The bandwagon punters have hammered the price on TJM. He is quite exposed now and he is ridden by a 10lb claimer with one winner to his name. But you never know with this outfit - the horse has ability though he sometimes isn't allowed to show it. On Monday I pointed up the chances of All Class at Limerick tomorrow. Sensibly they have put her in the extended 12f race rather than the mile. The tissue has her at 7/1 which would be lovely if any bookie was prepared to lay it. They haven't put prices up yet.
For A.Q.P.S. - Autre Que Pur Sang (translated means other than thoroughbred) horses, which includes trotters, anglo-arabs, as well as what are known as "half-breds", each year requires a horse’s name to begin with a designated letter of the alphabet.
For example, foals of 2002 have names beginning with the letter "O", 2003 "P" and so on.
Yes this has come up before and I think you explained to me the same question Luke has posited.
I saw a Racecard in France last year where LITERALLY every Horse in each Race started with the same letter. It seems unfair as I believed the Horse running in the 'c' Race would have had a better chance than in the 'g' Race.
By coincidence I got told off by someone who bred Horses in North Cork yesterday who was exasperated than I didn't know what a 3/4 bred was. That was her Specialty. She had a fantastic Broodmare and whilst I was equally exasperated to whom they were sold as she didn't seem to recollect but she said they were no shortage of Buyers.
Well, the herd mentality in the press and on social media strikes again. It now looks as though those who sought to usher Frankie Dettori into retirement were a little hasty. And those who were eager to characterise John Gosden as a coward, a bully and worse should eat a little humble pie. For guess who is about to be legged up on the yard's two star fillies Emily Upjohn and Inspiral? None other than Dettori.
Let me do something out of character and indulge in a wee portion of "I told you so". No one on any forum I am aware of - least of all perhaps this one - was prepared to run in the opposite direction from the herd by suggesting a different scenario. But I said here on 24 June that "Frankie will be back. I'll be amazed if he's not riding for Clarehaven after this weekend or very shortly thereafter." Everyone refused to get the measure of the man at the helm at Clarehaven; everyone was all too eager to cut down that very tall poppy in typically British resentment of the most accomplished and successful people in society.
Forget all this rubbish about Gosden's U-turn. It's nothing of the sort. And forget any idea that prominent owners (e.g. Richard Thompson of Cheveley Park) have gone marching in to Gosden's office at Clarehaven to argue the toss with him about bringing Dettori back in from the cold. The reality is that Gosden expresses himself with unusual care and without the cliched generalities of most trainers. He likes drawing analogies with other sports and from his own immense knowledge of and experience in racing. Suggestions that he contradicts himself irritate him as they are without foundation. So he chose the word "sabbatical" very precisely to mean a period of time away from one's daily duties to reflect, refresh and learn. And Frankie is smart enough to drop the braggadocio, pronto, and knuckle down just as the boss ordered. He will come back a chastened man, a fitter man, to ride those good fillies and some of the other smart horses in the yard, until such a time when he can choose to retire on a high, like one of his Group 1-winning victory leaps that never ends.
Gosden expresses himself with unusual care? He apologised for the way he had conducted this in public on the Nick Luck podcast (while still spending 70 % of it bitching about what Frankie had done). He is a coward and a bully as far as I'm concerned and nobody will convince me otherwise. I know a bully when I see one and hear one. Even Lydia Hislop is publicly criticising his behaviour. His supporters' rose coloured glasses seem permanently fixed.
Frankie does not necessarily have to approve of the character of the trainer for whom he rides. It's not a relationship based on an equality of power. Frankie may be riding for the owners and quite happy that Gosden has been put back in line, as he is clearly entitled to do.
I would repeat the question I posed to Harry: When did an elite trainer last criticize a front line jockey in public?
By the way, the "cant" I was referring to in my earlier comment was that promulgated by media hacks looking for copy. I don't regard any of Joe McNally's comments on this issue as cant. Quite the opposite, I
see them as genuine and deeply felt. As a matter of fact, I queried Joe's focus on it when Hollie Doyle won in France, thinking that it took away from Hollie Doyle's achievement. However, Joe illustrated the snide nature of John Gosden's remarks and correctly judged that it was a grievous breach of trust.
Goodbye to you. You ask Tom why Frankie's gone back with a bully - because Frankie won this spat, that's why. Gosden backed down in the face of Cheveley Park as I suspected he would when we debated this in The Guardian - listen to the podcast I posted above to hear what Patricia Thompson said regarding the 'reunion'. I don't mind debating anyone, here or elsewhere, but I don't do cant. An apology would have served.
I find your opinion and continuing comments on Gosden equally offensive.
Goodbye.
NAP Upward Curve 6.55 Fairyhouse, 12/1 or so as I type.................
Aish. Yarmouth 4.40.
It may be Madness but i'm going to nap One Step Beyond in the Kempton 8.20 tonight
Next Second 18:05 Bath EW Nap
Super start Jake, hope you've made yourself some £s.
Personally avoiding my selections for now and the only tracker suggestion is
Nap 1725 Fairy The Jam Man
who I hoped might be an earner in the Pertemps. Been a few quid for him so who knows? I don't!
Moonlit Warrior - 3.50 Catterick
Joe, I also napped Soft Whsiper to win Sunday's 3.20 at Chelmsford- returned at 13/8f.
Gallopin Des Champs Nap in 15.57 Hyeres.
This race intrigues me, the only conditions my racecard online gives me, is that it is for 6 year olds.
Yet all nine entries begin with the letter 'G'... never seen that before.
Moonlit Cloud (each way) - 20.35 Bath
Jake is of to a flyer - he will be able to declare soon...im going to have to look for some big prices already....
14.50 Catterick- Burning Emotion
My current form is hideous, let's try moonlit warrior 3.40C.
Stranger Things 2.10 Yarmouth is todays nap.
Well, the herd mentality in the press and on social media strikes again. It now looks as though those who sought to usher Frankie Dettori into retirement were a little hasty. And those who were eager to characterise John Gosden as a coward, a bully and worse should eat a little humble pie. For guess who is about to be legged up on the yard's two star fillies Emily Upjohn and Inspiral? None other than Dettori.
Let me do something out of character and indulge in a wee portion of "I told you so". No one on any forum I am aware of - least of all perhaps this one - was prepared to run in the opposite direction from the herd by suggesting a different scenario. But I said here on 24 June that "Frankie will be back. I'll be amazed if he's not riding for Clarehaven after this weekend or very shortly thereafter." Everyone refused to get the measure of the man at the helm at Clarehaven; everyone was all too eager to cut down that very tall poppy in typically British resentment of the most accomplished and successful people in society.
Forget all this rubbish about Gosden's U-turn. It's nothing of the sort. And forget any idea that prominent owners (e.g. Richard Thompson of Cheveley Park) have gone marching in to Gosden's office at Clarehaven to argue the toss with him about bringing Dettori back in from the cold. The reality is that Gosden expresses himself with unusual care and without the cliched generalities of most trainers. He likes drawing analogies with other sports and from his own immense knowledge of and experience in racing. Suggestions that he contradicts himself irritate him as they are without foundation. So he chose the word "sabbatical" very precisely to mean a period of time away from one's daily duties to reflect, refresh and learn. And Frankie is smart enough to drop the braggadocio, pronto, and knuckle down just as the boss ordered. He will come back a chastened man, a fitter man, to ride those good fillies and some of the other smart horses in the yard, until such a time when he can choose to retire on a high, like one of his Group 1-winning victory leaps that never ends.
The Jam Man. 17.25. Fairyhouse. Looks like 4/1 as I post.