StableTalk

Plenty to update this Friday evening:

First, the forecast of heavy overnight rain has led to an inspection being called at Doncaster for 7.30am, The ground is now Heavy but Town Moore is one of the best draining tracks in the UK and I'd be surprised if the meeting was lost but the ground will be very testing.

In Australia, it's the second day of the Moonee Valley meeting featuring the Cox Plate of which more anon. Both father Aidan and son Joseph O'Brien have runners in the Moonee Valley Gold Cup and for all HUNTING HORN has run well in America, DOWNDRAFT is an interesting runner who was second last time in a Group 3 at The Curragh and could improve a little further for the switch to Australia.

DREAM CASTLE runs for Saeed Bin Suroor and CHIEF IRONSIDE for David Menuisier in the Group 2 Schweppes Mile but neither showed anything last time and I can't fancy them on that.

As for the Cox Plate, DANCETERIA got withing five lengths of ENABLE in the Eclipse and if he can bring his best form first time up he's got a huge chance in this field which doesn't look that strong. MAGIC WAND represents Ballydoyle and often runs very well but wins rarely. Last time she chased home MAGICAL in the Irish Champion Stakes and that's serious form. I think both the overseas raiders could go well though I think the ex-Ballydoyle inmate CAPE OF GOOD HOPE will follow up his Ladbrokes Stakes win of two weeks ago.

Just four remain in the Criterium International at Longchamp on Sunday. As said before, WICHITA, ALSON and ARMORY have all placed in Group 1 juvenile company in the past month and there's not much between them. It may well be a tactical race but I think WICHITA is the one.

Eight stand in the Royal Oak with LAH TI DAR and TECHNICIAN the British raiders but whether either will be really at home on the deep autumn ground remains to be seen. HOLDTHASIGREEN and CALL THE WIND will love the trip and the ground and I suspect will be too strong for the younger horses.

News the 2000 Guineas winner MAGNA GRECIA has been retired after a disappointing run at Ascot last weekend.

Doncaster and Newbury both abandoned this afternoon - I suspect the Vertem Futurity will be rescheduled.

It could be run back at Doncaster in a fortnight with the two Group 3 races lost at Newbury this afternoon added to Newmarket next Saturday.

First, news on races which haven't taken place. The Group 1 Vertem Futurity will be run next Friday evening on the Tapeta track at Newcastle. This will be the first Group 1 run on an artificial surface in the UK - the reasoning is Newcastle, like Doncaster, is owned by ARC and the coverage is run by At The Races and the proprietorial nature of the media rights makes switching outside the group difficult.

Similarly, the Group 3 Horris Hill will switch to Newmarket on Saturday following the loss of the Newbury card yesterday.

Now to the races which have happened - a great day for the overseas raiders at Moonee Valley on Saturday with HUNTING HORN returning to form with a vengeance in the Gold Cup and CHIEF IRONSIDE an improbable 25/1 winner of the Schweppes Crystal Mile while the Japanese LYS GRACIEUX looked impressive in the feature Cox Plate winning pretty comfortably and possibly helped by the pace of MAGIC WAND who ran okay in fourth. DANCETERIA was disappointing coming home last.

A couple of interesting days to close off the French season which I'll mention more tomorrow.

An interesting weekend with which to end the French flat racing season.

Saturday saw a decent card at Saint Cloud but the ground was Heavy. The feature Criterium de Saint Cloud forn the juveniles over 2000m always looked like it was going to be a slog but the local runner MKFANCY, a son of Makfi, relished the conditions, was prominent throughout and held on grimly to repel the late challenges of the Aidan O'Brien pair, ARTHUR's KINGDOM and MYTHICAL and was pulling away at the line to win by three lengths. I'm not sure what to make of the form but MKFANCY is clearly a potential 3-y-o stayer to watch next year.

The English raiders won two Group 3 races on the undercard and went to Longchamp on Sunday with high hopes of adding to the tally. The Group 1 Criterium International over 1400m for the juveniles became a match between ALSON and ARMORY after WICHITA was a late scratching possibly due to the rescheduling of the Racing Post Trophy to Friday evening. They had both been placed in the Jean Luc Lagardere on Arc day but this turned out an embarrassing no contest as Frankie Dettori soon led on ALSON and with Donnacha O'Brien riding 500m out there was only going to be one result and ALSON cruised home by 20 lengths. Again, worth stressing this was a farcical race on very heavy ground.

The Royal Oak over 3000m looked set to be a real slog in the mud. HOLDTHASIGREEN set the running but in the straight all the six runners had some sort of chance. LAH TI DAR had raced second but found little for pressure and it was the 3-y-o TECHNICIAN who ran on far too well and came home to win a length and a quarter from CALL THE WIND who ran on well with HOLDTHASIGREEN third. It's a nice coup to take the top French stayers in the Royal Oak and not many 3-y-o win it let alone British 3-y-o so TECHNICIAN won the Chaudenay last time and the fact he was well held in the English Leger (albeit on much quicker ground) behind LOGICIAN suggests the staying 3-y-o might not be too bad. Obviously, TECHNICIAN relishes heavy turf so it's unlikely Ascot in June will play to his strengths but he will be a nice stayer next year.

Time to have a look at Friday evening's racing which is of surprisingly high quality for the first day of November.

I'll start at Santa Anita which stages the first day of the two-day Breeders Cup fixture with a dozen Group 1 races spread over the two days. As usual, I'll concentrate on the European runners who will, as usual, be primarily contesting the turf races.

First disappointing news MAGICAL picked up an injury after winning the Champion Stakes and she not only misses the Breeders Cup but has been retired to the paddocks. She will no doubt be sent to one of the Coolmore stallions - perhaps Galileo himself though he covers many fewer mares these days.

The first evening of the Breeders Cup is reserved for the 2-y-o these days. There is no European interest in the two Dirt races but the three on turf are very different.

There's one Group 2 supporting race on the Friday card and that's the Juvenile Turf Sprint over 1000m. A'ALI, winner of the Flying Childers at Doncaster, leads a strong European challenge consisting of six of the twelve likely runners. It's a tall order taking on the American speedballs in their own backyard and Wesley Ward has the two joint favourites in FOUR WHEEL DRIVE and Queen Mary runner up KIMARI who was probably beaten by the slow ground at the royal meeting as much as by RAFFLE PRIZE who as we know has turned out to be a very good juvenile filly. The draw hasn't been kind to A'ALI or the Wesley Ward runners but they look the class acts in a field of fast but not necessarily quality juveniles.

14 go in the Juvenile Turf over 1600m. ARIZONA ran a fine race in defeat to PINATUBO in the Dewhurst but again has a wide gate to overcome (drawn 12). His stable companion FORT MYERS is in 13 which explains why he is one of the outsiders. STRUCTOR won the trial race on the east coast and is drawn two and would be my selection.

14 also go in the Juvenile Fillies Turf over 1600m and seven are from Europe. ALBIGNA lost her unbeaten record in the Moyglare but bounced back to win the Marcel Boussac on Arc day but the ground and track here are very different. She finished behind DAAHYEH that time and the latter went on to win the Rockfel. It may be her first go at 1600 but there's ptobably no better place to stretch the stamina and with stall five DAAHYEH has a nice draw and will take a lot of beating. The likes of TANGO, SHADN and LIVING IN THE PAST have all won races at Listed company but this is a big step up for all of them while the best of the locals might be SWEET MELANIA.

Newcastle hosts the rescheduled Vertem Futurity and it's a bit incongruous sticking a Group 1 in among the Class 5 handicaps with the former worth £115,000 to the winner and the handicaps worth £3,500. 17 have been entered of which Aidan O'Brien is responsible for only nine. MOGUL may well have a serious rival in stable companion WICHITA who swerved the Criterium International at Longchamp last Sunday. All,the talk has been about KINROSS, a son of Kingsman, who won on debut by eight lengths. Obviously, that was a long way below this grade but it was a striking performance and, as I often say, "he could be anything".

A dip into Bloodstock Corner as Darley have released details of the stallion foster and fees for 2020.

35 stallions represent the Godolphin empire in England, France and Ireland. DUBAWI remains top dog with a fee of £250,000 having sired 24 individual Group 1 winners this year. One of them, TOO DARN HOT, joins the roster at £50k. Another newcomer is 2018 Derby winner MASAR who will stand at just £15k alongside his sire, NEW APPROACH at Dalham Hall Stud in Newmarket.

The full list as follows:

DARLEY 2020 FEES (2019 fees in brackets)

Dalham Hall Stud, Newmarket

Dubawi £250,000 (£250,000)
Too Darn Hot £50,000 (NEW)
Golden Horn £40,000 (£50,000)
Iffraaj £30,000 (£35,000)
New Approach £30,000 (£30,000)
Cracksman £25,000 (£25,000)
Harry Angel £20,000 (£20,000)
Masar £15,000 (NEW)
Farhh £12,000 (£10,000)
Territories £12,000 (£12,000)
Postponed £10,000 (£15,000)
Charming Thought £5,000 (£6,000)
Outstrip £5,000 (£5,000)

Kildangan Stud, Ireland

Shamardal private (private)
Blue Point €45,000 (NEW)
Exceed And Excel €40,000 (€50,000)
Teofilo €40,000 (€40,000)
Night Of Thunder €25,000 (£15,000)
Ribchester €20,000 (€25,000)
Fast Company €12,000 (€12,000)
Profitable €12,000 (€12,000)
Belardo €10,000 (€10,000)
Dawn Approach €10,000 (€15,000)
Raven's Pass €10,000 (€10,000)
Slade Power €7,500 (€7,500)
The Last Lion €7,500 (€7,500)
Buratino €5,000 (€5,000)
French Navy €4,000 (€4,000)
Fulbright €4,000 (€4,000)

Haras du Logis, Chantilly

Authorized €12,000 (€12,000)
Cloth Of Stars €7,500 (€7,500)
Manduro €7,000 (€7,000)
Ultra €7,000 (€7,000)
Bow Creek €4,000 (€4,000)
Hunter's Light €4,000 (€4,000)

12 stand in Friday evening's Vertem Futurity at Newcastle. No WICHITA which leaves MOGUL 6/4 favourite with the talking horse KINROSS at 15/8, INNISFREE at 11/2 and KAMEKO at 7s and the others at big prices. It's hard to know how the straight 1600m on Tapeta will play for these juveniles - KINROSS won a Newmarket maiden by eight lengths but what did he beat? MOGUL did it nicely at Leopardstown and I think the straight course will help. He'd be my selection though he's no value at the odds.

Time then to have a look at Saturday's Breeders Cup card at Santa Anita which is a stellar offering featuring nine Group 1 races.

No European interest in the Filly & Mare Sprint on the Dirt or (surprisingly) in the Turf Sprint with the withdrawal of BATTAASH.

AMBASSADORIAL runs for Jane Chapple-Hyam in the Dirt Mile but he's 50/1 and I can't fancy him against the American crack milers.

The Filly & Mare Turf over 2000m has plenty of European interest but with the departure of MAGICAL, SISTERCHARLIE looks to have a major chance. She was impressive in the Beverley D and did it well in the Flower Bowl though I consider MRS SIPPY, who was second to her that day, an interesting candidate at 14s. FLEETING has run well in a number of Group 1 races but generally over a little further and I have my doubts. BILLESDON BROOK won the 1000 Guineas once and was back to her best over the Rowley Mile when winning the Sun Chariot last time. She beat IRIDESSA into third that day but the latter has won the Pretty Polly and the Matron this year and I think she will be better suited by the 2000m.

SISTERCHARLIE looks to tick all the boxes however and she should ensure this prize stays at home.

Passing over the Dirt Sprint, we come to the Turf Mile which often goes back to Europe with EXPERT EYE winning it last year. I'm not sure the challenge this year is quite as strong but CIRCUS MAXIMUS is 3/1 favourite and he has won the St James's Palace and the Moulin as well as running a fine second to the retired Too Darn Hot in the Sussex. His failures have been over further in the Juddmonte and the English Derby and this 1600m should suit ideally. EL TORMENTA beat GOT STORMY in the Woodbine Mile last time but the weights favour the latter and I think he'll revrse the places. UNI should go well but she's up against the boys here.

The one I like here is SPACE TRAVELLER and I've backed him each way at 12s. He won the Jersey at Ascot and last time won the Boomerang round the sharp Leopardstown course. As EXPERT EYE showed last year, what you need for this race is a horse with 1400m pace who can see out the trip on the sharp track. SPACE TRAVELLER looks tailor made for this race and he's a huge price. The likes of SUEDOIS, HEY GAMAN and LORD GLITTERS all have claims on their very best form but have something to prove after their latest runs.

Passing over the Distaff, we come to the Turf over 2400m. This is another race which traditionally goes back to Europe and of course last year we saw the epic duel between ENABLE and Magical. That kind of quality isn't here this year and the Europeans face a serious local rival in BRICKS AND MORTAR who has won his last six including the Manhattan and the Arlington Million last time beating MAGIC WAND who was a close fourth in the Cox Plate - taking that form literally BRICKS AND MORTAR would have been second to LYS GRACIEUX but not beaten far.

Of the three Europeans, I suspect MOUNT EVEREST is there to set a strong pace for ANTHONY VAN DYCK for whom it hasn't gone well since winning at Epsom in June. He was well beaten by SOVEREIGN in the Irish Derby and was a very long way behind ENABLE in the King George. A third in the Irish Champion was better and we know he will get the trip well but I prefer OLD PERSIAN who beat a certain CROSS COUNTER in the 2018 Voltigeur but had had a disappointing campaign until an impressive win last time in the Northern Dancer at Woodbine. He loves a strongly run race and I suspect he'll get that and I take him to outstay BRICKS AND MORTAR in the final 200m.

The Classic over 2000m on the Dirt remains a significant prize at £2.6 million to the winner. No European runner this year but it looks wide open. CODE OF HONOR was second in the Kentucky Derby and came back to win the Travers and got the Jockey Club on the disqualification of VINO ROSSO who was himself well held by MCKINZIE in the Whitney. I fancied MCKINZIE for this but he was surprisingly beaten in the Awesome Again last time and that has raised some questions.

Finally huge disappointment for the European challenge at Flemington with the withdrawals of ISPOLINI and MARMELO from the big race next Tuesday. I think it's fair to say Hughie Morrison, trainer of MARMELO, isn't very happy and this may not be the end of it.

As we await the barrier draw, CONSTANTINOPLE is 6/1 favourite with MER DE GLACE at 8s and FINCHE at 9s. RAYMOND TUSK will get a run as will VOW AND DECLARE, who I backed in the Caulfield Cup and might be worth an each way saver if the draw is kind. CROSS COUNTER is 12s, LATROBE and MAGIC WAND 16s and HUNTING HORN at 25s. I don't think DOWNDRAFT or TRUE SELF will make the cut.

Adding to the worldwide quality of the racing weekend we have a stellar card at Flemington on Saturday with plenty of European interest.

DOWNDRAFT is well fancied for the Hotham after his fine third in the Moonee Valley Gold Cup and he should go very close.

I see the NZ superstar MELODY BELLE goes in the Empire Rose and she must have a big chance while BIVOUAC has to put a disappointing Manikato run behind him in the Coolmore.

The Kennedy Cantala carries a huge pot and seems to have had different names down the years but it's run over 1600m. ROYAL MEETING beat subsequent dual Guineas winner HERMOSA in the Criterium International a year ago and then was off until turning up at Caulfield the other day and running third in a Group 3. That will have cleared the cobwebs but it's a huge ask against some battle hardened locals. I prefer CHIEF IRONSIDE who won the Schweppes Crystal Mile last weekend but I'd give him no more than a each way chance at best.

An exciting Friday evening of racing across the Northern Hemisphere with the rescheduled Vertem Futurity at Newcastle followed by the first day of the Breeders Cup meeting at Santa Anits in southern California and with the latter now billed as Future Stars Friday, the accent was very much on the juveniles.

The first Group 1 race run on an artificial surface in the UK saw 12 go to post for the Vertem Futurity with Aidan O’Brien supplying five runners including the second favourite MOGUL and the home team putting up favourite, the unbeaten KINROSS and KAMEKO as their principal challengers.

From the start, ROYAL COUNTY DOWN set the fractions at the head of the Coolmore/Ballydoyle phalanx with INNISFREE and the Haggas trained TAMMANI close behind.

400m out and ROYAL COUNTY DOWN was running on fumes and it was Oisin Murphy who got KAMEKO moving with the decisive turn of foot to lead and that effectively sealed the race with KAMEKO coming home an impressive three and a quarter length winner.

The O’Brien horses scrapped for the minor money with INNISFREE second, YEAR OF THE TIGER third and MOGUL fourth but separated by half a length and KINROSS a further two and a half lengths down in fifth but five lengths clear of the remainder.

KINROSS ran a little free but he simply didn’t have the pace when it matters and perhaps the step up from a maiden to a Group 1 on his second start was too much. MOGUL was a shade disappointing for all he looked decent on the grass in Ireland. He is thought of as a Derby prospect at Ballydoyle and it’s not hard to see why on this evidence.

YEAR OF THE TIGER ran a well beaten fourth in the Dewhurst suggesting that form is superior to this and he’s a useful yardstick for the juvenile form while Beresford winner INNISFREE also ran a decent race and I’m sure he’ll be in the classic picture next spring.

KAMEKO did this very well and perhaps the artificial surface played to his breeding strengths. He was beaten by POSITIVE in the Solario and was arguably disappointing when just touched off in the Royal Lodge. I’d love him to go to Dubai for the spring. I need convincing he’ll be top notch on the turf next summer but we’ll see.

There’s no doubt moving the race was a success in terms of attracting a better field but we’re a little way from having a Group 1 all-weather race as a permanent fixture though it will come one day.

In America of course they have no issues with running Group 1 races on surfaces other than turf but of course Santa Anita once had a Polytrack but the Europeans cleaned up on that so the big American horse players ordered that ripped up and traditional Dirt re-laid.

The opening race with European interest was the Juvenile Turf Sprint over 1000m. As you might imagine, this is a very sharp 1000m and a good break was essential and that’s exactly what FOUR WHEEL DRIVE got from the nine stall while both KIMARI and A’ALI missed the start and effectively lost their chances.

The only horse to try to go with FOUR WHEEL DRIVE was CHIMNEY SHOT from the one stall but he was beaten in the final 200m and was all out to hold off ANOTHER MIRACLE while KIMARI flew from the back to snatch fourth and would, in my view, have won with a decent start.

Of the Europeans, DR SIMPSON was fifth and DREAM SHOT seventh but A’ALI, KING NEPTUNE and BAND PRACTICE filled the last three places showing once again when it comes to speed, the Americans do it so much better.

The Juvenile Turf proper was the first Group 1 of the meeting over 1600m. ARIZONA and FORT MYERS represented Europe and Ballydoyle and the former went off favourite in the UK but both had been given difficult outside stalls and with only a short run to the clubhouse turn Ryan Moore was left out the back on ARIZONA while Wayne Lordan was stuck in midfield on FORT MYERS.

Neither really got into the race which was won by STRUCTOR under an inspired ride from Jose Ortiz who got the colt out from a difficult position down by the rail. Ryan Moore got ARIZONA rolling off the home turn but he was beaten about a length and a half in fifth with FORT MYERS seventh and both paid the price of a poor start and not having the early speed to lay up with the pace.

There was a strong European challenge in the Juvenile Fillies Turf over 1600m. DAAHYEH and ALBIGNA looked the best of the seven British and Irish challengers with SWEET MELANIA and SELFLESSLY arguably the best of the home team but both had been drawn very side.

DAAHYEH went off 7/2 favourite and William Buick rode her from the gate to try to get a good position but I suspect he ended up a little further back than he wanted. SWEET MELANIA effortlessly got across from the wide berth to be prominent with SHARING also close to the pace along with ABSCOND and the latter led the field down the back straight.

Into the turn SWEET MELANIA Moved up to lead but SHARING came with her run along with DAAHYEH and ETOILE on whom Frankie Dettori had been obliged to travel wide from the outside stall. In the final 200m, SHARING ran down SWEET MELANIA while DAAHYEH flew home to snatch second but was beaten a length and a quarter. ALBIGNA flew home to be a never nearer fourth.

TANGO, SHADN and ETOILE all finished midfield while LIVING IN THE PAST just didn’t have the pace to use her one stall and faded to be last.

The lesson from day one is the Europeans simply didn’t have the tactical speed to get a good early position and were then struggling to make the ground in the short straight.

So to the small matter of a £2,530,000 3200m handicap run in a suburb of Melbourne at 4am UK time.

Over here, 11 FINCHE is 13/2 favourite with 19 CONSTANTINOPLE at 15/2 but what about the other European and Northern Hemisphere prospects?

1 Cross Counter: Superb winner last year but much more weight this time and not really been in the same form in Europe this summer.

2 Mer De Glace Really good winner of the Caulfield Cup and if getting the 3200m trip has the speed to come into the race and take it out.

3 Master of Reality Superb third in the Gold Cup and prepared for this race but a little disappointing twice since. I think it will all happen too quickly for him off the home turn and place prospects at best.

6 Hunting Horn: The best of the Ballydoyle contingent for me. Has mixed it with the likes of ENABLE, BRICKS AND MORTAR and MAGICAL and they are class acts. Won the Moonee Valley Gold Cup the other day but the trip is a worry.

7 Latrobe: An Irish Derby winner once but hasn't really gone on from that. Joseph O'Brien saddled his first Breeders Cup winner on Saturday and of course won this two years ago but I can't see it with this one.

10 Twilight Payment Group 1 limitations exposed in the Irish Leger last time and I don't think he's good enough though might make the frame.

12 Prince of Arran Third in this last year and won the Geelong Cup last time and obviously prepared for the race. He's a solid e/w prospect at 16s.

13 Raymond Tusk Overlooked in the prelims but he was unlucky when fourth in the Ebor and might have won with a clear run. Has a real chance.

14 Downdraft Another to fancy at a price. Won well over 2400m on soft ground on Saturday. If he can back that up expect a solid run.

15 Magic Wand A class act - runner up in the Irish Champion and the Arlington Million and a fair fourth in the Cox Plate but she seems best at 2000m on quick ground.

20 Il Paradiso One of the two 3-y-o and while they have 4 lbs more than 1 CROSS COUNTER last year, both this one and 19 CONSTANTINOPLE have claims. 20 IL PARADISO ran a huge race in defeat behind STRADIVARIUS at York but was a shade disappointing in the English Leger but if LOGICIAN was in this field he'd be favourite.

It's the usual strong challenge without any one horse looking outstanding. I fancy 12 PRINCE OF ARRAN to run another strong race and 14 DOWNDRAFT would be my $5 from the collection plate selection. My idea of the winner is 23 VOW TO DECLARE but the soft ground is a conundrum and probably helps the Europeans and the stayers.