Re: The Horse Racing Thread

[WideWally]

Style Vendome wins Poule d'Essai des Poulains. Huge run by Intello to grab third after coming from near the tail of the field.

How good was that?

Answer - A barrel of laughs.

[WideWally]

Flotilla defeated Esoterique in Poule d'Essai des Pouliches with a gap back to Tasaday in third. The first two looked quite classy & should be to the fore throughout the season.

I guess Australians will remember the Australian horse also named Flotilla who was a very good miler back in the eighties.

[Big Dog]

I see the Stewards have given Singo a right kick in the goolies. Looks like Gai copped a couple of charges as well.

Charges laid over More Joyous

[skully]

The biggest loser out of this is Joey Johns for going the classic teenage play of massively exaggerating what he actually heard for the gossip value. He's looking a complete farkstick, and knows it.

[JGK]

The biggest loser out of this is Joey Johns for going the classic teenage play of massively exaggerating what he actually heard for the gossip value. He's looking a complete farkstick, and knows it.

Aye. Bogan.

[skully]

Seems Robbo made a bit of a twat of himself too. Walked back into the hearing saying he had more info and had "the whole truth", then sat silent for a minute, and changed his mind. Er, WTF?

[WideWally]

I guess the racing highlight today is the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury.

The promising Declaration Of War is the 7/4 favourite for this event but the form analyst at www.widewallyfoldableshoesandhorseracingtips.com
believes that he is the lay of the day. He thinks Farhh, Cityscape & Trumpet Major all have better credentials. What do you think?

[WideWally]

Results of the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury -
Farhh - 1st
Declaration of War - Unplaced

Don't forget www.widewallyfoldableshoesandhorseracingtips.com for all your horse racing tips.

And foldable shoes.

[WideWally]

I guess the racing highlights today are the Group Ones at Kranji in Singapore - the KrisFlyer International Sprint & the Singapore Airlines International Cup.

Bel Sprinter from Australia is the favourite for the sprint but has drawn a wide gate. The form analyst at www.widewallyfoldableshoesandhorseracingtips.com believes that from a good alley he would have won by four lengths with his head on his chest & his ears pricked but he can still win from out there despite the fact that no horse drawn wider than nine has finished in the first three for the last five years.

What do you think?

[WideWally]

THE 2012 St Leger winner Encke is one of seven further horses to
test positive for anabolic steroids at former Godolphin trainer Mahmood
Al Zarooni's Moulton Paddocks stable, bringing the total to 22.

The entire string at the Newmarket stable was tested in the wake of
Al Zarooni's eight-year ban for administering anabolic steroids to 15
horses, including former 1,000 Guineas favourite Certify, in what was
widely described as the most serious drug scandal in British racing's
history.

One-time Investec Derby entry Steeler and Energizer, a Royal Ascot
winner for German connections in 2012, are also among the horses to
have provided a positive sample.

Encke was tested before and after his St Leger win, providing
negative samples on both occasions. His victory at Doncaster last
September denied 2,000 Guineas and Derby winner Camelot the first
Triple Crown since Nijinsky in 1970.

A total of 391 Godolphin horses were tested between April 29 and May
2 following the BHA's disciplinary panel hearing of April 25, at which
Al Zarooni was found guilty of doping his horses and banned.

Saeed Bin Suroor's horses were also tested and all samples returned
clear, paving the way for him to take over at Moulton Paddocks.

Al Zarooni is appealing the length of his ban and the BHA said it
would not pursue any fresh action against the ex-trainer while the
appeal process was ongoing. No date has been set for the hearing, which
will take place no earlier than the last week in June.

Paul Bittar, the BHA's chief executive, said: "Whatever the outcome
of his appeal before the independent appeal board, the gravity and
scale of the infringements warranted Mahmood Al Zarooni being removed
from control of the yard as quickly as possible."

The other four horses to test positive are Genius Beast,
Improvisation, Stamford and Zip Top. Like all the Godolphin horses to
have returned positive samples the latest seven are suspended from
racing for six months from the date the samples were taken.

Of the 15 horses at the heart of the original inquiry 11 had been
identified by random drug testing at Moulton Paddocks on April 9. A
further four names were volunteered by Al Zarooni before his hearing.

Al Zarooni admitted at his hearing that he had adminsitered anabolic
steroids to his horses, bringing the prohibited substances back from
Dubai in his luggage, taking them by car to Newmarket and passing them
to an unqualified veterinary assistant with instructions to dope horses.

The trainer, while admitting the charges against him, claimed he did
not realise the use of steroids was prohibited at all times in British
racing. In certain other jurisidictions, including Dubai, anabolic
steroids may be used as long as the substance has left a horse's system
by raceday.

However, the trainer was slammed by Godolphin owner Sheikh Mohammed and the BHA disciplinary panel.

In a statement released on April 24 Sheikh Mohammed, the ruler of
Dubai, said: "I was appalled and angered to learn that one of our
stables in Newmarket has violated Godolphin's ethical standards and the
rules of British racing."

The disciplinary panel's findings read: "The panel concluded that Al
Zarooni sought to confer an unfair advantage on his horses by the
underhand administration of illegal medication. His attempt at cheating
was uncovered by the regulatory inspection and he had no justifiable
excuse for his behaviour."

Al Zarooni did not have legal representation at the original hearing
but has engaged high-profile QC William Clegg to represent him at his
appeal.

[WideWally]

I guess the racing highlight today is the Group 1 Doomben Ten Thousand at dirty Doomben.

Your Song is the favourite because of his five length win in the Gp1 BTC Cup a fortnight ago. But that race was run on a heavy track & Your Song is a noted mud runner. While he is still top class on top of the ground, the form analyst at www.widewallyfoldableshoesandhorseracingtips.com has gone looking for value & selected Steps In Time as an each way special. She is currently showing $13 on the fixed prices.

Who do you like?

[skully]

Gai Waterhouse found guilty. Awaiting the "sentence".

[skully]

Fined a total of $5,500 on 2 charges.

[JGK]

Soggy lettuce stuff.

[skully]

Indeed, but she still carried on like a pork chop for the cameras this evening in the wake of the fines.

[WideWally]

I guess the racing highlight today is the Zetland Gold Cup at Redcar.

The form analyst at www.widewallyfoldableshoesandhorseracingtips.com
has gone looking for value & selected Eltheeb who is currently showing $12 on the fixed prices. Who do you think will win?

[lardbucket]

Wally, I know next to nothing about racing but am interested to know how all your tips have been going. I suspect quite well?

[WideWally]

I get an occasional winner.

The foldable shoes are the real moneyspinners for my business.

[lardbucket]

It's good to have a dependable sideline.

[skully]

Gai Waterhouse is appealing the $5K fine. Some palaver about reputation.

[WideWally]

Big wrap on Animal Kingdom

ROYAL ASCOT contender Animal Kingdom
pleased connections on Wednesday morning when big-race partner John
Velazquez flew into Britain to partner the Queen Anne Stakes favourite
in a racecourse gallop.

Trainer Graham Motion gave the five-year-old a dress rehearsal for
his royal-meeting assignment with a couple of laps of the pre-parade
ring and the paddock before a workout over about four furlongs of the
straight mile.

"He went great," said Velazquez, who partnered Animal Kingdom to his Kentucky Derby victory in May 2011.

"He worked really, really well; went very, very good," added the
rider, who jets back to New York on Wednesday afternoon ready to ride
at Belmont Park on Thursday.

With owners Barry Irwin of Team Valor and John Messara of Arrowfield
Stud in attendance, Animal Kingdom cantered down to beyond the
five-furlong marker before an easy gallop back for a furlong or so, at
which point he moved into his serious work with his lead horse, an
unnamed horse from David Lanigan's yard, where he has been housed since
winning the Dubai World Cup.

Animal Kingdom stretched out in the last couple of furlongs before
giving his connections an anxious moment when he fly-jumped just after
the post.

"It was an awkward moment but thankfully nothing happened," said
Velazquez. "He just saw the line across the wire and tried to jump it.

"You've got to expect something as it's a new track, a new thing
and he's seeing something that's not supposed to be there. But he was
going fairly fast to do that and I was lucky to stay on. He jumped
right on top of it. He usually wears blinkers so hopefully he won't see
it on the day and we might try a shadowroll (noseband)."

The Puerto Rican, who rode two winners for US trainer Wesley Ward at
Royal Ascot in 2009, was otherwise overjoyed with Animal Kingdom's
effort.

"It was nice to have a work on the track and see where he's gonna run. I think he did it very good today.

"Today with all the rain we've had over last couple of days it was
very soft and I was a little concerned as I don't think he's been on
ground the way it was. But he seemed to handle it very well, it didn't
bother him very much.

"He's just so versatile. He's one of the most special horses I've ever ridden, definitely a special horse."


John Velazquez: delighted

PICTURE: getty images
Trainer Graham Motion rode a hack down to the start of the gallop
before following Animal Kingdom back in front of the empty stands.

"I'm satisfied with how it went," said the Maryland-based Englishman. "Johnny seems really pleased with him.

"For us it was very soft out there and Johnny felt he handled it
great, though I didn't think it would be a problem because this horse
handles everything that;s thrown at him and he's bred to handle soft
grass. Normally at home we'd work five furlongs but with the soft
ground I didn't want to step it up until four furlongs.

"We got everything covered in one swoop today," added Motion. "This
isn't something I normally would have done but fact they were gonna let
us do it, I thought it might be important.

"We're doing so foreign to anything he's done before that we'll turn every stone we can turn so hopefully it really helped."

Motion, who goes back to the States on Wednesday night, will return
on Saturday week to oversee Animal Kingdom's final Ascot preparations.

"I almost hate to say it because we've still got a few weeks to go
but it has gone really well so far," he added. "This was an important
workout - he'll probably have two more works now, an easier work next
week and another one the week after that."

[G.Wood]

oi Wally, don't you mean Big wrap on AUSSIE Animal Kingdom?

[WideWally]

You are correct. I'll remember next time.

It brings back memories of that Hungarian-born pom, Aussie Joe Bugner.

[WideWally]

The latest big news is that Magician will not be running in the Epsom Derby. Instead he will stick to the mile & aim for the St James Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.

AIDAN O'BRIEN
has confirmed riding arrangements for the 2013 Investec Derby and has
found berths for Ryan Moore and Richard Hughes but not Frankie Dettori.

O'Brien plans to have five runners in the Epsom Classic on Saturday
with son, Joseph, confirmed to ride Battle Of Marengo, the Derrinstown
Stud Derby Trial winner.

Magician will not be declared at Thursday morning's final stage
after connections opted to aim the Irish 2,000 Guineas winner at the St
James's Palace Stakes, also over a mile, at Royal Ascot next month.

Moore will be on Ruler Of The World, on whom he won the Chester
Vase, with Hughes booked for Mars who finished sixth to red-hot Derby
favourite Dawn Approach in the Qipco 2,000 Guineas.

Dettori will not be involved in Ballydoyle's riding arrangements for
the Classic in which Seamie Heffernan will partner Festive Cheer with
Colm O'Donoghue on Flying The Flag.

O'Brien said: "We discussed plans for Magician and decided to wait a
bit longer before running him again. The Derby comes only a week after
the Irish Guineas and while he came out of his win at the Curragh very
well, it is a long season. We will train him for the St James's Palace
Stakes.

"The plan is to have five runners in the Derby subject to all the
horses passing their routine tests before declaration time in the
morning."

Hughes is a rare accomplice for O'Brien in recent years but did ride
for Ireland's champion trainer during the 2012 Breeders' Cup meeting at
Santa Anita in November, partnering seventh-placed Lines Of Battle in
the Juvenile Turf won by stablemate George Vancouver, who was ridden by
Moore.

However, trainer and jockey have teamed up before in the Derby, in
2009, when O'Brien ran six in an attempt to topple Sea The Stars.

The bid proved unsuccessful but Hughes fared second best of the
Ballydoyle sextet as Fame And Glory under Heffernan chased home the
winner with Hughes next best on Masterofthehorse.

[G.Wood]

Does www.widewallyfoldableshoesandhorseracingtips.com take requests?

If so, can it find any reason why I should not empty the account on Gondokoro in the Oaks tomorrow?

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