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| Punter's Diary by Malcolm Heyhoe |
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| Updated: 28th July 2010 - GG.com |
Punter's Diary for August 2010
The vagaries of race planning in 2010 means August's high-class action starts with a whimper and not a bang because Glorious Goodwood's wonderful five-day fixture has been confined exclusively to the month of July.
In place of a traditional Goodwood start, Ascot gets things under way on August 7 with the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup which has always been a somewhat dodgy concept and one of Ascot's lest appealing attractions.
Thankfully Haydock comes to the rescue on the same day with the Rose of Lancaster Stakes while over at Newmarket Luca Cumani's smart juvenile Khor Sheed looks a likely winner of the Sweet Solera Stakes.
At the Curragh on the next day, August 8, Strong Suit, a last-gasp winner of the Coventry Stakes, will be the one to beat in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes and Richard Hannon's exciting colt should again be too strong for the Irish opposition. On the same card the Royal Whip Stakes brings together some of the best British and Irish runners over the specialist trip.
During the following week Salisbury stages its best card of the year with the EBF Upavon Fillies Stakes on August11 taking pride of place while at the end of that week Newbury's meeting on August 14 features the Hungerford and Geoffrey Freer Stakes; over at Ripon the tip-top sprint handicappers will be in action for the Great St Wilfrid Handicap.
At Newmarket on the same day watch out for Roger Charlton's wonderfully consistent type Bated Breath in a valuable 0-105 handicap. Charlton has long had this race in mind for his stable star and I could see him securing a fabulous four-timer before going on to make his mark in pattern grade.
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The Group1 Juddmonte International ushers in four days of high-class racing at York beginning on August 17 with the International over a mile and a quarter. Well-backed horses tend to dominate this good prize and I can see the Andre Fabre-trained Byword proving far too good for his old Royal Ascot rival, Twice Over.
The Totesport Ebor Handicap takes centre stage on August 18 and an improving horse is usually the requirement for this fantastic handicap. The Willie Haggas-trained Harris Tweed fits this bill but is not a certain stayer and is unlikely to make the cut and I much prefer the prospects of Imposing who ran a bit flat in the John Smith's Cup over shorter at this course last time.
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On August 20, the Ebor meeting's third day, there could well be a battle royal for the Yorkshire Oaks with Sariska, Dar Re Mi and Midday taking on the dual Classic heroine Snow Fairy in what promises to be an enthralling clash for the fillies' Group 1 contest. The way Snow Fairy has been progressing this summer suggests she could be good enough to mix it with her elders.
The curtain comes down on York's fabulous four days with the Nunthorpe Stakes over five furlongs and as long as the ground rides fast then a long-waited re-match between the July Cup first and second, Starspangledbanner and Equiano could be on the cards with the latter looking the most likely winner now that he returns to racing over his ideal trip.
August's action comes to a close on its final weekend of the 28th with Goodwood staging the Celebration Mile and the March Stakes on a lively card while over at Windsor the Winter Hill and August Stakes occupy prime position on the Thames-side course's best fixture.
Finally at the Curragh on August29 Memory will be hard to beat in the Group 1 Moyglare Stakes as the Richard Hannon two-year-old bandwagon goes marching on in an amazing season for the East Everleigh stable.
Malcolm Heyhoe writes weekly horse racing articles for GG.COM-Horse racing betting, information, news, results and free daily tips
Archive July 2010
