I have been quite slack in the last week or so, but we are off on holiday to France on Saturday and trying to sort stuff out plus work is wearing me out - no good!
I just got a notification that both Ibn Khaldun and Frozen Fire are entered for the Irish Derby. I doubt whether Ibn Khaldun will run in it, as I see him as more of a miler. I hope that the fact he holds an entry means that his injury has cleared up. As for Frozen Fire, I honestly think he has a great chance. The Epsom course was not to his liking, but maybe the Curragh will suit better?
Anyway, my posts will probably be sparse until I am back from holiday on 28 June, but 29 June it is time for the Irish Derby! Wooohoo!
Plus I hope Holland will be in the final of Euro 2008 on the same day :o)
Showing posts with label ibn khaldun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ibn khaldun. Show all posts
Tuesday, 17 June 2008
Wednesday, 14 May 2008
3yo - update 1
Frozen Fire is entered in the Dante Stakes (G2) at York tomorrow. If Twice Over shows up he will be a short-priced favourite, around 4/6 at the moment. Frozen Fire is expected to go off around the 14/1 mark. The race over one and a quarter miles should be right up his street and there could be a big improvement on the cards for him. Aidan O'Brien's horses seem in good form and if this guy is entered in such a race he must be deemed to have a good chance by his owner and trainer. I hope he will do really well. Unfortunately I will be at work so I won't be able to see the race :o(
Godolphin have announced that Ibn Khaldun may run in the Irish 2,000 Guineas on 24 May after a pleasing work over Chippenham hill. He ran very flat in the english version and I hope he will redeem himself, because he is much better that he showed in that race.
Godolphin have announced that Ibn Khaldun may run in the Irish 2,000 Guineas on 24 May after a pleasing work over Chippenham hill. He ran very flat in the english version and I hope he will redeem himself, because he is much better that he showed in that race.
Friday, 2 May 2008
Here Comes The Guineas
I am so proud that two of my ToF horse have made it to the 2,000 Guineas this year. It promises to be a great race with New Approach firmly at the head of the betting with many believing he should be the easy winner. Of course I beg to differ.
Ibn Khaldun : By a miler out of a miler, he is perfectly bred for the Guineas. His dam Gossamer in fact won the Irish 1,000 Guineas in 2002. Gossamer is also a full sister to Barathea, who won the Irish 2,000 Guineas and was second to Zafonic in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket in 1993. Ibn Khaldun has nothing but improved over his two-year-old season and the noises coming out of the Godolphin camp are positive. If he kept up the progression at the same rate as through last year, he will be right up there and should be capable of winning. He is likely to be 3rd in the betting behind New Approach and Raven's Pass. I definitely feel he is a better horse than Raven's Pass. Whether he will be able to beat horse-of-the-moment New Approach, we will find out tomorrow. He is trading at 4/1 to 9/2 at the moment. I put some money on him last October at 25/1. Fingers crossed! He could be a superstar...
My other runner is Alfathaa. He has recovered from his foot problem and will likely take his place in the starting stalls tomorrow. He is a bit of an enigma. I am not quite sure what to expect of him. He ran well enough last year as two-year-old and was not far behind the leading two-year-old colts. He won a maiden by five lengths over a mile and finished a creditable fifth in the Juddmonte Royal Lodge (G2) behind City Leader by only 1 1/4 lengths. His sire Nayef won G1s at 3, 4 and 5 and his dam was a listed winner at 4, so plenty of scope for improvement for him over the coming season. Whether he is ready for such a big task yet remains to be seen, but I hope he will run well. I have bet him each way for tomorrow, as I think he definitely capable of running a good race.
The field:
SC PP Horse (Jockey)
1. 4 Alfathaa (Richard Hills)
2. 8 Bahamian Kid (Ted Durcan)
3. 3 Dream Eater (Martin Dwyer)
4. 6 Fireside (Alan Munro)
5. 10 Henryhenavigator (Johnny Murtagh)
6. 9 Ibn Khaldun (Frankie Dettori)
7. 11 Moynahan (Richard Quinn)
8. 2 New Approach (Kevin Manning)
9. 5 Perfect Stride (Ryan Moore)
10. 1 Plan (Michael Kinane)
11. 13 Raven's Pass (Jimmy Fortune)
12. 15 Scintillo (Richard Hughes)
13. 12 Stimulation (Steve Drowne)
14. 14 Strike The Deal (Eddie Ahern)
15. 7 Stubbs Art (Seb Sanders)
My somewhat biased prediction for tomorrow:
1. Ibn Khaldun
2. New Approach
3. Alfathaa
Ibn Khaldun : By a miler out of a miler, he is perfectly bred for the Guineas. His dam Gossamer in fact won the Irish 1,000 Guineas in 2002. Gossamer is also a full sister to Barathea, who won the Irish 2,000 Guineas and was second to Zafonic in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket in 1993. Ibn Khaldun has nothing but improved over his two-year-old season and the noises coming out of the Godolphin camp are positive. If he kept up the progression at the same rate as through last year, he will be right up there and should be capable of winning. He is likely to be 3rd in the betting behind New Approach and Raven's Pass. I definitely feel he is a better horse than Raven's Pass. Whether he will be able to beat horse-of-the-moment New Approach, we will find out tomorrow. He is trading at 4/1 to 9/2 at the moment. I put some money on him last October at 25/1. Fingers crossed! He could be a superstar...
My other runner is Alfathaa. He has recovered from his foot problem and will likely take his place in the starting stalls tomorrow. He is a bit of an enigma. I am not quite sure what to expect of him. He ran well enough last year as two-year-old and was not far behind the leading two-year-old colts. He won a maiden by five lengths over a mile and finished a creditable fifth in the Juddmonte Royal Lodge (G2) behind City Leader by only 1 1/4 lengths. His sire Nayef won G1s at 3, 4 and 5 and his dam was a listed winner at 4, so plenty of scope for improvement for him over the coming season. Whether he is ready for such a big task yet remains to be seen, but I hope he will run well. I have bet him each way for tomorrow, as I think he definitely capable of running a good race.
The field:
SC PP Horse (Jockey)
1. 4 Alfathaa (Richard Hills)
2. 8 Bahamian Kid (Ted Durcan)
3. 3 Dream Eater (Martin Dwyer)
4. 6 Fireside (Alan Munro)
5. 10 Henryhenavigator (Johnny Murtagh)
6. 9 Ibn Khaldun (Frankie Dettori)
7. 11 Moynahan (Richard Quinn)
8. 2 New Approach (Kevin Manning)
9. 5 Perfect Stride (Ryan Moore)
10. 1 Plan (Michael Kinane)
11. 13 Raven's Pass (Jimmy Fortune)
12. 15 Scintillo (Richard Hughes)
13. 12 Stimulation (Steve Drowne)
14. 14 Strike The Deal (Eddie Ahern)
15. 7 Stubbs Art (Seb Sanders)
My somewhat biased prediction for tomorrow:
1. Ibn Khaldun
2. New Approach
3. Alfathaa
Saturday, 27 October 2007
Ibn Khaldun Gets The Job Done
What Breeders Cup? I have already watched the most important race of the day!
Ibn Khaldun's connections had travelled from all corners of the globe to be at Doncaster today. OK, that is a bit of an exaggeration, but close enough. Jockey Kerrin McEvoy travelled back from Australia to ride him. Frankie Dettori chose to go to the Breeders' Cup, which is fair enough, but his loss and Kerrin's gain. Trainer Saeed Bin Suroor and Godolphin racing manager Simon Crisford travelled back from Monmouth Park to be there today. And boy, I bet they were glad they made the effort!
The Racing Post Trophy, the last G1 flat race in England, went exactly as I had hoped for Ibn Khaldun. Obviously people had been reading this blog (yeh right!) as he went off as the 11/4 favourite. He settled nicely in the middle of the pack and when Kerrin McEvoy asked him at the 2f pole he quickened very smoothly. In the end he won comfortably by a widening 3 to 4 lengths with City Leader in 2nd and Feared In Flight, a longshot, back in 3rd.
Kerrin McEvoy likes the Khaldun a lot and as was obvious in his previous G3 win, the chestnut colt is very easy to ride. He is a very genuine race horse, if you ask me, and will always do his best. I hope greater things are still to come for him! He is my out and out 2,000 Guineas horse for next year and I already placed an antepost bet on him on the day of the Autumn Stakes. Fingers crossed!
Frozen Fire finished 8th, but I know he is likely to improve over the winter and will benefit from extra distance as a three-year-old. 1 1/2 miles will probably suit him much better.
Ibn Khaldun's connections had travelled from all corners of the globe to be at Doncaster today. OK, that is a bit of an exaggeration, but close enough. Jockey Kerrin McEvoy travelled back from Australia to ride him. Frankie Dettori chose to go to the Breeders' Cup, which is fair enough, but his loss and Kerrin's gain. Trainer Saeed Bin Suroor and Godolphin racing manager Simon Crisford travelled back from Monmouth Park to be there today. And boy, I bet they were glad they made the effort!
The Racing Post Trophy, the last G1 flat race in England, went exactly as I had hoped for Ibn Khaldun. Obviously people had been reading this blog (yeh right!) as he went off as the 11/4 favourite. He settled nicely in the middle of the pack and when Kerrin McEvoy asked him at the 2f pole he quickened very smoothly. In the end he won comfortably by a widening 3 to 4 lengths with City Leader in 2nd and Feared In Flight, a longshot, back in 3rd.
Kerrin McEvoy likes the Khaldun a lot and as was obvious in his previous G3 win, the chestnut colt is very easy to ride. He is a very genuine race horse, if you ask me, and will always do his best. I hope greater things are still to come for him! He is my out and out 2,000 Guineas horse for next year and I already placed an antepost bet on him on the day of the Autumn Stakes. Fingers crossed!
Frozen Fire finished 8th, but I know he is likely to improve over the winter and will benefit from extra distance as a three-year-old. 1 1/2 miles will probably suit him much better.
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