General / Andrew Hughes / 28 September 2008 / Leave a comment Free £25 Bet

Andrew Hughes gives us his take on the O'Brien team tactics affair and talks us through what we can look forward to this week in racing, including the small matter of Duke of Marmalade's Longchamps outing.

This week's judgement over the use of team tactics in the Juddmonte International was a delightfully British compromise. It was decided that Colm O'Donoghue and Johnny Murtagh had indeed broken rule 153 but it turned out that no-one was really to blame and there was, the disciplinary panel found, 'no question of cheating'. Perish the thought.

They were forced to fine trainer Aidan O'Brien, but they were at pains to point out that the fine was not because he had asked his jockeys to employ team tactics, but because he hadn't told them not to. O'Brien himself plucked at our heart strings with a sad tale of how the upsetting accusations flung at him over the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes in 2006 had made him paranoid about the issue ever since. In the circumstances the panel were far too polite to inquire why, if he was so sensitive on this issue, he was still apparently unaware of the new rule eighteen months after it was introduced.

Sunday 28th September

We get off to a flyer this week at the Curragh. The Goffs Million races, one each for two year old colts and fillies are the richest prizes in racing. Confined to horses sold as yearlings at the Goffs Million Sale last October and run over seven furlongs, they attract large fields tilting at the staggering prize on offer. Indeed this is a Sunday card packed with good two year old races, not least the Group Two Beresford Stakes over a mile and the Group Three Weld Park Stakes for fillies. There is also the ever popular Irish Cesarewitch over two miles featuring a typically congested field of handicappers.

Sunday is also the final day of the Ascot Festival. Top of the bill is the Diadem Stakes, a quality contest that attracts a mix of top handicappers and Group class sprinters. There is also the Cumberland Lodge Stakes over a mile and half for decent stayers, including one or two who appeared in the St Leger or the Irish equivalent.

Monday 29th September

The National Hunt season is starting to rumble into gear and over at Roscommon, you can catch the interesting Kilbegnet EBF Novice Steeplechase, a Grade Three over two miles that is sure to feature some interesting chasing prospects.

Thursday 2nd October

The opening day of the Newmarket Cambridgeshire meeting features a selection of varied punting challenges. The Tattersalls Stakes is a two year old race with a rich tradition and many who feature here will go on to great things next year. There is also the Listed Noel Murless Stakes for staying three year olds and the Rous Stakes, a frenetic sprint. And the £250,000 Tattersalls October Auction Stakes is another valuable two year old prize sure to attract plenty of entrants.

Friday 3rd October

Day two at Newmarket and the action centres once again on the younger horses. The Cheveley Park Stakes suffers slightly for its proximity to the Fillies Mile and the Prix Marcel Boussac but is still an excellent race likely to include a number of fillies who've already won Group honours. The colts equivalent, the Middle Park Stakes tends to go to high class sprinters rather than Guineas or Derby contenders. There is also the Oh So Sharp Stakes for two year old fillies and the Joel Stakes for milers.

Saturday 4th October

The Prix de l'arc de Triomphe meeting is a fabulous spectacle in glorious surroundings and the opening day is wall to wall Group racing. Highlights of Saturday's action are the Prix de la Foret, arguably the best seven furlong races in Europe and the prestigious Prix du Cadran over two and half miles, the French equivalent of the Ascot Gold Cup.

Back at Newmarket, it's time for the glorious betting and racing spectacle that is the Cambridgeshire, with its familiar blend of grizzled handicappers and unexposed sorts trained with this in mind. A top quality card also features the Sun Chariot Stakes, a high class Group One for fillies and mares of all ages run over the galloping mile. And don't miss the inaugural runnings of a brace of valuable two year old races sponsored by Timeform, the Timeform Fillies 800 and Timeform Million which are sure to be highly competitive.