Latest news with #NewmarketClassic
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Hotazhell can edge out Field of Gold in intriguing Irish 2,000 Guineas
Field Of Gold, favourite for Saturday's Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh, poses a fascinating 'back-or-oppose' puzzle for punters after his fast-finishing second behind Ruling Court in the English equivalent this month. Kieran Shoemark, the colt's rider in the Newmarket Classic, lost his job as John and Thady Gosden's stable jockey after what was seen by many as an unlucky defeat on the Rowley Mile. Colin Keane, Ireland's champion in six of the last eight seasons, will be holding the reins when Field Of Gold sets off at around even-money in an attempt to emulate his sire, Kingman, who won the Irish 2,000 in 2014 after finishing second at Newmarket a few weeks earlier. Advertisement While it is easy to blame a jockey for a fast-finishing defeat, though, it is rarely that simple and in the context of Saturday's Classic, the Newmarket form feels suspect. Several very obvious candidates from 2024's juvenile crop were missing from the lineup, the early pace was slow and the winner's timefigure was well below average for a Classic. Saturday's field, in fact, could prove to have more strength in depth than Field Of Gold faced last time, and while the unbeaten Cosmic Year, another runner for the Juddmonte operation, has obvious claims, the pick of the prices may be Hotazhell (3.40) at around 8-1. Jessica Harrington's colt edged out Delacroix, a leading ante-post fancy for the Derby, in last season's Group One Futurity Trophy on heavy ground at Doncaster but has strong form – including a Group Two win over Saturday's track and trip – on better ground too. Haydock 1.15: The four-year-old Candonomore already looks more consistent than he did last year – he was gelded over the winter – and a 4lb rise after he completed a quick double for the season at Leicester this month is largely accounted for by Amie Waugh's 3lb claim. Goodwood 1.30: Tuco Salamanca, a 12-1 shot in early betting, made a very satisfactory return to turf at Ascot this month, posting a useful time in the process. Advertisement Haydock 1.50: The form of King Casper's three-length defeat of Transparent at Newmarket last time is the strongest on offer in what is always a useful three-year-old handicap. Beverley 2.10: Ali Shuffle, the likely favourite, remains unbeaten, had the ideal draw at Chester last time and may face a different calibre of opponent here. Angel Numbers, a smooth winner on debut at Chepstow 11 days ago, is speedily bred and has obvious scope for progress. Haydock 2.25: An ideal eight runners for each-way purposes and Tasmania is an interesting option. Sir Mark Prescott ran her in Group One company for her stable debut last summer and she remains a blank canvas for her new trainer, as today's race will be only her fourth since finishing third in the French Oaks in June 2023. Beverley 2.45: Three of the six runners were winners on debut last time while Andrew Balding's Old Is Gold was only third at Ascot this month, but he shaped very well in defeat behind Military Code, the second-favourite for the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot next month. Advertisement Haydock 1.15 Candonomore 1.50 King Casper (nb) 2.25 Tasmania 3.00 Powerful Glory 3.30 Rumstar (nap) 4.10 Maelstrom 4.40 Gibside. Goodwood 1.30 Tuco Salamanca 2.05 Amiloc 2.35 Blue Nguru 3.15 Perfect Your Craft 3.45 French Master 4.20 Empress Of All 4.55 Walnut. Beverley 1.35 Tarriance 2.10 Artista 2.45 Old Is Gold 3.20 Spring Chorus 3.55 Diligent Resdev 4.25 Dandy's Angel 5.00 Light Up Our Stars. Catterick Bridge 1.40 Highfield Sunshine 2.15 Hype Merchant 2.50 Captain Potter 3.35 Reservardo 4.05 Between The Sticks 4.35 Synergism 5.13 Beauzon. Cartmel 4.00 D Day Arvalenreeva 4.30 Getaway Vic 5.05 Mermaids Cave 5.38 Fairlawn Flyer 6.08 Hurricane Ali 6.38 Big Bee Hive 7.08 Toombridge. Advertisement Salisbury 4.45 Ardisia 5.20 Billy Mill 5.50 Stanhope Gardens 6.20 Realign 6.50 Jasour 7.20 Kosometsuke 7.50 Babylon 8.20 Marioento. Windsor 5.30 Al Waseela 6.00 Angel Of Anfield 6.30 Little Saver 7.00 Dream Out Loud 7.35 Strike 8.05 Phaedra 8.35 Serenity Dream. Haydock 3.00: Symbol Of Honour is an obvious market leader on his win at Newbury last weekend but this is a quick turnaround. Powerful Glory, last year's Mill Reef Stakes winner, could take advantage. Goodwood 3.10: Several promising three-year-old fillies in opposition and the once-raced novice stakes winner Perfect Your Craft could emerge as the pick of them. Haydock 3.30: Rumstar returned with a career-best at Newmarket this month with four of today's opponents behind him and looks the type to improve through the sprinting ranks as the season develops.
Daily Mirror
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Basher Watts on racing obsession as he backs top jockey after brutal snub
Basher Watts Racing-owned She's Perfect will renew rivalry with favourite Zarigana in the Group One Emirates Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French 1,000 Guineas) on Sunday A social media influencer lifted the lid on his racing obsession as he prepares to take on some of the biggest names in the sport. Basher Watts will see his syndicate horse She's Perfect line up in the Group One Emirates Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French 1,000 Guineas) on Sunday. The Charlie Fellowes-trained filly will be ridden by Kieran Shoemark, just days after he lost the number one job at John and Thady Gosden's Newmarket stable. Watts, who operates his racing club under his nickname, said "one man's loss is another's gain" when signing the rider up earlier this week. 'Kieran has done so much for us as a syndicate and it is the cherry on top of a special weekend for us to have him on board her," he said via Racing TV. 'There's so many possible fairytale stories for us on Sunday and Charlie has never won a Group One before, it will be my first-ever Group One runner with just the second horse I've had and Kieran has obviously had a bit of a rough week, so it could be huge for everyone – we're nervous but also very excited.' Previously on the channel, Watts lifted the lid on his racing obsession in an interview with top broadcaster Nick Luck, explaining how it started when he picked out a 16-1 winner of the 1,000 Guineas. At the same Newmarket Classic fixture, then 16-year-old Watts saw superstar Frankel annihilate the 2,000 Guineas field with Tom Queally aboard. From Norfolk, he began shooting clips of his experiences at the races and sharing them on social media two years ago, building up contacts who wanted to join the launch of the Basher Watts Racing club. "For me it's the best sport in the world," he said. "If you're a massive football fan, the furthest you can really go is being a season ticket holder. You can be a racing fan and stood next to the Godolphins or the Ballydoyles as an owner. He added: "The beautiful thing about my syndicate is 80 per cent of people are having their first experience of owning a horse." A group of 22 racing fans went to Longchamp to cheer on Shoemark and She's Perfect in their Group Three Guineas trial, where she only just came up short against big race favourite Zarigana. Club members call the horse 'Sue' and she has her next start in loftier company still, just 366 days after they bought her. "In a time in my life where I lost my best friend, she has been my light. To have a Group runner was a distant dream I never thought I'd achieve," Watts added on social media. "This is all about the horse, Sue is very special and I feel extremely proud and grateful to be able to share her journey. We have a runner in the Guineas, that just doesn't feel real."
Daily Mirror
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Aidan O'Brien suffers major 2,000 Guineas blow as leading fancy 'unlikely' to run
The Ballydoyle trainer had named Twain as his main hope of capturing the first British Classic of the Flat season but the colt has delivered an unsatisfactory scope Aidan O'Brien's challenge for the 2,000 Guineas has suffered a huge blow after his leading hope Twain was declared a major doubt on Tuesday. Two weeks ago Twain was favourite for the Newmarket Classic after the Ballydoyle trainer signalled the colt had become his number one hope for Saturday's big race over stablemate Expanded. Underlining his potential, O'Brien asserted, 'Twain is the Group 1 winner, so if the two are going well at the time we might let Expanded go to the Curragh on the Monday after because he's not a Group 1 winner so he could start in the Irish 2,000 Guineas Trial. 'It was probably impossible what we asked Twain to do last year. He won his maiden then five or six days later we brought him back to France for a Group 1. He was very green in France but still won very nicely." However he is set to rearrange his team after a statement posted by Coolmore revealed that all was not hundred percent with Twain, whose position at the head of the betting has since been taken by Craven Stakes winner Field Of Gold. A statement on owners Coolmore's X page read: 'Following his work this morning, Twain didn't scope 100% so is unlikely to run in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket and may now be aimed at the Irish 2,000 Guineas instead. "Expanded is likely to be Ballydoyle's only runner in the 2,000 Guineas on Saturday.' Expanded has raced twice, winning a Curragh maiden in October last year before finishing second to Godolphin's Shadow Of Light in the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes. Twain had been the general second favourite behind John and Thady Gosden's Field Of Gold with Betfred. They have cut the Craven winner to 7-4 while Expanded assumed Twain's position as chief market rival on 5-1 with the same firm. The pair are the same odds with Ladbrokes and Coral, whose spokesman David Stevens said: "Although Twain had been displaced as Guineas favourite by the Craven winner, Field Of Gold, Aidan O'Brien's charge was clear second best in the market, so his potential absence from Saturday's race has shaken up the betting, and left Field Of Gold as an even firmer favourite."
