Steve has Chosen a nice Item
Portcullis shuts out rivals at York
Scandinavia lands Levmoss stakes.
Speech lands Noteable points at Newbury
Kalpana takes Aston Park stakes
Reports
We start at York on Thursday where in the 1m 2f group 2 Fillies stakes See The Fire (Martin), went to post, Took keen hold, raced in second, pressed leader over 4f out, led over 2f out, nudged along over 1f out, winning cosily by ¾ l. She gets 43.68 points.
In the 1m 2f group 2 Item ( Steve), took his chance, Took keen hold, in rear, headway over 3f out, went second 2f out, ridden to lead 1f out, edged left but went clear inside final 110yds, ran on strongly winning by 2 ¾ l. He gets 53.4 points.
At York on Friday in the 1m confined novice stakes Portcullis (Cliff, Peej, Steve) went to post, Took keen hold, soon prominent, went second halfway, led narrowly over 2f out, ridden and faced challenges over 1f out, stayed on well, winning by ¾ l He gets 12 points.
At Leopardstown in the 1m 6f group 3 Scandinavia ( Bob, Cliff, Cod, Neil), went to post, Raced in third, went second after 5f, nudged along 3f out, led under 2f out, faced challenge inside final furlong, ridden and kept on well towards finish, always doing enough, winning by ½ l. He gets 16.23 points.
On Saturday at Newbury in the 1m 4f group 3 Kalpana (Martin, Steve), took her chance, Soon in rear but in touch with leaders, switched left and headway 3f out, soon went second, led 2f out, soon ridden, reduced lead towards finish, always doing enough, winning by a neck. She gets 17.1 points.
In the 1m group 1 Lockinge stakes Noteble Speech (Martin), went to post, Travelled strongly, in touch with leaders, switched right over 2f out, good headway to lead 1f out, ridden briefly and ran on well final furlong, winning readily by 2l. He gets 81 points.
The John Torpey Memorial Trophy
May Total
Cliff 233.83 233.83
Bob 185.16 185.16
Martin 170.46 170.46
Cod 166.57 166.57
Steve 164.67 164,67
Neil 106.33 106.33
Peej 77.12 77.12
Stats Per String
Runs Wins
Martin 10 4
Bob 13 5
Cliff 11 6
Neil 13 3
Peej 13 3
Cod 11 4
Steve 9 5
The Weeks Losers
Corolla Point, Copper Knight, Red Letter, Fallen Angel, Synchronicity, Lover Girl, Schrodingers Cat, Revival Power, French Master, Damysus, The Lion In Winter, Zeus Olmypios, Addison Grey, Mezcala, Montezuma, Port Ferdinand, Charles Darwin, Wise Approach, Railway Man, Dancing Tiger
Weekend Runners
Saturday
Haydock
1.45 Morrophore
2.20 Objector
2.58 Venetian Sun
3.30 Asfoora, American Affair
York
3.15 Danielle
Curragh
3.05 Spycatcher
3.40 Gstaad, Puerto Rico, Bow Echo, Lifeplan
Sunday
Curragh
2,15 Great Barrier Reef
3.20 Fallen Angel,
3.55 Almeric, Aventure, Bay City Roller, Faiyum, Jan Brueghel, Kalpana, Minnie Hauk, Ombudsman, Purview, Red Letter, The Lion In Winter
4.30 Abashiri, Amelia Earhart, Diamond Necklace, Precise, Synchronicity, True Love, Venetian Sun
News
George Boughey has revealed his 2,000 Guineas star Bow Echo will skip the Irish 2,000 Guineas and head to the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot next.
Diamond Necklace was cut across the board for the Betfred Oaks, with the sponsors making her 5-1 second-favourite behind stablemate Amelia Earhart, though it’s hard to escape the conclusion there are a couple of extra points on top because the Coolmore partners may be tempted to return to France for the Prix de Diane Longines at Chantilly on June 14. O’Brien and the owners will have that discussion in the days to come, but confirmed she will go up in trip for one of the two middle-distance Classics rather than stay at a mile.
Aidan O'Brien's impressive Chester heroine Amelia Earhart and Precise look poised for a tilt at Betfred Oaks glory with stablemate Diamond Necklace likely to return to France for the Prix de Diane after she put up a scintillating display in the French 1,000 Guineas last weekend.
Triple Group 1 winner Ombudsman is set to warm up for Royal Ascot at either Sandown or the Curragh before he bids for back-to-back wins in the Prince of Wales's Stakes. John and Thady Gosden are considering another crack at Sandown's Group 3 Star Sports Brigadier Gerard Stakes with their five-year-old, who finished second to Almaqam in the 1m2f contest last year under a 3lb penalty.
The Commonwealth Cup favourite Charles Darwin will warm up for Royal Ascot at Naas on Sunday in the Group 3 Goffs Lacken Stakes, while the market leaders for the Coventry and Albany Stakes could also feature on what promises to be a highly informative Royal Ascot Trials day at the track.
Charles Darwin is 5-1 with Ladbrokes for the Commonwealth Cup following his stylish winning reappearance at Navan last month and Aidan O’Brien expects him to make a giant leap forward from that comeback success on Sunday, where a field of 12 have been entered at the five-day stage.
Few horses have created as much of an impression on their debut this season as Great Barrier Reef, who won a Curragh maiden ultra-impressively by six lengths, and he is already favourite for the Coventry Stakes on the back of that and no bigger than 3-1 with any firm.The next rung up the ladder on the way there could arrive in the sprint won by Charles Darwin last year, which has attracted a dozen entries.
Owen Burrows said the decision to bypass next month's Betfred Derby with Raaheeb was a simple one, but he hopes a Classic bid remains in the equation with the Irish Derby under consideration.
The son of Sea The Stars made it two wins from two starts with victory in last month's bet365 Classic Trial at Sandown, resulting in bookmakers cutting him into 8-1 (from 20) for the Epsom showpiece on June 6.
However, Raaheeb returned stiff from that success and was ruled out of the Group 1 and although it was unfortunate news, Burrows said it was not a tricky decision to make with the brother to Group 1 winners Baaeed and Hukum. Burrows said: "He's been back cantering for a week. He had to walk for ten days, and then trot, and you have to be 110 per cent going to a Derby, so it made our decision quite easy. It's a long season and we want him about for when he's four and five, if he can prove himself. He's an important horse for everybody."The Lambourn trainer is now looking ahead with the unbeaten colt, who will be given an entry for Royal Ascot next month, but the Irish Derby at the Curragh on June 28 is a race he is leaning towards.
Last year’s Gold Cup winner Trawlerman is not a definite runner in this year’s Royal Ascot showpiece due to taking longer than anticipated to come to hand this spring.
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