Tag Archives: Racing

England

A Day at: Chester Racecourse

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Chester has a reputation for being officially the “oldest racecourse still in operation” and for attracting a particularly rowdy crowd… so I was all about finding that out last Saturday.

As usual, a quick hop across the pond thanks to an early flight from Dublin airport, this time to Liverpool. The sun was shining upon arrival, though the odyssey of getting to Chester was only to begin.

Even in good times it doesn’t seem totally straightforward getting to Chester via public transport. What’s should be about half an hour by car, requires triple the time with bus and train – and that’s if the trains are going.

Last Saturday they were not. The Chester trainline had a mechanical fault and that meant taking replacement busses to get there. Let’s say it took a while and I arrived – much like anyone else – a lot later in Chester than anticipated.

It’s a brisk 15 minute walk to the racecourse from the train station, and the hopes of getting there in time for the first race faded when I was greeted by gigantic queues that had formed in front of the different entrance gates.

So I missed the first race, was already sweaty and exhausted, and definitely ready for a burger and a chilled beer. Saying that, the sheer amount of people, the noise and smells, Chester Racecourse on a balmy Saturday afternoon was an experience I was ill-prepared for.

Racecourse Experience

The layout of Chester racecourse, confined by it’s location, means there’s a lot of walking required, especially if you come to see the horses. To get from the stand to the (pre-) parade ring, you have go underneath the actual track through a tunnel – and back, of course, if you want to see any racing action.

From the infield, where the parade ring is located as well as an a array of food- and drink stalls, vans and bars, there is no elevated view for the poor Tattersalls enclosure racegoer, and the rails are rammed with people. Hence you’ll definitely get your 10.000 steps per day… which is a positive, I guess?

The parade ring itself is huge, and despite the large crowd, thankfully there was always a spot somewhere to get a good view of horses. Size (of the parade ring) matters, in this regard. The pre-parade ring was the place I enjoyed the most, because it was a tiny bit quieter, and you could observe the horses without the armpits of a fellow racegoer in your face.

I must say, it was obvious that many yards in most races came to get a result. The vast majority of horses looked stunningly well prepared: shiny coat, well defined muscles, fit and ready! Although, especially the younger horses, seemed to struggle with the noise, and many were playing up.

I was glad to pick out Rosenpur in the second-last race as the absolute standout pick in the paddock in her race, as well the entire day, and backed her to win readily – it paid for the day, and that’s always appreciated.

Once you laboured all the way back through the tunnel to the stands, there were multiple stands to watch the racing from with a ticket for Tattersalls, and generally the viewing was class. I preferred the stand beside the County Stand which had an elevated platform type viewing area from the top, with superb views across the entire track as well as the big screen.

By the end of the day I had figured out a way to be efficient with the time and walking between parade ring and stand to see as much of the horses and the racing action.

My Tattersalls enclosure ticket was ‪£‬35 + ‪£‬1.25 online booking fee. Expensive, given there was a single class 3 Handicap, and otherwise only lower graded races. However, it was a long day with eight races, to be fair.

Food & Drink

There plenty of variety and different options of food and drink across the entire track, whether that was stand-side, or in the infield. I had a burger for about eleven pounds, which wasn’t a great burger, but decent enough for the price – given this is a racecourse.

I enjoyed the fact there was some solid craft beer available. Not cheap, of course, you pay for drinks anywhere these days, anyway. About ‪£‬8 for an IPA from the van was steep, but then again, it’s not out of the ordinary these days, sadly.

Again, to be fair, the pints tasted good, and I didn’t expect value for money on that front at this racecourse – or any racecourse for that matter – any longer. I made the point often enough in the past, that obviously British racing is pricing out a huge audience with the way they price tickets, food and drink, but that’s the way it is and it won’t change. Milk the cow as long as the juice flows…

Odds of Return

7/1

If ever, for some reason, the chance occurs to be back, then I won’t protest too hard. However, I wouldn’t actively seek it out. Chester caters to a specific audience. It’s the “have fun day out with plenty of drink…. oh and here’s this thing on four legs, I heard it’s called a horse” crowd they’re after.

For racing fans this isn’t a great play to be. I was simply overwhelmed by the massive crowd, and simply the staggering amount of drunk women who wore precious little clothing, and were stumbling across the lawn after one (or perhaps ten?) too many drinks by the time the second race went off.

This isn’t my cup of tea. That’s fine. There are other tracks that suit me better. I still had a good day, ticked off Chester and finally have a better understanding of how this ever turning track looks in real life.

Scotland

A Day at: Ayr Racecourse

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It was a mixed experience at “Scotland’s premier racecourse”, much like the unsettled weather on “Family Fun Day”.

Last Sunday I finally had the opportunity to visit Ayr Racecourse, which bills itself as “Scotland’s premier racecourse”. This race day wasn’t ‘premium’ but I was keen to go racing at a place where I rarely back any winners.

Ayr is only a short 40 minutes trip by train from Glasgow, situated on the southwest coast of Scotland and therefore quite accessible. I flew in from Dublin to Glasgow International Airport in the morning, then walked to Paisley train station and a £12.50 Off-Peak Day Return ticket brought me all the way down to sleepy Ayr on this drizzly Sunday morning.

There’s enough time for a hearty breakfast (The West Kirk, a Wetherspoon, but architecturally exciting as it’s a converted church), a chilled IPA ( Willie Wastles Sports Bar) and a leisurely stroll through town before hitting the racecourse.

Racecourse Experience

It’s £25 through the gate. Steep for a day full of screaming children – it’s “Family Fun Day” – and a bunch of class 5 and 6 races. My biggest bugbear is that an early bird offer was available: £20, which is much fairer – however, the website didn’t allow me to complete the booking with an Irish address. Reaching out to the racecourse via e-mail didn’t yield a response. Disappointing.

That aside, the racecourse is certainly mostly gorgeous with its old Victorian-style stands, the old clock towering over the grandstand and the pretty flat racecourse that’s 100% observable for the racegoer from the stands.

A big screen was available and added to the racing experience, especially for someone who’s into the actual sport: great viewing from the stands, supported by decent binoculars and the screen, made the actual racing experience work well for me.

I loved the large parade ring as well: you can simply walk to the end of it, where the pre-parade ring is located as well, to get a full view of the horses in the preliminaries right until they leave for the track from there.

The inside part of the stands has a number of bars for drinks – I never had to wait long in line – and ample opportunity to sit and follow the action on the screens from there.

Food & Drink

I’m conflicted. The drinks were seriously good value in this day and age: £5 for a lager, and £5.50 for a Guinness. The variety of food offerings were decent, if not great.

Pricing generally fair for a racecourse, although the coffee prices for a regular cup, which is still rather small in my view, is quite excessive – though that’s the case at most racecourses – especially as the coffee is basically brown water.

I felt truly ripped off at the Ice Cream van where I ordered a small single cone with a sprinkle of chocolate sauce for £4.50, which is a lot of money for a small cone. It was literally the tiniest bit of chocolate sauce to the point where it was barely noticeable at all – which says something because the small single cone was certainly tiny.

The worst part: I only realised it later after I checked my banking app, was getting charged £5.00 (which would have been a ‘regular’ single cone) instead of £4.50.

Expectations are low when buying ice cream at a racecourse. I know it’s overpriced; and yet I got quite a few here in Ireland over the last weeks. It’s a treat. But the ice cream van at Ayr took it to new hights. Sure, it could have been an honest mistake… still not a great experience.

Odds of Return

2/1

Overall it was an enjoyable experience; probably for a racing fan like myself, it would be even more enjoyable on a day that’s not called “Family Fun Day”.

Given the quality of racing isn’t always brilliant and entry is on the steep side, this feels more like one “seen it, done it, next one” I don’t mind coming back one day, most likely that’s not too soon, though.

Opinion

The Curragh “failing to woo the punters”

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Groundhog Day: low attendance & poor racegoer experience – the Curragh is in the news for all the wrong reasons yet again.

Irish flat racing HQ staged the 3-day “Irish Guineas Festival” last weekend. A superb package of top-class racing, that included the first Classic races of the new season, as well as an additional five Group races.

Tickets were comparably cheap (€20 early bid), especially compared to other top-class sporting events (or admission to many UK racecourses). And yet, very few turned up to watch Lake Victoria romping home in the 1000 Guineas on Sunday, or a day earlier Field Of Gold getting his stylish redemption in the Irish 2000 Guineas.

No doubt, the shocking weather didn’t help to entice punters to go racing and brave the elements – a tragedy, because the racing was superb. But who can blame those who stayed home: the Curragh isn’t a great place to be at when the weather doesn’t play its part. That’s one of the disappointing facts about this shiny new facility that cost upward of €70 million to redevelop.

However, even in previous years, when the weather gods provided somewhat kinder conditions, attendance figures on Guineas weekend (3 days) didn’t make for pretty reading: 14.088 (2024), 14.773 (2023) and 12.700 (2022). Neither 2000 Guineas Saturday- or 1000 Guineas Sunday broke the 6.000 mark during this period.

This isn’t a once-off phenomenon – it’s a new normal for racing at the Curragh. Attendance for the Derby is anywhere between 10-13k these days, a dramatic decline from 2015, the final Derby run at the Curragh before the redevelopment, that saw a whopping 25.225 huddling around the parade ring to get a glimpse of Jack Hobbs.

Surely, nobody wants to try and rewrite history in an attempt to romanticise the old Curragh. It was a kip when it got finally demolished; walls could tell stories of yesteryear, electric cables dangling dangerously loose in the wind above the heads of racegoers, and the cramming inside the betting hall around the small TVs put those with claustrophobia in a state of paralysis.

Nonetheless, I used to be a member at the old Curragh and I loved the old, shabby place. The available space was rather well utilised to the most part, there was a logic flow through the track for the racegoer and even though the parade ring was a lot smaller than the new one, you still saw the horses!

Perhaps I am romanticising the old Curragh?!

The annual membership was affordable and provided dedicated parking, quick access to the track, a charming members bar overlooking the finish line, a designated members area to watch the racing with the best view across the track, and the occasional side offerings like trips to Coolmore Stud.

Back then the membership was about €180 and seriously good value, even if you couldn’t go every time they raced. In 2025 the membership fee stands at a whopping €350 (mind, when they reponed it was ‘only’ €265…. call that inflation?!).

Granted, that’s still not bad value if you go to all the 24 days. But who does that? Very few. It’s a steep price. In the past it was decent value even if you only went 10-12 times a year, plus the added perks made it worthwhile. Not so much these days.

Anecdotally (I would love to see official figures) the Curragh lost members during the rebuild (when they offered temporary facilities but charged full price, nonetheless) and certainly in subsequent years, due to the significant price hike.

The sad reality is, members or not, ever since the reopening of the redeveloped Curragh, people have voted with their feet and stayed largely away. The drop in attendance for marquee race days, as highlighted earlier, is nothing less than dramatic.

That’s strange, because logic would dictate that a new, modern facility would encourage more and not less people to attend fixtures.

While the official attendance figures for last weekend haven’t been released yet, it’s hard to believe they’ll be any better than the aforementioned figures in 2023 or 2024.

I was there and it didn’t feel a busy on Saturday. It’s certainly eye-opening when AK Bets outlines in their excellent The Racing Room Podcast that they took merely 95 and 55 on the two Classic days. On the lesser days, the place is basically deserted.

The question is: why? Why do people vote with their feet? It can’t be the price point: admission is incredibly affordable, even for the best days of racing at the Curragh – I want to highlight that as a clear positive (while I remain critical of the pricing for the membership) – the early bird offerings are superb value for money. €20 for the 2000 Guineas, €25 for the Irish Derby, for example.

The place hasn’t moved. It’s where its always been. Getting to it is possibly by public transport via bus or train and subsequent shuttle busses, albeit not as plain a sailing as it could be – I did that many years while living in Dublin. Car parking is free onsite. Food and drink, while not cheap, is competitively priced in comparison to rugby, football or GAA.

Why then the dramatic drop-off in attendance? From my personal experience the often cited pain points with the new Curragh mirror the ones I see as well:

  • Poor design and use of the space available – some key areas feel overcrowded even if overall attendance is low.
  • Parade ring isn’t a great place for viewing the horses ((despite having been redone!).
  • Main hall inside the stand gives the vibe of a train station or airport arrival hall.
  • Not enough seating available inside.
  • The roof’s still whistling furiously in windy conditions.
  • Poor protection from the elements in the grandstand.

Some of these criticisms are possibly harsh and contradictory. Racing is an outdoor sport, you can expect to get wet if you want see the horses in the parade ring.

On the other hand, where money’s spend (especially tax-payers money) an expectation of excellence follows. And this expectation of excellence isn’t met at the new Curragh. Be it the roof, be it the facilities inside, be it the poorly designed parade ring.

It’s also hard to imagine that the place could pack more than 15.000. It would be total carnage, with multiple bottlenecks and poor crowd flow. Even with only 10.000 onsite, these issues persist when previously at the old site 20.000 could fit relatively comfortably.

I want to be fair and balanced, and give credit to recent attempts to improve the experience. New marquee tents, food vans, a SPAR inside, more tables and seats. Admission has been made more affordable. So, something is done. Yet, it’s not enough to make you want to spend half a day there. It remains a cold, windy and rather uncomfortable place. Smaller, older tracks around the country do it much better.

Perhaps, for plenty of people the habit of going racing at the Curragh got broken during the redevelopment phase as well. Some never got back into the habit. Some returned once or twice and didn’t enjoy the experience. They’ve never been back.

There’s also a considerable lack of visibility inside the Kildare community. I live in Naas. It’s a 15min drive down the M7 for me. I can’t recall having seen any marketing for the Guineas Festival. Unless you’re a racing fan, you probably wouldn’t have known there’s two of the most important races in the Irish flat racing calendar taking place over the weekend.

Personally, I can’t offer many solutions. Saying that, it’s not my job. I only speak as a racing fan and from my personal experience. And that experience hasn’t been great.

I feel the bird has flown, and the glory days will never return. Flat racing has never been that popular in Ireland. Nonetheless, there shouldn’t be an obvious reason why attendances at the Curragh have dropped so dramatically since the redevelopment, when plenty other sports are thriving in the post-covid era.

There shouldn’t be one obvious reason. Yet there are multiple obvious reasons for the decline. And they are self-inflicted. The blame lies firmly with the racecourse management. It seems, as populist as this may sound: the track has been build for those in the posh seats, with us peasants (aka the average racegoer) forgotten.

Eyecatchers

Flat Eyecatchers 2023: #2

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A list of horses that caught my eye during the recent weeks of racing. Find all previous lists here.

Serious Look
25/04/23 – 4.45 Epsom:

Moved forward quickly to lead travelling wide. Was going strongly approaching the home straight, though gradually tired and fell away in the last two furlongs.

Paid for early exertions, doing too much in deep ground, as those ahead of him in the end were ridden with more restraint.

Travelles well. May found 9f in heavy ground beyond his stamina. A mile in soft ground should be fine, though, so is 7f with plenty of cut in the ground. He seems to hit the ground quite hard.

Race Replay

I’m Mable
26/04/23 – 7.55 Lingfield:

Settled in rear of the field. Travelled strongly, on the bridle as he approached the home straight but went widest and lost ground. Really strong finish. Good form.

Unlucky lto when also a strong run, confirmed here that he’s absolutely ready to strike. Can make a mess at the gate, though.

Would be most intrigued over 5f on turf again. Ran good speed ratings last season, and another 2lb down now, most likely seriously well-handicapped.

Race Replay

Spanish Angel
26/04/23 – 1.50 Catterick:

Widest draw was probably a disadvantage as was travelling on the stands’ side. Made strong progress from 3f out against stands’ rail and finished best of that group.

Huge run in circumstances, confirmed strong AW form, also was a bit unlucky lto. Looks on a possibly lenient turf mark in the right conditions, compared to AW as he’s not 10lb worse judged on speed ratings.

He prefers better ground to be seen to best effect. Didn’t enjoyed these conditions this season yet. Does stay 6f but probably best over shorter.

Race Replay

Soul Seeker
27/04/23 – 2.20 Beverley:

Moved quickly forward and crossed over the the far rail. Led the field, but pressured all the way. battled solidly before fading badly in the final furlong.

Softish ground far from ideal. He’s a different horse on better ground, ideally fast. Ran twice to 78 speed rating off a 77 mark last summer.

Down to a super mark now and after two solid runs under his belt this year, should be a big runner in the right conditions soon.

Race Replay

Lord Rapscallion
27/04/23 – 6.15 Chelmsford:

Grabbed the lead, largely uncontested, was going well entering the home straight. Eventually beaten by those from off the pace. Decent run.

Can ignore next time in class 2. Tricky sort but clearly still with an appetite for the game. Slowly drops to fair mark again. Won off 80 back in December.

Ran twice to speed rating 84+ last year on turf over 7 furlongs. With decent ground should be interesting, especially if he could dominate.

Race Replay

Platinum Girl
28/04/23 – 5.35 Doncaster:

Travelled supremely well from the front and had entire field well on the stretch from 3f out. Tired badly in the final furlong and eventually reeled in by two from off the pace.

Huge seasonal reappearance. Was placed off similar mark last year. Quite experienced and unlikely to have much scope. May find it tough to back up this effort if turned out quickly.

Race Replay

Lotus Rose
29/04/23 – 5.40 Doncaster:

Superb front-running effort. Kicked on from over 2f out and looked the winner until swamped late in the day. Ran to 69 speed rating here, strong form.

Ran multiple times to mid-60 speed ratings and higher. Improved nicely from seasonal debut. Probably best over minimum trip with cut in the ground but 6f on better ground no issue either. Versatile.

Race Replay

Glorious Rio
29/04/23 – 2.05 Haydock:

Badly bumped and squeezed out of the gate by two rivals, trailed as a consequence. Wall of horses in front and had to switch wide to the far side, giving ground and momentum away. Came through well from over 1f out.

Strong run in circumstances. Ran with credit on the All-Weather this year before. Comes down to solid mark. Not tons in hand but ran to 68, 69 and 71 speed ratings since August last year.

Any additional help from the handicapper will bue valuable. He’s better over the minimum trip, and prefers decent ground. Not disgraced at Newcastle on Tuesday off 69.

Race Replay

Dream Together
29/04/23 – 2.05 Haydock:

Travelled quite well on stands’ side, which was potentially not ideal being high drawn in this race, as was away from where the pace developed. Travelled strongly to 2f out before effort petered out.

Reportedly made a respiratory noise afterwards, that may explain the tame finish, although he wasn’t advantaged by the way the race developed in any way.

Small risk whether all is fine with him, but in any case another 2lb down and well-handicapped now. Ran solid on the All-Weather before, somewhat unfortunate. Achieved speed ratings last season that will give him a huge chance wherever he goes, if healthy.

Race Replay

Forward Flight
30/04/23 – 3.35 Wetherby:

Moved forward from #9 draw to closely follow the pace. Pressed the leader from 3f out and couple of lengths ahead before swamped. Accepted challenge and stuck strongly to the task to hold on for 2nd place.

Strong run and speed rating only 2lb shy of current mark, which was left untouched. Given great opportunity if he can find a handicap over a mile in proper soft ground as still somewhat unexposed in these conditions which seemingly bring out the best in him.

Can ignore hurdle and All-Weather form; he looks potentially well-handicapped off 70 in the right conditions.

Race Replay

Belsito
30/04/23 – 3.45 Musselburgh:

Fell out of the gate. Overcame his highly awkward start quickly, as moved forward rapidly to lead after the first furlong even. Did way too much to get there but only fell away from from over a furlong out.

Strong run in circumstances and clearly better than result. Won when last seen in 2022. Full-brother to Group 3 winning miler. Should have no issues going up in trip.

Opening mark no giveaway, but could have a couple of pounds ahead if he moves up to 6 furlongs.

Race Replay

Eponina
01/05/23 – 4.03 Beverley:

Grabbed the lead, although closely followed all the time. Keen in the first half of the race. Under severe pressure entering the home straight. Gutsy, still fought back when beaten over 1f out.

Clearly in good form. Ran well last two times as well. If ground stays soft drop to 7f possibly ideal. Chester entry on Wednesday interesting.

Closely enough rated to more recent best speed ratings, but any help from handicapper will see her having something in hand in the right race.

Race Replay

Master Sully
01/05/23 – 3.33 Bath:

First bumped, then squeezed out soon after the start. Stumbled after the first furlong. Got going again but ultimately never stood a chance. Better than this as he caught the eye at Lingfield before as well when turning very wide but finished well enough.

Not much scope but chance off 47, especially on turf, 5f on decent ground. Some strong performances last year, especially when out of the handicap off 51 at Ffos Las.

Ran twice to 48 speed rating, latest in January. Looks like he’s in the same sort of form as his best from 2022, hence should have a few pounds ahead now.

Race Replay

Sir Titan
02/05/23 – 1.50 Brighton:

Bounced out of the gate from wide draw to grab the lead and set strong gallop. Started to tire from 3 furlongs out, though ran solid to the line.

Not disgraced the last two. Veteran who still enjoys the game. Simply not the old force any more and will benefit from further drop in the ratings and down into class 6.

Race Replay

Mount Mogan
03/05/23 – 6.10 Brighton:

Led, although closely tracked. Still ahead at the final furlong marker, but heavily under pressure. Only faded from half a furlong out. Probably solid form, winner possibly still ahead of his mark.

Comes down to good mark. Ran well on the All-Weather (unlucky 03/03) against good opposition. Will benefit from drop to class 6 again and could be dangerous now, over 6-7f.

Possibly a bit better on the sand, but intriguing on turf off 63 if the ground decent, especially over 6 furlongs.

Race Replay

Hardy Angel
03/05/23 – 4.00 Pontefract:

Overcame widest draw quickly to dispute lead all the way while travelling wide, giving ground away. Hit the front just about with 1.5f to go before getting swallowed for good by two ridden with more restraint. Saddle slipped late, too.

Lightly raced. May enjoy better ground. Good run and interesting off current mark over 6f on decent ground, probably does also enjoy galloping track more than tight ones.

Race Replay

Fiscal Policy
03/05/23 – 9.00 Kempton:

Seriously keen throughout the race, but strongly travelling into the home straight. Tremendous visual impression when let go as he moved forward stylishly from 2.5f out to hit the front in an instant. Markedly tired from over 1f out and caught late.

Often keen over 6f. Ran well number of times before. Achieved 62 speed rating here, hence likely to be ahead of mark, and should be if not too harshly treated by the handicapper after this. Has 5f entries next week. Intriguing over the minimum trip.

Race Replay

Shabaaby
04/05/23 – 2.00 Ayr:

Awkward start. In rear, going okay until outpaced from 2f out. Kept going strongly to the line and finished best of all. Ran to strong 61 speed rating, 3lb below current mark.

Fast conditions over the minimum trip not ideal. Notably how well he ran. Clearly ready in right conditions. Prefers cut in the ground and stays 6f.

Ran to 68 speed rating at Dundalk in January. Changed yards. Tricky customer. Worth to wait for the right conditions. Perhaps ran too good to be dropped another pound our two here, though.

Race Replay

Gullane One
04/05/23 – 4.30 Redcar:

Led his group on the far side. Good pace. Ran strongly to the line but beaten by one from off the pace. Strong form through winner and 2nd.

Better over 6f and pretty ground independent, though may not want the extreme end of either side of the going stick. Ran good speed ratings within last twelve month and this a clear return to form.

Race Replay

Big R
04/05/23 – 2.10 Salisbury:

At disadvantage from the #8 gate. Caught wide and without cover early on, before settling at the back of the field. Good progress on outside from halfway stage. Nearly upside leaders over 1f out, before getting tired.

Comeback run and handicap debut. Huge performance against pace and track bias. Showed good early speed last year. May stay 7f on pedigree but 6f possibly ideal.

Was a cheap yearling but looks clearly better than opening 70 mark.

Race Replay

Michaels Choice
04/05/23 – 2.45 Salisbury:

Had the widest draw to overcome. Huge disadvantage. Raced widest without cover. Good progress from over 2f out, just tired late.

Strong run on seasonal reappearance. Ran to 66 speed rating. Clearly as good as ever. Won off 70 multiple times in the past. Ran to 70 speed rating twice last year.

Loves it at Salisbury. Interesting next time out but in an ideal world he finds a way to drop a couple of pounds to become seriously well-handicapped.

Race Replay

With Respect
04/05/23 – 2.45 Salisbury:

Awkward start, travelled strongly against the inside rail at the end of the field. Good progress but full effort delayed until he got out late to finish strongly.

Ran 70 speed rating equal to current mark. Caught the eye on the All-Weather before. Seems to be still improving and capable of winning, especially if not harshly assessed for this run by the handicapper.

Most likely prefers a bit of give in the ground, certainly no fast ground. Can be a bit tricky out of the gate but usually a strong traveller.

Race Replay

Capofan
05/05/23 4.25 Musselburgh:

Raced about 5 lengths off the pace, quite keen, took a grip. Overraced especially around the home bend and huge move from 4f out to go upside with leaders. Fell away in the closing stages.


Still a maiden and not one to trust too much, didn’t run a good speed rating yet. However this is probably solid form and a drop to 6f will be interesting off revised career-lowest mark.

Race Replay


B Associates
05/05/23 4.25 Musselburgh:

Travelled off the pace, outpaced halfway through, before good progress. held up behind leaders from 2f out, looked bit awkward, possibly hung. Ran on strongly.


Caught the eye lto over the minimum trip at Newcastle as well. Clearly in strong form but a difficult sort. A step up to 1m interesting. Maybe one tough to catch given it’s Goldie.

Race Replay

Azano
05/05/23 – 5.20 Newmarket:

Made the most of the standing start. Led, set strong pace, had the field on the stretch from 3 furlongs out and ran home better than most, bar a strong winner. Strong 92 speed rating.

Clearly up to win and confirmed level of form shown last year. If untouched by the handicapper interesting in similar race, especially in a smaller field.

Race Replay

Island Star
05/05/23 – 4.20 Goodwood:

Tracked an honest pace, always going well. Not a clear run from 3f out when horses led across him and hindered him to move out for his effort. Accelerated well once in the clear, especially after he was close to the pace all the time, before getting tired and not given a hard time in the final furlong.

Won well lto. Looks progressive and could still be handicapped to win off 77, after running to 73 speed rating here in not ideal circumstances.

Race Replay

Vecchio
05/05/23 – 4.20 Goodwood:

Tracked the pace early on, pretty keen through the race. Not a clear run in the home straight and had to delay full effort multiple times, also hung. Finished nicely under and easy ride in the final furlong.

Comeback run and gelded during his break. First try over a mile. Should get the trip easily if he can settle better. A drop to 7f shouldn’t be an issue, either. Should be competitive off a revised mark.

Race Replay

Straits Of Moyle
06/05/23 – 2.00 Thirsk:

Right up with the pace, never far off, always racing in prominent position. Was going notably well 2f out, found plenty for pressure and only went down behind two well handicapped horses.

Strong form. Clearly in good nick. Ran career best speed rating on All-Weather earlier this year, although much better on turf.

Ran 74+ speed ratings twice, including a career-best 79 last summer. Handicapped to win off 72 as left untouched by handicapper.

Race Replay

Lokada
06/05/23 – 1.35 Naas:

Prominent on the far side, travelled strongly, possibly going best. Got up late for 2nd place on his side, but no chance with winner on stands’ side, who was probably advantaged by racing on that side.

Up 2lb, more than fair. Ran to 70 speed rating here and 81 on AW last year. This form should be strong, every chance can progress and win next time. If not for racing from a wide draw lto at Dundalk her record could read even better.

Race Replay

Track Report

Cork 2022 Flat Opener

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Balmy weather and a solid card of seven races on offer – on a quiet Sunday I used the opportunity to drive down to Cork for their flat season opener.

It’s been a while since I’ve been at the Mallow track. So, I was certainly excited for racing on a day with perfect spring weather for flat racing on ground described as good. The card had a solid look as well: a few interesting maiden races, the Listed Cork Stakes and some intriguing Handicaps.

€20 get you in. Given the recent heated discussions about ticket prices in the UK on the back of Cheltenham, thankfully here in Ireland entrance fees are generally fair – particularly for the marquee days and Festivals.

For the card on offer on this Sunday €20 isn’t necessarily cheap, though, it includes a racecard. Coffee was €2.80, a bog standard 99 ice cream €3.00. Can’t complain – that’s fair enough. Let’s not forget Covid has hit racecourses hard over the last two years.

Cork Racecourse is a lovely track. There’s a friendly vibe, short ways from parade ring to betting to the stands. Solid facilities. Good viewing of the action. A cozy place.

My focus on the day wasn’t so much on betting. It rarely is when I go racing. It’s all about the atmosphere, the horses and this time in particular: photos. I was hoping to capture some solid action shots – and left satisfied!

Crispy Cat

Race Review

The opening 7 furlong maiden was perhaps the most intriguing contest of the day. Princess Olly, a daughter of Invincible Spirit, was an expensive 220,000 gns yearling. Quite why she was an 18/1 shot I am not sure, though. She looked fine in the parade ring and won nicely for AMO racing, trainer Adrian Murray and jockey Rossa Ryan, who flew over for the ride. She should get further and looks an exciting prospect.

The runner up Osraige, trained by Joseph O’Brien, travelled best of all for most of the race but didn’t quite get there in the end. She’s an obvious one to keep an eye on.

Princess Olly – winner of the opener

The Listed Cork Stakes over 6 furlongs looks a cracking race on paper. Half the field, at least, had a realistic shot. In the end Power Under Me for Ger Lyons and jockey Colin Keane got up on the line in a thrilling finish that saw Mooneista only headed in the dying strides.

The 4-year-old gelding continued where he left off, after he finished 2021 with a Listed win at the Curragh. In saying that, I thought Elliptic, back in fourth place, was the eye-catcher of the day. She looks to have trained on well and finished strongly coming from off the pace with a brave move.

Power Under Me lands the Cork Stakes

It was a double on the day for AMO Racing thanks to the Michael O’Callaghan trained Crispy Cat in the five furlong juvenile maiden. He looked ready pre-race and won a shade cozily in the end, having another interesting Ger Lyons expensive newcomer Beauty Crescent in second.

The subsequent 5 furlong Handicap for 3-year-olds was probably the one I was most interested in. Some good prospects lined up, with my money riding on Red Lacewing.

The physical difference between the horses in the parade ring was striking. Pearl Palinka, who was thought to be one of the leading contender beforehand, didn’t look particularly ready for her first outing of the year. Whereas Ernest Rutherford was a reall standout – shiny coat and fit – it was no surprise he won the best turned out award.

Ernest Rutherford

But it was Drombeg Banner who landed the spoils eventually. Well supported in the market, the Ken Condon trained gelding went off favourite, made all and wasn’t for catching.

Runner-up Red Lacewing ran an excellent race in defeat. A slow start didn’t help, and her momentum was stopped half a furlong from home by the left hanging winner. She had to switch and regather momentum but the damage was done.

I believe she is one to watch out for. She looked well physically, although, was quite unruly pre-race when walking from the parade ring to the track. Clearly temperamental, she has a big engine and was an eye-catcher on all occasions last year.

Red Lacewing

It was a rather quiet day for team O’Brien. Only Aiden – with Shark Bay in the lucky last – won a race. Although Osraige for Joseph and Elliptic for Donnacha ran promising races. There are bigger days to come for them.

All photos © Florian Christoph