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Paddy Power, Ireland’s betting behemoth, has said that all ante post wagers made on the Epsom Derby winner will be refunded. That’s a relief to those who had bet at Paddy Power. Mick Kinane will now ride Oxx’s Mourayan in Sunday’s showpiece.
Sea The Stars will go to Sandown Park for the Coral Eclipse Stakes next Saturday. Reopposing will be Rip Van Winkle, John Murtagh’s mount. Conduit, from Michael Stoute’s barm, is in the Eclipse. Coral make Sea The Stars the 5-4 favourite for the Eclipse.
Word has come late Saturday that Hail Caesar is a defection. Now, there will be twelve sophomores going postward. Six runners come from Aidan O’Brien’s yard. Fame And Glory is the even money favourite. Masterofthehorse, Seamie Heffernan’s mount, is the 11-4 second choice. Mourayan is 8-1 and Golden Sword is a 10-1 chance.
Derby day at the Curragh has eight races. The first race is at 1 40 PM. The fourth race at 3 10 PM is the Group II Railway Stakes. There are seven runners. Alfred Nobel represents Aidan O’Brien. Kevin Manning rides Kitty Kiernan for Jim Bolger. K Latham is aboard Love Lockdown who is going for four wins in a row. An exciting finish is in prospect.
The Derby is at 4 20 PM and is the sixth race. Here is my thinking. O’Brien’s first string seldom wins. That rules out Fame And Glory. Masterofthehorse, if he wins, will give jockey Heffernan three Derby wins in succession. I will go with Golden Sword who was in front until close home at Epsom. It is time that Colm O’Donoghue wins a big race for O’Brien. Golden Sword, a son of High Chapparal, will be on or near the lead. Odds of 10-1, I believe, are on the generous side. O’Donoghue had one ride in the seventh race on Saturday. I have promised to see him before the first race on Sunday.
On Saturday at the Curragh, Dar Re Mi, a Singspiel filly, made it all in the Pretty Polly Stakes. Dar Re Mi was in a duel with Beach Bunny in the last 300 metres and held on. A long stewards’ inquiry did not result in an alteration. Look Here, my choice, had every chance and was putting in her best stride when the issue had been settled. Dar Re Mi, ridden by Jimmy Fortune, won by a short head. A length away in third was Look Here, the 6-4 favourite. I had 2-1, special odds offered to me but to no avail.
The 2000-metre Pretty Polly, sponsored by Audi Motor Company, was run in 2 13 on soft going. Jockey Fortune said, “I wanted to drop in. Nobody wanted the lead. So, I had it. I was able to control the pace. I moved to the right but I did not run into the second filly.”
Owner Madeliene Lloyd-Weber reacted. “Yes, I want to go to America for the Breeders’ Cup. Why not go globetrotting? She has been second in two Group I races. Now she has won one.”
Som Tala made it all in the Northumberlamd Plate at Newcastle on Saturday. A 16-1 chance, Som Tala, trained by Mick Channon.was ridden by Tony Culhane who said, “I did not want to make the running. The draw is so critical. I found myself in front and just thought I’d stay there for a while. He kept finding more when asked. I am going to enjoy this for a while.”
There were 71 Scoop6 tickets going into the Northumberland race. They were all knocked out by Som Tala. A sum of 351.946 pounds will be carried over to next Saturday. The bonus pool stamds at 353,000 pounds. The bonus pool comes into play when the primary pool is won.
Now a para about France. The Grand Prix de Saint Cloud will be run on Sunday. The Mick Channo0n-trained Youmzain takes his chances with Christophe Soumillon. It is a Group I race over 2400 metres that Youmzain won in 2008. Michael Stoute has Spanish Moon and Scintillo, a winner of a Group II race at Chantilly last month, are in the Grand Prix field.
Finally, jockey Shane Sellers retired in December 2004. He had over 4,000 winners to his credit. Sellers suffered an injury and fell into disfavor with tracks for promoting jockeys’ causes. Now 42, jockey Sellers will ride in the Louisiana circuit.
The bus left Dublin five minutes past noon. We were at the Curragh exactly 60 minutes later. I was catching up on my sleep. Fortunately, the passenger in the next seat, tapped me to tell me that we were at the Curragh. Two wagers and both losers was the extent of my wagering. I did not make my wagers on the English races. I was back in Dublin by 6 45 PM and was able to catch the action at Lingfield amd Doncaster. Favorites won for the most part and I was able to recover a part of what I lost at the Curragh. I was at a Terry Rogers bookmaker store.
Sunday will mark the last big event in my European trip. Two extra days in Dublin and I fly back to Chicago on July 1. I will be busy with harness action and in August, Arlington will be in the public eye with the Mliion and other Graded events.
Zenyatta has made it 11 wins in a row. The grey filly won Hollywood Park's Vanity Handicap for the second tear running. Mike Smith, John Shirreffes trains Zenyatta.
