Events / Geoffrey Riddle / 09 July 2009 / 1

A host of Group Twos dominates Thursday's racing at Newmarket. Geoffrey Riddle picked out two winners yesterday including the big-priced Total Gallery, so can he advise you to success today? Email him with your tips, ideas and thoughts on: theriddleratbetfair@gmail.com, or comment below.

5.05pm
Well that's it people. A Frankie double in the final two races. You can imagine that the crowd are ecstatic. A heaving mess of drunken tomfoolery, fuelled by alcohol and winning bets. A wonderful sight. See you tomorrow for the July Cup and Scenic Blast.

4.40pm
I refuse to get all Ed Hawkins and start telling people what cake I'm eating. I'm sorry Janet from Cheam. If you want Victoria Sponge dissection go to the cricket blog. There's a history of it. Remember the great Brian Johnston?

I feel like Arazi, or to those with a shorter memory, Just James. Or for those who don't know what the hell I'm talking about, I'm finishing well. Like a train, you might say. Spring Of Fame's win, along with the lay of Duncan had made it a decent day once more. And there is rain droplets falling now. Big ones. I'm on a roll.

Green Beret was the paper favourite for the lucky last, but Indian Trail, trained by that shrewd handler of sprinters, Dandy Nicholls, has been backed into market leader on Betfair. Janet tipped The Jobber.

But with the draw conundrum being what it is I can't really work it out. I'm going to play the lottery and just pick one. Number seven. Typical. A non-runner. Tony The Tap. Number 16 was my next choice. Danetime Lilly. A dark horse if there ever was one. Over from Ireland, and boasting Ted Durcan. Five wins in 17 starts. Decent price, too. Trading at[17.0] and backed at as big as [25.0].

4.20pm result
1: Spring Of Fame
2: Cloudy Start
3: Loch Linnhe
Woop Woop! It's cake time! Yep, I'm going to get the fattest afternoon tea I can find. I would celebrate with something a bit stronger but I've got to keep a clear head before the lucky last. GODOLPHIN are back in town!!!

Ted Durcan has been banned for four days for his part in the Princess Of Wales's Stakes on Schiaparelli. Martin Dwyer felt the full wrath of the Stewards as well.

The racecourse is absolutely heaving right now and it's getting muggy. I'm no forecaster, but rain is surely likely soon. I was sweating up in the paddock in my 13oz suit as much as Loch Linnhe was it was so muggy.

3.45pm result:
1: Awzaan
2: Amary
3: Sabii Sands
A deeply impressive performance by Awzaan and I believe a first win for Richard Hills during the July meeting. Every horse that lined up had won on their latest start so the form should be pretty strong.

I'm off to the paddock to check out these three-year-olds in the next race, the 4.20pm. I just can't get away from Spring Of Fame though. Cloudy Start just doesn't look in the same class as either Derbaas or the Godolphin runner to me.

What's more, Cloudy Start, Derbaas, and possibly Jonnie Skull all like to force the pace, which could easily set things up for Frankie and his late-closing mount.

Watch out for Loch Linnhe. John Gosden's charge has been heavily backed on Betfair and is very lightly-raced.

Any of you out there who backed Party Politics in the Grand National all those years ago because of the general election will surely be focussing in the chances of Quick Single, what with that small game of cricket going on at the moment in Cardiff?

If you want to know what's going on over there, take a look at Ed Hawkins' blog elsewhere on this website...

3.35pm
'Bing-bong.' The stewards have decided that Schiaparelli's scrimmaging of Alwaary on the stand's side rail in the Princess of Wales's Stakes was deemed enough to cost Alwaary second place. Schiaparelli has been demoted to third, Alwaary promoted to second. Who says Stewards don't do anything...

Kite Wood is trading at [13.0] for the St Leger at Doncaster in September, a price which mirrors a lot of the high street firms.

Simon Crisford, Godolphin's racing manager was not sure if he would be good enough though. "He'll need to improve on that if he is going to win the Leger," he said.

"Kite Wood is still quite babyish. He's very much a horse for next year. First and foremost, he wasn't good enough for the Derby. He was back in right company today, which is why he won."
Crisford outlined the Geoffrey Freer at Newbury in august as the colt's most likely target next time out, although the Great Voltigeur is also a possibility. If he turns up at York, he will most likely run into Tactic and Above Average, who finished second and third behind him.

3.10pm result:
1: Doctor Freemantle
2: Schiaparelli
3: Alwaary
Well it's not a result that I expected, but a winner is a winner. Duncan who? I thought Frankie might take the lead. Surely you've got to be impressed though by how Schiaparelli stayed on though on his first run for Godolphin. If Saeed Bin Suroor was right earlier, and he has plenty of improvement to come, then he could be one hell of a horse for later in the season. The ding-dong has sounded though. Hold on.

2.35pm result:
1: Firebet
2: Roman Republic
3: Class Is Class
There were some big wagers chinned in that one. As stated earlier, Roman Republic and Class Is Class were heavily supported in that heat. It seems that every layer is making money today, bar me. Perhaps I should stick to backing. But I won't.

Duncan is going in the bin for me. Yep, I'm taking on most of Racing Post tipster team, bar the great Seagull and James Willoughby, who, to be fair, are just the pair to have on your side. Tilting at windmills? Maybe.

With Godolphin quite clearly able to win races in their current form, I think Campanologist will force the issue here. I know their second string, Schiaparelli, is not at his peak, but there isn't a horse running today that can boast four Group 1 victories. I know Gladiatorus bombed in similar circumstances, but I'll give it one last try. I'm backing the Boys in Blue.

I've got nothing against Duncan. His form has improved with every run, and his figures have got better and better to back that up. But I just think he is too short. Seagull and Graham Cunningham fancy Enroller, too.

2.20pm"Jealous Again has arrived in Europe but is not in our stables yet. It's early days, but we are thinking of the Nunthorpe for her." So says Simon Crisford, Godolphin's racing manager. That would be an audacious attempt wouldn't it? Lyric Fantasy anyone? For those who don't remember, of have never bothered to look it up, the Richard Hannon-trained filly hacked up in the 1992 Nunthorpe under the feather-weight of 7st 8lbs.

"Due to the generous weight-for-age allowances for juveniles, I would consider Jealous Again about a 3-1 shot for the Nunthorpe," said Tony Coleman, PR man for Paddy Power. He clearly fancied it. His racing trader didn't. "Our man goes 6-1," said Coleman after a phone call.
William Hill, comparatively, couldn't touch the filly with a barge pole. "We make her a 12-1 shot in principle," said the firm's Kate Miller.

Godolphin's new acquisition is not in the Betfair betting yet. But if she is entered into the market, choose your price and take your chance.

2pm result
1: Arcano
2: Orpen Grey
3: Red Jazz
"The July Stakes may be the oldest racecourse in Britain Geoffrey, but you've just fallen for the oldest trick in the book," writes Fran, in an amusing missive. Yep, that's right Fran. Once again, I was bewitched by racecourse performance and not inherent potential, whispered in the the ears of those in the know. I've laid a 7-4 hotpot and backed three others, who finished an annoying second, third, and fourth. If I wasn't typing so quickly, I'd put my hands up to anyone asking for a mug...

2pm
The July Stakes is the oldest two-year-old contest in Britain. Stats amazing, eh? It was first run in 1786. So there you go.

As far as who is going to win it, I can't really work it out. What I am sure of, however, is that Arcano is priced up on hype, and not on racecourse performance. I know you've got to factor in potential. God knows I learnt that lesson with Forgotten Voice in the Royal Hunt Cup. But I think there are several runners with really good chances in this and at [2.95] the Brian Meehan hot-pot looks a lay.

If pushed, I think probably Red Jazz would be the one I would back, but Reignier, Orpen Grey, Nosedive and even Angel's Pursuit have all got rock solid claims. The latter was favourite for the Windsor Castle, which proved to be a funny race, won by another American runner of Wesley Ward.

1.30pm result
1: Kite Wood
2: Tactic
3: Above Average
Well Frankie did that well didn't he? He set a steady pace, and Kite Wood finally proved that he is a decent colt under the Godolphin banner. Apologies if I put any of you off. Dhushan didn't fulfil his customary role as a pacemaker this time, being settled in the rear by Neil Callan. When that happened, I hope some of you traded out. Eek.

1.25pm
Kite Wood was deemed by the Bahrain High Commission, the race sponsors, to be the best turned out in the paddock. He looked a picture, as did Tactic, who sports a white sock on his front right-leg, presumably in deference to the custom made famous by the late Michael Jackson.

Schiaparelli, who runs in the Princess Of Wales's Stakes is considered to be a slow burner according to trainer Saeed Bin Suroor. "It is his first run in England so he's bound to get better." If he runs anything like Gladiatorus did at the Royal Meeting he'll have to...

1pm
On days like today it makes you want to take shares in Monsoon. The high street retailer must be do a roaring trade during the summer months. Maybe the firm is a classic back-to-lay share trade. In February you buy the shares, and when every female racegoer under the sun goes to that shop to buy their frocks for the summer, the price must surely rise. Then in high summer you sell. Laura Stephens, the Stan James PR woman, reckons the crowd is more Coast, but as I've never heard of that shop, I couldn't possibly comment.

Godolphin's Kite Wood is on the drift with the high street layers for the Bahrain Trophy at 1.30pm. It is the same story on Betfair, too, where the three-year-old son of Derby winner Galileo trades at [3.8]. As far as I can work out, the Bahrain Trophy is all about pace. Dhushan and Kite Wood are likely to cut each other's throats up front as both Neil Callan and Frankie Dettori try to force the issue. With Tactic and Free Agent also likely to be pressing hard up front, there could well go along far too fast in this one.

The primary beneficiary of a contest of this nature will be Popmurphy, trained by Karl Burke. Burke has sent out five winners and five placed horses form 27 runners during the last fortnight and Popmurphy's third to Debussy and oaks runner Midday looks pretty useful to me. Sure, Tactic beat him over 2m at Royal Ascot, but this race is likely to be run to suit him better and they run three furlongs shorter today. He's come in, too, from a high of [20.0] to [15.0]. I've chucked a couple of notes at it. Too Much Trouble would also like a strong pace.

12.15pm
The brass band have started tootling away. My knowledge of classical jazz unfortunately doesn't extend to telling you what they are actually playing. Think summer garden party though.

There was a tailwind yesterday that seemed to aid those up with the pace. When I arrived at the track this morning it was still blowing straight up the course, but has died down now. Short of carrying around a wind sock, I can't promise full updates, but I shall try to keep tabs on Zephyrs for you.

The bookies' representatives have been hawking horses that have been backed with their firms. I've linked them to Betfair, and several horses seem to have had their prices shortened on the exchange, too. Tactic in the 1.30pm has been backed with Skybet, and on Betfair it's come down from a high of [7.8] to around [5.4].

For those of you who can't bring yourselves to buy the Racing Post (or pay the ridiculous sum online), the Seagull has swooped from on high and his Pricewise picks for the July Stakes (2.35pm) have been heavily backed with the bookies. Roman Republic was supported early for pittance at double-figures on Betfair, but thousands have been traded at just under [9.0] and the Mark Johnston runner is now trading at around [7.6]. At the time of writing just over £14,000 has been traded on his other selection, Emirates Roadshow, which is now [12.6] from around [17.0]. The other springer in the race is the favourite, Class Is Class, which has attracted just under £100,000 of trade. It opened at [5.6] but is now [3.7].

Just about every Racing Post tipster is falling over themselves to back Duncan in the Princess of Wales's Stakes (3.10pm). Gerald Delamere, Richard Austen for RP Tipping, and Newmarket man Tony Elves. That's a long list. Do you think they all had lunch together yesterday and arrived at the same conclusion that way?

But the two best betting brains in the land, Seagull, and betting.betfair's Graham Cunningham, both fancy Willie Muir's Enroller. Cunningham says in his blog elsewhere on this site: "Granted, Enroller is held by Campanologist on Ascot form, but conditions were much too slick for him there and the way he travelled en route to a career best effort at Newbury on his reappearance this spring marks him out as one of the most appealing longshots on the entire Thursday card." Seagull says much the same. Enroller is trading at [14.0] from [17.5].

11.20am
Good morning everybody and welcome to day two of the Newmarket Festival. It's Ladies Day today, which means we'll be seeing some delightful fuchsia/cerise numbers being trotted out, much unlike yesterday's far classier, and less showy event.

It's a shame Newmarket bill today as Ladies Day, because yesterday's racing action, starring wonder fillies Goldikova and Misheer, is better suited to such an occasion. No matter.

There is a lot of rage here in Suffolk. I arrived at the press room this morning to hear John McCririck castigating one of the catering staff over the standard of coffee they were serving. "Do you serve Nescafe in your own home?", the big man raged. Er.. I imagine half the country does Mac...

And on the journey in this morning the good folk of Suffolk showcased their anger. I was sat on the train minding my own business when a frail old man asked the well-dressed man sitting opposite me to move from the aisle seat to the window seat. The old man had a bad back and needed to get up every few minutes to wander around, you see.

Anyway, well-dressed man was very unhappy about it, and his behaviour incensed another man, who turned to the woman sitting next to him and uttered under his breath, "that bloke's a bit of a tosser isn't he?". The woman replied loudly, so everyone in the carriage could hear. "That tosser happens to be my husband actually. Goodness me. What a common oik you are. It's amazing that one has to put up with this kind of thing." After this somewhat anarchic riposte (I was amazed that people still spoke that way), all hell broke loose. Well-dressed man was asking who wants some, incensed man was trying to ignore him, well-dressed wife was hitting incensed man with her copy of the Spectator. Carnage. It really needed that Dutch guy from the Grolsch ads to come in and calmly say. "Stop."

Anyway. Back to the racing. There are three non-runners today. Forte Dei Marmi in the 2.35pm. Tony The Tap, Kay Two and Blue Jack in the last. Was anyone going to back those?

'.$sign_up['title'].'

'; } } ?>

(1)

1. cihan | 15 October 2009

   i like your comment about horse racing but i would like to know how can we find horses galloping before the races and and the finishing time of the horses in each races and finally tactically how can we understand which horse will run how???/

:

:

:

?

: