Royal Ascot / Editor / 18 June 2008 / Leave a Comment

We've reached the mid-point of Royal Ascot and Geoffrey Riddle's still at the track, still interviewing and keeping on top of the action. Read his third day musings here...If you want to email him the address is: theriddleratbetfair@googlemail.com

5.48pm

Oooh, I bet Ryan Moore felt relieved after that win. I've lost count now how many Royal Ascot rides the champion-elect had without a win. It's in the 70s anyway. Good on him.

On the back-slapping subject, how well have we done here today, eh? Esdaile's tip, Moonquake, snuck a place in the last at a Betfair SP of [4.28].

I know for a fact that a minute before the off most rails bookies were going 20-1 Moonquake, so I find it difficult to understand how the other SP, you know, the high street bookies' one, is 12-1 about the Gosden runner. Disgraceful.

We got the Frenchie Coastal Path beaten in the Gold Cup, and money guided us to Collection in the penultimate race.

That's what I call moving day folks. We are now in the position to hit Friday in a big way. See you all tomorrow.

5.15pm
Money talked there didn't it? Collection was slammed in the morning on Betfair and duly obliged. William Haggas is in marvellous form right now.

The fall-out to the Gold Cup continues. Trainer Jamie Osborne is considering lining up Geordieland in the King George next month. He's backable at [24] on Betfair right now, although there is little liquidity in the market.

Osborneis giving it some serious thought, and it seems that he might have been thinking about it for some time. "We might drop him [Geordieland] back to a mile and a half. He's in the King George and we might have a crack at it. This horse has so many gears and so much class. I think he is in great form at the moment and it might be the moment to try it."

Moonquaker is out to [24], which is a worry, but there is word for Ghimaar, from a bloke whose kids go to school with Jim McGrath, of Channel 4 fame. Sorry. That's the best I could do I'm afraid.

4.25pm
I can barely contain my glee. I'm shaking.

Right. Composed. Here we go.

Do not rule out Yeats coming back for more next year. When asked if it was possible, jockey Johnny Murtagh said: "I don't see why not, he rides like a two year-old, not a seven-year-old.
When Geordieland came up beside him, it gave him a second burst."

It was the first time that I have ever seen Aidan O'Brien at ease. He looked serene, despite every reporter here cramming their Dictaphones into his face.

He smiled and said: "Unbelievable." They were his first words.

"I don't think there is any horse that can stay on the bridle, stare him in the face and beat him," he continued.

"He is a very straight-forward horse, very sound and he's got a massive heart and massive lungs.

"His genes need to be preserved."

I bet they do. Can you imagine what Coolmore reckon they can get out of Yeats at stud? O'Brien was also keen to stress Yeats's speed, reminding everyone that he won a Coronation Cup. Does he fear the danger that the great seven-year-old will be siring winners at the likes of Wetherby, Market Rasen and Kelso in the not-too-distant future?

3.50pm
When the dust settles on today, this will be seen as one of the most incredible Gold Cups in the whole 201-year history of the event. What a sensational race. As they pulled out of the bend, Yeats, as reigning champion, took the lead and Coastal Path tried to stand up to the challenge.

For a moment, the two were locked in an embrace of rivalry, but as with so much of this week, Ballydoyle pulled through.

Yeats is the first horse to have won three Gold Cups since Sagaro in 1975-77 and on the second ever. What a horse. What a champion. What a trainer Aidan O'Brien is.

3.15pm
A change of tack is needed here guys. And fast.

I bumped in to John Gosden exiting the parade ring just before Mitchita romped away with the Ribblesdale.

I asked him about Moonquake in the last. He paused. It was a long silence. So long in fact that I thought he was ignoring me and I considered walking off.

Then, like a great shaman, he said: "Yeah, he'll run well. The problem is that the going has got a bit lively for him. The sun and wind have got to it. I think that will be the case with a lot of horses today and tomorrow. Make sure punters take this into consideration when they study the form."
Here endeth the lesson.

But it got better. After Michita hacked up, Frankie Dettori said that Changing Skies was beat because the ground was simply too fast.

Although the going is sure to aid Coastal Path his quest to stay 2m4f, it may also hinder his ability to race at all. He has never won on better than good, although to be fair, he has never raced on it in public.
His sire Halling won three from four on good to firm if that is any help.

All in, I want to be part of a defining moment. I'm going in. Coastal Path cannot beat the mighty Yeats. This is what Betfair was designed for. I'm laying it do you hear Andre Fabre? I'm laying your horse! I'm going to get your unbeaten French horse beat. Arrrrrggggghhhhh! Come On!!!!!

2.30pm
A quick look at Saturday's Wokingham and Golden Jubilee. The draw has been made, and Takeover Target's fans must be ecstatic.
Drawn in stall two, the Aussie speedster looks to have a major shout, and if the low horses in the Britannia Stakes prevail today, expect Sahkee's Secret, who is drawn in nine, to also be shorter.
In fact, a lot of the fancied horses are drawn low. US Ranger is drawn in five, Kingsgate Native in three and Sir Gerry in four. Last year's winner, Soldier's Tale, is drawn 16.
Joe Janiak, trainer of Takeover Target was delighted: "I am very happy with the draw. He has had an easy week since his race and is jumping out of his skin. We're very confident."

So far there have been no emails about Cilla and Bruce. 1-10 landed.

Tim from Australia has been on though. "Takeover Target is now in my top five Australian racehorses of all time. Look at him. He's won everywhere. What's going to beat him. If he's bigger than 7-2, I'm going to have a £100."

He goes on. "Me and my mates have had a fight about Haradasun. How good would he have been if he had stayed in training? Hendo reckons he would have been ace but, I reckon Desert War was better."

Er... cheers for that Tim. What time is it over there?

2pm
John Cobb of The Independent reckons he has cracked the Britannia Stakes. "Same jockey, same trainer, virtually the same draw in stall 2 as the Royal Hunt Cup winner Mr Aviator. What isn't there to like about Commander Cave's chances?"

They don't call this place Ladies' Day for nothing. It is teeming with them. Women wearing hats of all descriptions, although I'm sure the BBC's James Sherwood would have something to say about how some of them are carrying themselves.

The Hat question is escalating at a rate of knots. I'd call Her Majesty's hat cyan, turquoise, light blue, none of which are red. Paddy Power should be disgraced with themselves with all that red rubbish earlier.

There is currently a slagging match going on in the press room between Hills and Paddy Power.

"It's BLUE"
"No it isn't it's TURQUIOSE"

Ahem. The BBC has decided to call it pale blue.
I'd give you the prices for next year, but the whole thing stinks in my opinion.

1.30pm
Betfair's Tony Calvin agrees. "I'd rather be a layer of Coastal Path than Yeats, but either way, the Gold Cup is going to make or break punters today."

Calvin has been digging around as well: "I've had word form a South African source that at [90], Thundering Star is far too big in the win market. He has a sporting chance for a place, which is at [7.2]."

Most people will be inclined to bet before the big one, but it may be better to trade in-running. Geordieland traded at [25.0] when he won the Yorkshire Cup last time out, and it's likely he'll be cruising at some stage of the race. I suppose it really boils down to how you want to approach the race.

Cilla Black and Bruce Forsyth just walked in the gates. Does anyone care? On a basis of 1.4
e-mails from people who care, I'd go 1-10 under and 15-2 over. Let's see.

theriddleratbetfair@googlemail.com

1pm
Gold Cup day is often thought as more of a social occasion than any other day at Royal Ascot, but there have been some hefty bets.

Paddy Power's Tony Coleman, who now seems a nervous wreck after the Queen's hat betting debacle, reckons that Yeats will go off at around evens after seeing good support for Aidan O'Brien's hat-trick seeker. Yeats is relatively steady on Betfair at the moment, trading at 2.38.

Personally, I can't have Coastal Path for a minute. Never run on good to firm, never run 2m or over. Good to firm, 2m4f? What chance has he got? You can lay the Fabre stayer at 1.45 for a place!

The main mover of the day though is Collection in the Hampton Court Stakes. Coral have cut the price in half, and if you look at its Betfair chart, the graph looks like a bloody right angle.

http://uk.site.sports.betfair.com//betting/LoadRunnerInfoAction.do?marketId=21052784&selectionId=2567924&timeZone=Europe/London®ion=GBR&locale=undefined&brand=betfair¤cy=GBP

12.25:
The Betfair feelers are out. Fresh from winning the Windsor Castle Stakes with Flashmans Papers on day one (the horses was matched at 330 on Betfair in-running), trainer John Best had another surprise for us this morning.

He runs Flashmans Papers once more in the Norfolk Stakes, and also lines up Elegant Cad. When pressed by Chris, Betfair's intrepid radio man, about the relative chances of each horse, Best suggested Elegant Cad had by far the better chance. Go listen to his quote on Chris's live blog elsewhere on this site.

I have a confession to make. Yesterday after racing, I was cajoled into going for a drink with a bunch of people I didn't know. I was chatting to my host in one of the car parks, with a glass (yes, glass, it was that kind of event) of alcohol in one hand and a slice of game pie in the other (getting a a better picture?).

In a moment of pure Marx brothers, my telephone rang in my pocket. Without thinking, I dived my hand into my jacket, only to see with horror the contents of my glass go all over my host's fine linen waistcoat.

As fortune would have it, a man was pushing past me at the time, and I blamed it on him. A little altercation ensued, but I kept face at least. So, with much regret, I apologise to Andrew for pinning the blame on you.

Now I've got that off my chest, let's get on with the day.

11.45pm
Paddy Power are running scared.

Her Majesty looks to be landing a coup for her staff. Wise bookie William Hill stopped betting on the collur of the Queen's hat market at around 10.30 this morning.

Power on the other hand, have kept their satchels open. And they are getting filled in. Red was 20-1 this morning, which was cut to 2-1 at 11.15am, 8-11 about half an hour after that and is now 1-3. That's obviously how she pays for all that gilt on her carriage...

11.30am.
Good morning everyone, and welcome to day three of the Royal meeting at a sunny, but windy, Ascot.

There is a strong breeze that has been blowing towards the stands all morning. The advantage has been to race on the stands' side for the first two days, but with last night's rain, and this wind, perhaps that might all change today. We shall see.

In golfing terms, day three is known as moving day. It's the time when players make their push for the top so that they can challenge the leader seriously later on. Today is that day.

After Bankable's demise yesterday in the Royal Hunt Cup, and Festivale's win in the lucky last, I've put my head in front. Having done so though, I'd rather press on in a professional manner than show greeness like Aqlaam did when wandering all over the track in yesterday's Jersey stakes.

Esdaile's been on again, and he is confident of putting his head on the block once more. His tip is once again in the lucky last and it is John Gosden's Moonquake. It's 16.5 on Betfair right now.

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