now there's Mojo as trainer Mick Appleby tries to make it 'Big' in the feature sprint on day four of Glorious Goodwood. Twelve months ago it was Big Evs who took the King George Qatar Stakes for Appleby and Tom Marquand. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Big Mojo could prove unstoppable in what is sure to be a rapid King George sprint at Goodwood Credit: Alamy On Friday afternoon, live on ITV, the pair are at it again with BIG MOJO and have every chance of pulling off a famous double. This season the crack juvenile has been second in the July Cup and seventh in the Commonwealth Cup. Both of those are over 6f, and I suspect he will love dropping back to 5f. Has a big mojo of a chance. Opposition is headed by last year's runner-up Asfoora who challenges from Australia as well as Khaadem, who blew away cobwebs at Newbury the other day. He won this in 2022 from Appleby's Raasel! The action starts with a unique handicap over an extended 2m4f. One-time St Leger hope ALIGN THE STARS might cause a ripple for Charlie Johnston and Christophe Soumillon. A seventh in the Ascot Stakes at Royal Ascot wasn't a bad performance suggesting this trip is not totally out of his compass and his fifth at Newmarket last time wasn't too bad. He's down another pound now and I'm not sure this is the strongest renewal of all time. An each-way chance. The Group 3 Thoroughbred Stakes is for three-year-olds over 1m and Opera Ballo was my pick here but I'll go for DIEGO VENTURA now given form on what is sure to be sodden ground. Another handicap in the Golden Mile over, you've guessed it, 1m. BOPEDRO was fifth in this last year off 96 and hasn't won a race since yet goes in now off 98. All in all he's a badly handicapped horse especially at the age of nine. That all said, Hector Crouch can have fun with this ride as there is no pressure from a horrible draw in stall 16. The old boy will be dropped out and ridden cold and try and fly home late. I'll chance a few quid each-way. Trainer David O'Meara is great in these races and ground conditions are not issue. Finally on ITV a conditions race over 1m1f. LIBERTY LANE has to give some weight away but will probably take all the beating for Clifford Lee and Karl Burke. My hope flopped at Royal Ascot in the Wolferton over a bit further, but he scored well at this track the time before and this level should be well within his reach. When he's on a going day he's quite a decent horse. Good luck! FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chases their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed Gamcare – Gamble Aware – Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
Scottish Sun
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Field Of Gold, Los Angeles, More Thunder – Horses don't win for lots of reasons and I'll always say it as I see it
It's a lot more nuanced than it seems MATT CHAPMAN Field Of Gold, Los Angeles, More Thunder – Horses don't win for lots of reasons and I'll always say it as I see it Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) ON Monday there was yet another article in horse racing's trade newspaper calling on TV pundits to call out more so-called bad rides. The hypocrisy is quite something. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Field Of Gold has looked sensational since his 2000 Guineas defeat Credit: PA It comes on the back of ITV's Johnny Murtagh very much questioning the ride of subsequent Royal Ascot winner Havana Hurricane in a juvenile race at Epsom on Derby Day. Oh well. This kind of article is what is called clickbait. You write something you know people will like without putting much thought into the topic. It's 'lowest common denominator journalism'. In some ways I'm doing the same here! I know people will loath what I'm penning and will just say I'm typical of the problem. You just have to smile. I am, though, in a pretty good position to discuss the topic. It's rare I analyse rides in great depth in my current roles. But ten years ago it was just about all I did. Then, almost all my work was studio-based - rather than reporting and interviewing - and every day my job was to dissect races. This latest article in the trade paper once again harked back to Field Of Gold and the 2000 Guineas. And it compared racing analysis with that in football. At the essence of why these articles are merely clickbait is the writer is basically saying: "I think so and so was a bad ride so you should as well. And if you don't you are wrong." What, of course, everyone should actually want is a TV presenter who says what they believe, rather than what someone thinks they should believe. It all goes further than that, however, and the root issue is: What is a bad ride? Is a bad ride simply one that most feel should have won, for instance? Of course not. Horses don't win for lots of reasons. A rider can just be unlucky, time their run a second or a few strides too late or miss the break. Are they bad rides? In footballing terms, calling out every horse who should have done better would be like saying every pass that doesn't go direct to another player is a bad pass. A football commentator would spend 90 minutes stating the same thing over and over. In this case it was Field Of Gold again. A defeat which can be explained for many totally sensible reasons for all that another day the horse would clearly have won. Oddly, the writer said nothing about White Birch in the Tattersalls Gold Cup, or Los Angeles in the Prince of Wales's Stakes, or More Thunder in the Wokingham. Or the countless other losers I could mention. Were they all bad rides, or unlucky? Or did they suffer defeat due to something else? Should a TV presenter have gone mad about those as well? And why hasn't the trade paper written article after article about them? After all, it's that publication that is calling for more to be said. It seems to pick its targets very carefully. If a footballer scores a penalty - top left-hand corner - that is impossible to save, we would surely all agree it's a good penalty? In contrast, if a goalkeeper stands still and the penalty taker just scoops it into their hands, I would presume we would all agree that was a bad penalty? But, in the first scenario, at what stage as that ball gets closer to the fingertips of a goalkeeper does it become a bad penalty? There are many degrees along the scale from good to bad with plenty of reasoning in between. As a pundit I have always just said what I see. That's what I think all pundits should do. And if that is not what social media or certain journalists agree with, then so be it. But that's being real to a viewer. It's many times more honest than just reacting to what the masses feel. For me a truly bad ride is one where a horse never seems to have been put into a race. One where a jockey drops their hands for a place. One where a rider clearly goes off too fast. And yes, sometimes, when a horse should have won that didn't - and I can't think of any reasons why what happened took place. Not every losing ride on a horse that probably should have won is a bad ride. If that's what you want from TV pundits then good luck to you. The sport is a little more complicated than that. And that's the beauty of it all. FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chases their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed Gamcare – Gamble Aware – Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
Scottish Sun
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
I'm supremely confident my big Royal Ascot tip on Friday will be far too good for his rivals
It's hotting up on and off the track now MATT CHAPMAN I'm supremely confident my big Royal Ascot tip on Friday will be far too good for his rivals Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) OUT of the shadows and into the limelight — that's what I'm expecting for last season's champion juvenile at Ascot on Friday. We've made it to Day Four of the Royal meeting, and SHADOW OF LIGHT (3.05) — last season's Group 1 Middle Park and Dewhurst hero — drops back in trip for the Commonwealth Cup. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Is Shadow Of Light a bit of a good thing in what would normally be a hugely competitive Commonwealth? Credit: PA Like many, I suspect he will take all the beating after his comeback third to stable companion Ruling Court and Field Of Gold in the 2,000 Guineas. Shadow Of Light might well have won that race if he had been delivered a little later, but whatever the case, the drop to 6f should be exactly what he will enjoy and I just think he will be far too good. I'm happy with stall 19, so come on, William Buick. GOLD DIGGER (2.30) can get the day off to a flyer in the Albany Stakes. She looked special on debut at Yarmouth and it would be a famous winner here for Phil Cunningham and Richard Spencer. I was there that day, and many thought Awaken would take all the beating for George Boughey. She ran well, but was no match for Gold Digger, a Starman offspring who cost 260,000gns at the Craven Breeze-Up sale. She stays well and will be well suited to a Jamie Spencer special from off the pace. Stall 14 should not be an issue. ETHICAL DIAMOND (3.40) was fourth in the Duke Of Edinburgh last year when the 7-4 favourite. But he was out in stall 18 that day and get a much handier box in stall seven this time. The Willie Mullins challenger will hopefully be a stronger horse this time as he just weakened late on in 2024 and I suspect he will take all the stopping under Ryan Moore. He was a fine fourth at Cheltenham in the County Hurdle. For many the big one of the day is the Group 1 Coronation Stakes. We get the chance to see what might be a monster in FALAKEYAH (4.20) and her draw (stall two) has worked in her favour. Owen Burrows was considering the French Oaks after her demolition job in the Pretty Polly but also the Irish 1,000 Guineas. I'm pretty sure she has the speed for this test. She should be improving all the time as had only been to Wolverhampton prior to her Newmarket victory. She looks an absolute tank. Jim Crowley takes the mount. NEVER LET GO (5.00) is the one for me in the Sandringham. A strong gallop will be ideal for her and she has plenty of experience for Ed Walker. Many in this race are stepping up in trip, but Never Let Go drops in distance and looks sure to be suited by a proper gallop. Kieran Shoemark would not usually want to get down to a weight of 8st10lbs every day but he might just be rewarded here for making the effort. She's up in the handicap for a Listed third when last seen but as a lightly-raced animal I'm not too fussed about that. An each-way wager. Amiloc could easily win the King Edwards VII Stakes - also known as the Ascot Derby. But ZAHRANN (5.35) might just be one of the best Johnny Murtagh has trained in his career. The Aga Khan-owned colt and son of Night of Thunder was impressive in Listed company at Leopardstown last time and stayed this trip very well. He was well backed and it looked as though the stable knew he's classy. I'll chance him each-way. The day closes with JORGE ALVARES (6.10) in the Palace of Holyroodhouse Handicap. A lot of very fast horses here and I suspect something will come flying through late. He could be the one each-way for Colin Keane and Ger Lyons. The gelding has plenty of experience and ran really well when last seen at Curragh staying on strongly having been close to the pace. He's up 1lb here but that shouldn't make any difference and he's raced up to seven furlongs so that bit of stamina could be useful. Good luck one and all. Yeeehaaa! FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chases their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed Gamcare – Gamble Aware – Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
