Catching up with news

I am not sure convinced Golden Horn has done enough to warrant his lofty BHA rating of 130 – especially when you consider that is the same mark as Frankel achieved. I have no doubt that if the two were to meet over a mile and a quarter Frankel would be long odds-on to win, but that apart Golden Horn is the best three-year-old colt around this season and is currently an odds-on chance to beat his elders in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Of his rivals stable-companion Eagle Top looks value at 8/1 each-way in the expectation that he can reverse Royal Ascot form with Snow Sky. Postponed and Telescope are others expected to take a hand.

The five-day Glorious Goodwood meeting starts at the end of the month. As you know I approach this fixture with a fine blend of professional interest and trepidation. Over the years I have struggled there, mainly due to the idiosyncratic nature of the course. That may sound a little perverse given that I tend to be very lucky at Epsom, which also has unique characteristics, but time and again at Goodwood I have seen the best horse in the race fail to win – through no fault of its own.

There is, though, keen interest in my thoughts so rather than write an Online Preview for each day I have decided to use the medium of our new Snapshot service. This means I can write a more succinct appraisal of the card on the morning of each day, when I have all the latest news, information and market moves to hand. It also enables me to focus specifically on horses of interest – perhaps no more than two or three a day, at most – rather than feel obliged to preview races in which I don’t hold a view.

You can order the Snapshot service for specific days or at a discounted rate for five or more. I hope and believe that subscribers will soon reap the benefits of this innovation.

One unexpected event that has caught us all by surprise is the injury to Ryan Moore. It is typical of this game that after a truly extraordinary run of success at Royal Ascot he should sustain an injury to his neck when in the stalls for a minor race at Newmarket. Ryan is now as long as 10/1 for the championship, which would look massive if he were to get back into the saddle within a month. Silvestre De Sousa, who was around 33/1 at the start of the season, is now as short as 4/7 in some places while Richard Hughes, who seems more focused on preparing the ground for his new career as a trainer, is easy to back at 7/2.

My view is that the 10/1 about Ryan Moore is probably a little too big, but more will be known after he has undergone further tests. The one thing we do know is that the experts will not be rushing him back until they are absolutely sure is it safe for him to do so.

One horse that did catch my eye in a major way while I was away was Lumiere. You seldom see a two-year-old quicken as she did from the front on her debut, and I gather from a friend of mine who monitors times that her closing fractions were most impressive. She could look great value at 20/1 for the 1,000 Guineas if she impresses in the same way stepped up in grade. She is bred to stay a mile.

Bye for now

Marten