The voice of racing men since 1998

Saturday, 3 May 2025

2025 Flat - What's in a Name

Henri Matisse 

Henri Émile Benoît Matisse (31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954) was a French visual artist, known for both his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a draughtsman, printmaker, and sculptor, but is known primarily as a painter. Matisse is commonly regarded, along with Pablo Picasso, as one of the artists who best helped to define the revolutionary developments in the visual arts throughout the opening decades of the twentieth century, responsible for significant developments in painting and sculpture. The intense colourism of the works he painted between 1900 and 1905 brought him notoriety as one of the Fauves (French for "wild beasts"). 

Many of his finest works were created in the decade or so after 1906, when he developed a rigorous style that emphasized flattened forms and decorative pattern. In 1917, he relocated to a suburb of Nice on the French Riviera, and the more relaxed style of his work during the 1920s gained him critical acclaim as an upholder of the classical tradition in French painting. After 1930, he adopted a bolder simplification of form. When ill health in his final years prevented him from painting, he created an important body of work in the medium of cut paper collage.

Dr Strangelove

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (better known as only Dr. Strangelove) is a 1964 British-American black comedy movie directed and produced by Stanley Kubrick, and starring Peter Sellers.

The story concerns an unhinged United States Air Force general, Sterling Hayden as Jack D. Ripper. He orders a first strike nuclear attack on the Soviet Union. It follows the President, his advisers, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and a Royal Air Force (RAF) officer as they try to recall the bombers to prevent a nuclear apocalypse. It separately follows the crew of one B-52 bomber as they try to deliver their payload.

Lake Victoria

Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. With a surface area of approximately 59,947 km2 (23,146 sq mi). Lake Victoria is Africa's largest lake by area, the world's largest tropical lake, and the world's second-largest fresh water lake by surface area after Lake Superior in North America. In terms of volume, Lake Victoria is the world's ninth-largest continental lake, containing about 2,424 km3 (1.965×109 acre⋅ft) of water.

 Lake Victoria occupies a shallow depression in Africa. The lake has an average depth of 40 m (130 ft) and a maximum depth of 80–81 m (262–266 ft). Its catchment area covers 169,858 km2 (65,583 sq mi). The lake has a shoreline of 7,142 km (4,438 mi) when digitized at the 1:25,000 level, with islands constituting 3.7% of this length.

The lake's area is divided among three countries: Tanzania occupies 49% (33,700 km2 (13,000 sq mi)), Uganda 45% (31,000 km2 (12,000 sq mi)), and Kenya 6% (4,100 km2 (1,600 sq mi)). The lake is home to many species of fish which live nowhere else, especially cichlids. Invasive fish, such as the Nile perch, have driven many endemic species to extinction.

Friday, 2 May 2025

2025 Flat - Bonus Races and Scoring

All races in the UK and Ireland, Group and listed races in France, Group races in rest of Europe and Turkey, Non Handicap Group 1 Grade1 Races in America and Canada

Group 1 25 points,
Group 2 20
Group 3 15
Listed          12 ( Races run off set weight Bands)    
Handicaps   10 (Races run off a weight range , ie 0-90, and including handicaps with the word listed in the title)
Heritage handicaps 25 points. 
All other races     10
2nd place in Bonus races 12 points + tote return

Grand Slam , there are 4 grand slam events, 2 on the flat at Royal Ascot and York in August, Cheltenham and Aintree over jumps.  the top scoring trainer at these meetings gains an extra 20 points. Any one winning all 4 on the bounce completes the Grand Slam and gets another 20 point bonus.

Single Pick Bonus of double points, unless race is bonus race, when only the points value of the race is added as a bonus.

Bonus Races
2,000 GUINEAS NEWMARKET, MAY 
1,000 GUINEAS NEWMARKET, MAY 
Lockinge Stakes                        Newbury May                                             
Oaks        EPSOM, JUNE 
CORONATION CUP EPSOM   JUNE 
DERBY EPSOM    JUNE 
ST JAMES PALACE STAKES ROYAL ASCOT,  JUNE 
QUEEN ANNE STAKES ROYAL ASCOT,  JUNE 
PRINCE OF WALES STAKES ROYAL ASCOT,  JUNE 
ASCOT GOLD CUP ROYAL ASCOT,   JUNE 
CORONATION STAKES ROYAL ASCOT,  JUNE 
DIAMOND JUBILEE STAKES ROYAL ASCOT,  JUNE 
KING CHARLES III Stakes (Kings Stand)  Royal Ascot June                                          
Commonwealth Cup       Royal Ascot June                                                     
Irish Derby CURRAGH,   JUNE  
ECLIPSE STAKES SANDOWN    JULY  
JULY CUP NEWMARKET,   JULY   
KING GEORGE VI & QUEEN ELIZABETH STAKES ASCOT,   JULY  
SUSSEX STAKES GOODWOOD,   JULY 
NASSAU STAKES GOODWOOD,  AUGUST                                      
INTERNATIONAL STAKES  York
NUNTHORPE STAKES YORK,   AUGUST                               
IRISH CHAMPION STAKES , LEOPARDSTOWN, SEPTEMBER 
ST LEGER DONCASTER,  SEPTEMBER 
PRIX DE L'ARC DE TRIOMPHE LONGCHAMP OCTOBER 
CHAMPION STAKES  ASCOT,   OCTOBER 
QUEEN ELIZABETH II STAKES ASCOT,  OCTOBER


2025 Flat - Previous Champs and Chumps

Previous Champs and Chumps
Figures in brackets are point’s totals. 10 Horses were used up to jumps 99/2000 when we moved to 15.
From jump season 200/7 8 single picks get double points.
Hall Of Fame                              List Of Shame                             
Flat 1998   Steve
Flat 1999  Tony (276)            Spoon Bob (59)
Flat 2000 Bob    (497)           Spoon  Steve (105)
Flat 2001 Cod    (402)           Spoon  Cliff (99)
Flat 2000 John (794)            Spoon  Steve (259)
Flat 2003 Neil (601)             Spoon)  Steve) (229)
Flat 2004  John                    Spoon  Peej)
Flat 2005  Neil                      Spoon John   
Flat 2006 Neil (580)             Spoon Peej (224)
Flat 2007  Cliff 703             Spoon Martin 155     
Flat 2008  Cod 1019             Spoon  Steve
Flat 2009  Peej 874                Spoon Tony333
Flat 2010 Bob 958                  Spoon  John 456
Flat 2011 John967                Spoon    Steve    546
Flat 2012  Cod   881               Spoon    Peej   498
Flat 2013 Martin   778.5           Spoon   Bob   377
Flat 2014  Lee    1222.1             Spoon   Martin 443.1
Flat 2015  Cliff   1057.1            Spoon   Steve     340.8
Flat 2016   Bob   875.9             Spoon    Steve  328.1   
Flat 2017   Martin  821.2         Spoon Cod   184.5
Flat2018    Cliff     1254.8         Spoon  Cod  246.2
Flat 2019    Neil  1437.2            Spoon   Peej 545.4
Flat 2020   Cliff   872.4              Spoon   Cod    307.35 * short season due to Covid      
Flat 2021 Steve 802.8                Spoon Peej    217.75
Flat 2022   Neil 838.73                Spoon Cod 250.8
Flat 2023   Bob  995.46              Spoon   Peej  432.74
Flat   2024 Neil 1039.33              Spoon  Bob 553.22

Jumps Hall Of Fame                    List Of  Shame
Jumps 98/99 Cliff                        Spoon Steve
Jumps 99/00 Cliff(541)                Spoon Steve (182)
Jumps 00/01 Bob (387)                Spoon Lee  (198)
Jumps 01/02 Martin (512)          Spoon Steve (161)
Jumps 02/03 Lee (618)                Spoon Cod  (238)
Jumps 03/04 Neil( 661)               Spoon Steve (361)
Jumps 04/05 John (571)             Spoon Steve (166)
Jumps 05/06 John (571)             Spoon Cliff (180)      
Jumps 06/07 Lee 705                   Spoon  Cod  203
Jumps 07/08 Cliff 703                Spoon   John 322
Jumps 08/09 Lee 737                 Spoon   Tony 249
Jumps   09/10  Bob 983              Spoon    Neil 497
Jumps 10/11   Martin 750         Spoon   Peej 481
Jumps 11/12    Cod   698           Spoon Neil 441
Jumps 12/13  Neil                       Spoon Cliff  
Jumps 13/14  Peej, 842.6          Spoon  Cliff   400.2
Jumps 14/15 Tony 910.6      Spoon 327.8
Jumps 15/16   Neil                 Spoon Steve 545.4  
  Jumps   16/17 Lee 1061                 Spoon   Bob  645.8           
Jumps 17/18  Steve    1035.84          Spoon  Bob  510.9
Jumps 18/19   Peej    1055.1               Spoon     Neil 559.1
Jumps 19/20  Steve 737.7                   Spoon  Cod 481.3  (Season stopped on March 20th due to Covid 19)
Jumps 20/21  Cliff   1093.8           Spoon  Bob   373.1
Jumps 21/22    Peej 1203.92         Spoon Martin 427.99
Jumps 22/23  Peej  1226.22             Spoon  Cliff  680.42
Jumps 23/4    Peej   111.9                  Spoon Cod 639. 57
Jumps 24/5    Steve 794.57               Spoon Martin 351.45

2025 Flat - Editor's Introduction

Firstly to add more fuel with which to ridicule the Editor through the season I have been asked to give my rating on the picks in this hand book, so they will have a 1 to 5 star rating, 1being the lowest.

The classic lists have taken a shake up since the start of the season, as  Coolmore and Godolphin have found Juddmone muscling in to the classic markets,  and it will be interesting to see what Coolmore send to the 2000 Guineas  as O’Brien has been casting doubts about the Lion In Winter being ready. Perhaps he is more of a Pussy Cat than a Lion, time will tell. 

We have a bigger focus on handicaps with the amended scoring system and it will be interesting to see if it has the same effect as over jumps. I certainly changed my selection process a bit. Again it is nice to see a number of the decent 3 year olds staying in training at 4. 

One thing I have noticed is that the all weather has given late developing 2 year olds opportunities , a few in here made debuts between mid October and December.

The 3 year old sprint division looks ultra competitive so we have plenty to look forward to, in total, 108 different horse’s !   41 are covered.

Good luck to all

Horse of the Season - The Roll of Honour

It's not scientific, it's the horse that earns the most points for us.

Here's a list of all the winners*

2025 - Calandagan
2024/25 - Jonbon
2024 - Kyprios
2023/24 - State Man
2023 - Highfield Princess
2022/23 - State Man
2022 - Alpinista
2021/22 - Allaho
2021 - St Mark's Basilica
2020/21 - Shishkin
2020 - Ghaiyyath
2019/20 - Defi Du Seuil and Honeysuckle (shared)
2019 - Japan
2018/19 - Frodon
2018 - Alpha Centauri
2017/18 - Footpad
2017 - Enable
2016/17 - Native River
2016 - Minding
2015/16 - Cue Card
2015 - Muhaarar
2014/15 - Don Cossack
2014 - Charm Spirit
2013/14 - O'Faolain's Boy
2013 - The Fugue
2012/13 - Hurricane Fly

*OK, so Horse of the Season wasn't a thing until 2015/16 but we can apply the same principle and go back a bit further with the theme.

2024/25 Boozy Punter Horse of the Season

Congratulations to...

Jonbon

Nicky Henderson's stable star has been a regular in the competition since 2021/22, racking up 82.31 points in that season, 150.79 in 2022/23, 154.03 in 2023/24 before finally coming out on top this season with a total of 228.9.

The biggest surprise was that Jonbon was a single pick for Steve this season having been abandoned by Martin. It played a part in Steve ultimately taking the title.

Jonbon's season started in the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham on the opening day of the competition. A one and a half length win at 1/3F was good for 42.68 points.

The Tingle Creek at Sandown was next and the 8/13F overcame the heavy ground under Nico De Boinville to run out an eight length winner and earn Steve another 53.24 points.

That points haul was exactly repeated at Ascot in January in the Clarence House. It was a comfortable win by six and a half lengths with Energumene the nearest challenger.

The first blemish of the season came in the Champion Chase at the Festival. A shocking jumping error cost the odds-on favourite any chance of getting involved in the finish and it was an 18 lengths second to Marine Nationale in the end. A bonus race still earned Steve 26.4 points.

Jonbon returned to winning ways at Aintree in the Melling Chase. Leading after the eighth the horse eased clear to deliver another 53.34 points to Steve's total. The season ended at Sandown with a defeat to Il Etait Temps but Jonbon had already done enough to etch his name onto the Roll of Honour.

The top three:

228.9 - Jonbon (42.68 + 53.24 + 53.24 + 26.4 + 53.34)
193.0 - Golden Ace (44.4 + 148.6)
161.0 - Lossiemouth (53.16 + 53.34 + 54.5)

Thursday, 1 May 2025

2024/25 Jumps Issue 25 - Steve takes the title

Headlines

Warrior fights of Sandown rivals
Temps makes Permanent Point

Report

At Sandown on Saturday in he 2m 6f grade 2 chase Gaelic Warrior ( Bob, Steve), went to post, Towards rear, in touch with leaders after 4 out, went second before 2 out, led after 2 out, clear run-in, winning comfortably by 5l. Bob gets 43.68 points, Steve 21.84

In the 2m grade 1 Celebration Chase IL Etait Temps ( Neil, Peej), took his chance, Travelled strongly, in rear, smooth headway after 4 out, went second after 3 out, led after 2 out, shaken up and went clear run-in, winning impressively by 5 ½ l . He gets 30.7 points.

John  Torpey Memorial Trophy
                 April         Total
Steve      184.68              794.57
Bob         101,18                  745.72
Neil          142.2                728.86
Cliff          129                  712.85
Peej        184.7                710.71
Cod          30.4                419.8
Martin      00                351.45

So Peej just takes trainer of the Month, Steve is Jumps Champion, Congratulations ! 


Stats Per String
        Runners     Winners
Bob,           56 24
Cliff           59     21
Cod,          51      14
Martin,      73    15
Neil           53  24
Peej          58  23
 Steve       53 26


The Weeks Losers
Mister Meggitt, We’re Red And Blue, Salver, Jonbon, Dancing City