GC'S Weekend Racing Briefing: Even the best can look ordinary in extreme conditions

General / Graham Cunningham / 22 May 2009 / 1 Comments

Racing UK analyst Graham Cunningham feels conditions could be against the favourite for the Irish 2000 Guineas and is also concerned about the weather for at least one leading player at Haydock.

If in doubt lay Delegator is the Irish Guineas motto

The first point to make about this Saturday's Irish 2000 Guineas (Curragh 3.45) is that some notable names - namely Sea The Stars, Gan Amhras, Rip Van Winkle, Arazan and Intense Focus - won't be present.

And the second point to make is that anyone who wades in head down on horses who are unproven on very testing ground is taking a big chance.

Back in my Timeform days I remember being sent to the Curragh in 1994 to see Turtle Island power through a bog to come home 15 lengths clear of a field which included high-class rivals like Grand Lodge and Ridgewood Ben.

The message from that race is simple. Very good horses can look very ordinary in extreme conditions and, although Delegator's current Betfair price of [3.25] may look generous at first glance, it's hard to see a horse who relies so heavily on a late turn of foot being at his very best in deep mud.

Mastercraftsman showed he can handle testing ground with a battling success in last year's National Stakes and with that in mind he has a sound chance of reversing Newmarket form with Delegator.

The progressive Recharge and John Oxx's proven mudlark Rayeni add further strength to the opposition for a race which looks all set to test stamina to the full, but rather than try to choose between a clutch of dangers I'll keep it simple here.

If Delegator doesn't handle the ground, he won't win. I don't think he will handle the ground - so laying him at the current price looks the way forward as he could drift further if the ground is as taxing as I suspect it might be.

* * *

Borderlescott can handle soft ground in Temple Stakes

I was tempted to have another crack at Amour Propre in Haydock's Temple Stakes at 3.10 so I'm not surprised that Henry Candy has decided not to run him because of soft ground.

Instead, Borderlescott and Tax Free look like sensible options for this one.

Borderlescott handled soft ground well in his younger days and showed enough to suggest he retains all his ability at Newmarket, while Tax Free is better than ever aged seven and holds definite back to lay potential given that he seems sure to be mixing it up the centre from an early stage.

* * *

Creek can paddle to victory with the mud flying at Haydock

Just occasionally, you look at a race which should be wide open and think that one horse in particular is bound to go very close indeed.

And that is exactly how I feel about Desert Creek in Haydock's featured Silver Bowl at 3.40.

Granted, a case can be made for plenty of his rivals, with Good Again, Set The Trend and Foundation all having something to recommend them for this valuable handicap.

However, none of them have so persuasive a claim as Desert Creek, who was backed like a good thing on his reappearance at Windsor and rewarded the support in emphatic fashion under hand riding from a well handicapped rival and another who did little to bruise the form at Goodwood in midweek.

The handicapper has hiked Desert Creek 8lb for that success, but he still looks very fairly treated indeed and Sir Michael Stoute numbers a winner and an unlucky fourth from his last two runners in this race.

Add in a fair draw, an ability to handle soft ground and a hot claimer on board and what's not to like? The price, perhaps, but Desert Creek looks likely to trade at around [3.35] in the Betfair win market and that seems fair enough for a horse with a great deal in his favour.

* * *

Never mind Ben and Brian....racing needs Cheryl and the girls to pull the masses

Racing needs rebranding.

On that point most people seem agreed, but from then on the media debate usually descends into piss-taking over the Harrison Fraser concept which involves sidelining old fashioned "Brian" in favour of modern and edgy "Ben."

Brough Scott heaved the old harpoon into HF's ideas in last week's Racing Post, while Alastair Down followed suit this week and betting.betfair's Simon Rowlands added another sideswipe this week while conceding that there are urgent problems which need addressing.

But the one thing which has been absent amid the torrent of pessimism over racing's plans for modernisation have been positive ideas about how to make racing a hotter ticket for potential young racegoers than it is at present.

However, I have an idea. It may not be an earth shattering scheme. But I think it would work and it runs as follows.

Take the Newmarket Nights idea that packs HQ to the rafters on Friday nights and transfer it to summer Saturdays at urban venues with a strong race programme starting at 4pm and leading into a performance by a high profile band who didn't have their last hit 20 years ago as soon as the last race finishes.

Granted, the idea of hitching racing's wagon to the likes of Girls Aloud and company would stick in the craw of the traditionalists, but the "how dare they enjoy themselves" brigade have held this great game of ours back for far too long already.

If you want young people to come racing for the first time then putting on a big show after the main show has to be a good idea.

Of course, they might never come back again. But the alternative is doing the same old same old. And Brian and Ben would surely both agree that isn't much of an option.

Comments (1)

1. Simon Rowlands | 22 May 2009

   Nice one Graham.

   I think both of us have made countless suggestions over the years as to how racing might up its game, and even on occasion how it could appeal to the yoof of today (as far as a couple of old fogeys like us would know).

   But neither of us has charged £250k for the privilege of stating the obvious, earned the dubious privilege of sitting on a committee that reports to a committee that reports to a committee or even been paid a blind bit of notice.

   Piss-taking may be the last refuge of a scoundrel, but it seems to be about the only option that is left when faced with such profound indifference. Come and join me!

   However, if we are to have bands after racing (an idea I am keen on), please spare us the crashingly conventional Girls Aloud. As mentioned elsewhere, we are in grave danger of simply replacing racing's old fogeys with young fogeys.

   Rowles