Events / Geoffrey Riddle / 18 August 2009 /

Sea The Stars is sure to make the headlines tomorrow after his performance in today's Juddmonte International at York, but our blogger, Geoffrey Riddle, will have all the talk and angles from every race on the Knavesmire today. E-mail him your thoughts, tips and questions on: theriddleratbetfair@gmail.com

4.40pm result:
1: Royal Destination
2: Stevie Thunder
3: Moheebb
4: Dream Lodge
Well, Frankie got everyone out of jail on course! Royal Destination nailed Stevie Thunder on the line. I don't know what Observer racing correspondent Eddie Freemantle bet on, but he's pretty furious with himself.

I'm furious with myself as well. I got far too stitched up with who would lead and who wouldn't, and completely ignored the best horse in the race. Still, at 11-4, and with Frankie in the plate, I would have been more likely a layer than a backer realistically.

The sun has come out on the course once again, bathing an ecstatic crowd in golden sunshine. It's been a good day racing wise. I've witnessed Sea The Stars continue his gallop into greatness by smashing the course record, and Jimmy Fortune prove that he is one of the best jocks in the business for his ride on Monitor Closely in the Voltigeur.

But moneywise, I've been less than impressive. I'm off to Sunderland v Chelsea tonight. See you all tomorrow for day two and the Ebor itself.

4.35pm
There's a jockeys football match on after racing in front of the stands. Jonny Murtagh, Frankie Dettori and the like all line up. I can't for the life of me find out whether Richard Hughes is playing. The Irishman stands at 5ft 9ins, and is universally known as the tallest jockey in the weighing room.

Angle a decent cross into him each time and you've got a hatful of goals haven't you? Who is taking bets?

4.25pm
There's a lot of pace on in this lucky last. Kandidate, Matraash, and Laterly have all made all in the past. They will heavily pressed, too, by the likes of Dream Lodge, Red Jade, William Blake and possibly Royal Destination, who has been well backed.

That leaves a raft of hold-up horses, none of which I really fancy. James from Abingdon has e-mailed in. "Tony Martin has sent over Charminamix, who looks like a real plot horse."

He's a hold-up horse, perhaps the Irish grey might be good enough.

4.05pm result:
1: Yurituni
2: Bond Fastrac
3: Swilly Ferry
4: My One Weakness
Harry Findlay strikes. Or should I say, Mrs Findlay, who officialyy owns the horse. With such illustrious owners, it is no surprise to see that the horse was heavily backed pre-race.

3.45pm
John Oxx confirmed that Sea the Stars was still on course for the Irish Champion Stakes on September 5th. Amid the claps and shouts of racegoers, who were ecstatic around the winners' enclosure when the champ marched in, John Oxx quietly dictated that STS would go to Leopardstown.

"Hopefully, all being well, we'll go for the Irish Champion Stakes on Saturday week," he said. "We haven't raced in Ireland yet this year, so we had better turn up."

Although there was a moment where many thought Mastercraftsman had done it, Oxx didn't seem perturbed. "The horse switched off a bit, but don't forget that Mastercraftsman has run his best race."

Paddy Power go 1-2 Sea The Stars, 7-4 Fame and Glory for the Irish Champion, which is [1.63] and [2.52] on Betfair.

By the way, Excellent Guest looks a huge price in the 4.05pm...

Juddmonte result:
1: Sea The Stars
2: Mastercraftsman
The rest
Well Ballydoyle certainly tried to shut the door on Sea The Stars there. Seat Sail and Georgebernardshaw allowed Mastercraftsman through and although they tried to close up, the wily fox Mick Kinane found a way though.
And in getting first run on Sea The Stars, there was a point where Mastercraftsman looked like he might indeed do the impossible. Betfair layers got Mastercraftsman beat at 1.62. Well done layers!

3.10pm
Can we really believe that the Ballydoyle duo of Gergebernardshaw and Set Sail are not going to get in the way of this great match-up between Sea The Stars and Mastercraftsman? If I was Aidan O'Brien I'd get those two to box him in and to hell with the fines. Who'll remember a few grand to the Stewards in years to come!

Sea the Stars has just entered the parade ring with his saddle already on, having been saddled in his stable by John Oxx. O'Brien and his trio of colts are nowhere to be seen.

Interesting comments from Peter Chapple-Hyam about his Monitor Closely, won the Great Voltigeur.

Chapple-Hyam has been training his colt in a different way, encouraging him to get the trip by training him over a mile, rather than his customary six furlongs. But the magic was worked by a special bit, a ring bit, that helps Monitor Closely to settle in his races better.
"I've been training him over a mile," said Chapple-Hyam. "The danger of that is that you teach them to stay, but you make them slow," he continued.

Chapple-Hyam hopes to take Monitor Closely to Doncaster for the St Leger, which is over two furlongs further. "I'll train him the same," Chapple-Hyam continued. "I'll train him on his own, not with other horses, and I'll replace the ring bit with an ordinary bit. As we get closer to the race, we'll swap the bits round, back to the ring bit. It'll help him relax again."

2.50pm: Great Voltigeur result:
1: Monitor Closely
2: Mastery
3: Father Time
What a cracking ride by Jimmy Fortune! He kept a sedate pace at first, then he quickened, then he slowed, and then he finally quickened again and won from some real good things. Sensational.

2.40pm
If Harbinger wins the Great Voltigeur it should have repercussions on the Ebor market.

Harbinger beat Changinoftheguard, the favourite for tomorrow's big handicap, at Chester back in May. A solid win for Sir Michael Stoute's charge may therefore drive down Changingoftheguard's price even further. The Ballydoyle hotpot is currently trading at [4.0] on the exchange, while Harbinger is [3.15] for today's contest.

I'm coming round to Jukebox Jury. The great Seagull tipped it in his Pricewise column in the Racing Post today. That form ahead of Campanologist and Duncan at Haydock looks solid. It certainly looks better, to my mind, than Harbinger's win at Goodwood.

2.15pm result:
1: Elusive Pimpernel
2: Emerald Commander
3: Poet's Voice
Elusive Pimpernel came wide and fast to collar Emerald Commander, who in turn had worn down Poet's Voice. Poet's Voice was matched at as low as [1.34] in-running.

Godolphin's leading hope leapt out of the stalls before they opened, but was allowed back in to contest the race. "He hurt himself when he broke first time," said trainer Saeed Bin Suroor afterwards as Poet's Voice came into the winners' enclosure with blood pouring from his mouth. "He cut his gums. I think six furlongs would be better for him though."

1.12pm
Simon Rowlands, one of betting.betfair's racing maestros, can't see past Mata Keranjang, the Paul Cole-trained colt who ran so well at Glorious Goodwood last time out behind Xtension.

I think that looks solid form and it is backed up by the black mark next to the horse's name in the Racing Post.

Poet's Voice is the red-hot favourite, mainly due to his 10-length thrashing of some improving sorts at Newmarket last time out.

Stable form can sometimes be a good indicator in these juvenile contests so I've highlighted below each trainer's numbers for your convenience:

Trainer's 14-day records (win-place-runs)
G Lyons: 1-4-23
J Dunlop: 7-4-26
R Hannon: 18-20-95
P Cole: 0-6-18
T Dascombe: 4-4-17
Saeed Bin Suroor: 18-9-45
M Johnston: 11-15-77

As you can see, Paul Cole's record does no inspire confidence, which could be a contributing factor as to why the horse is on the drift.

1.45pm result:
1: Barney McGrew
2: Hamish McGonagall
3: Fol Hollow
What a great ride from jockey Phillip Makin! He was out with the washing at halfway, but he continued to stoke the fire and you'd say the winner picked up well. There was £109 traded at [42.0] in-running and the favourite got chinned at [1.11]. For a horse that has done most of his winning over six and seven furlongs, it was easy to see why the extra 89 yards of this race helped Barney McGrew.

Captain Dunne traded at as low as [4.5] so in-running traders did well out of that. Wi Dud, though? Where was he? I have to confess I had got myself so worked up that I thought Barney McGrew was in fact Wi Dud. Rather embarassing.

1.35pm
Mick Kinane sits aboard Captain Dunne today for the first time since the pair teamed up so impressively to almost win the 'The Dash' at Epsom on Derby day.

Back in June, Indian Trail, who reopposes today, pipped them at the post in a remarkably quick time and the pair finished well clear of Strike Up The Band, who is a non-runner this afternoon.

Kinane has an excellent record at York, with a 19% strike-rate here since 2005. He rode Captain Dunne from the front at a furious pace at Epsom, something which he is most likely to do in around 10 minutes time. Captain Dunne trades at [15.0] at the moment, and although some punters may have caught on by now, the Tim Easterby-trained gelding is always an excellent back-to-lay proposition.

He won't beat Wi Dud though. Oooh. The sun's just come out.

1pm:
I was busy having my lunch - lasagne as it so happens - and I was accosted by Timeform's Graham. He wanted to crowd my desk space as there was no-one else willing to move over. I naturally obliged, and moved all my rubbish to allow him to sit alongside. I'm such a mug.

Anyway, he's sweet on Aegean Dancer in the opener. The mount of Royston French trades at [16.5] right now. The seven-year-old is 7lbs lower than when he last won in 2007. It's a long old time. About the same amount of time as when Wi Dud last won!

Graham has also backed Alwaary. Betting.betfair's Simon Rowlands happened to walk past at the time we were discussing the Great Voltigeur. He chipped in that he's backed Gosden's three-year-old as well. That's it then folks, Alwaary in the Great Voltigeur at 2.50pm...

12.30pm
I've had a good look at the first race on the card, the idiosyncratic 5f89y sprint. I'm struggling to see why Wi Dud is such a big price at around [15.5].

Kevin Ryan's sprinter has been backed in from [25.0]. Fair enough Wi Dud is not as good as he was when he won the Group 2 Flying Childers here in 2007, and probably not as good as when he almost won the Nunthorpe on this track, either.

But there have been some real excuses for how he has run this season. He stumbled at the start last time out when second to Binou - no disgrace. He was outclassed behind Scenic Blast at Royal Ascot in the King's Stand, again no disgrace. The only race this season in which he doesn't look so hot is the dash at Epsom. But Wi Dud ran well on his reappearance this seaon when third to Look Busy and Borderlescott, so it isn't as if there has been a problem with him over the winter.

Wi Dud loves York. He's got 7lbs off his back due to apprentice John Fahy. Kevin Ryan didn't right off his chances, either, in today's Racing Post. I'm on.

Further to my previous post, what price will this Red Merlin go off at do we reckon? I seriously think that it is back and lay material right now. I think you could take the [8.0] and probably get out at around [5.5] tomorrow just before the off. What do you think? Is it worth it? E-mail me on: theriddleratbetfair@gmail.com

I was just thinking if I was in that punter's position, where would I get the money from to lay off my bet. I mean can you simply go to your bank manager and ask for around £200-300k? I'm not so sure, and would they be able to get you the money in time?

Midday
William Hill and Ladbrokes are bleating about a possible £2m payout after one crafty punter placed a £180 treble with both bookmakers. The shrewd gambler made the bets with both bookies in order to avoid the maximum payout limit operated by both layers.

The punter backed Laa Rayb and Genki, who obliged at 33-1 and 14-1 respectively at Glorious Goodwood, and sits now on the monster payout, awaiting the chances of Red Merlin in the Ebor tomorrow.

Red Merlin is just 6-1 with Hills, but trades at [8.0] on Betfair. Although the punter wants to remain anonymous, his/her cover will be blown for sure tomorrow by the tabloids. The gambler must be shrewd enough to know that he/she can lay off on Betfair. With a possible £2m payout, he's got a lot of rope to work with. Watch Red Merlin's price like a hawk over the next 24 hours...

11.30pm
Good morning ladies and gentlemen and welcome to a cloud-coated Knavesmire for the first day of four of the cracking Ebor meeting at York.

The 'house full' signs are up. It's not a cliché, this time either. Virtually every single guest house on the road to the racecourse had the 'no vacancies' sign up in in their windows, sitting in front of their net curtains.

My taxi driver was keen to highlight the charms of this beautiful town, telling me that York is the second-most visited city in the country outside London, and that York boasts more pubs per square mile than anywhere in England. Stats amazing. I haven't checked those facts with the tourist office, but the guy had an honest face.

Today's card looks set to polarise racing fans between those who watch the sport for the sheer spectacle, and those who follow it for the vulgar, desperate, but ultimately satisfying reason of trying to win money off bookmakers and Betfair layers. Sea The Stars, the greatest racehorse in training at the moment, takes on Mastercraftsman in the Juddmonte International, the Group 1 contest that has been won by some of the greatest names in racing history. But there are five other races on today's card, all of which can be squeezed dry by backers and layers alike. It's going to be a wonderful four days, guys. There's nothing quite like expectation is there?

Non-runners:
1.45pm:
(5) Strike Up The Band
(13) Northern Dare
(17) Kaldoun Kingdom

3.25pm
(2) Tartan Bearer

4.40pm
(9) Wigwam Willie
(16) Red Jade
(20) Mull Of Killough

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