Scotia on the Gold Cup

Hope you are all well and looking forward to the Gold Cup on Saturday, but it has probably been over shadowed with Clan Classique running again on Sunday.

We have a superb Gold Cup competition lined up with R4,000 up for grabs, check the Forum for details, we can hope for another exciting finish where the winners came in the last race on the line, so please give it a go.

We have had a few problems with registrations since tidying up the data base, but just send us an email and we can correct.

I would again like to thank the sponsors for the contribution to the competition Hollywood, Fourie's Sporting Club and Great Odds.

Its Glorious Goodwood today and J.J. has a fight on his hands to beat Main Aim, but we hope he can rise to the task.
Ryan Moore is on the fav at 13/10 and JJ is around 7/2.
The Sussex Stakes should be a cracker with Rip Van Winkle (scotia's fancy) Ghanaati and Paco Boy fighting it out on Wednesday.
Thursday is the Nassau, its a open contest at 5/1 the field, but Midday, Rainbow View and Dar Re Mi should come out tops.
The best bet today should be Monsieur Chevalier, but some serious racing over the next few days, no surprise that Ryan Moore is fav to be the top jockey.

Good punting!

Scotia

One last chance for Rainbow view scotia?

Yes a sucker for punishment!

Well that was something special "Monsieur Chevalier" a serious racehorse imvho.

Can you believe they let Monsieur Chevalier drift to 7/4 "in a place"?

Rip Van Winkle's Sussex Stakes bid in doubt


THE participation of Rip Van Winkle in Wednesday's BGC Sussex Stakes is in doubt after connections discovered a problem with the Galileo colt's hind hoof on Tuesday afternoon.


Aidan O'Brien said on Tuesday evening that the Coral-Eclipse runner-up could still contend Wednesday's showpiece at Glorious Goodwood, but underlined that his participation was in doubt.

He said: "We discovered this afternoon that Rip Van Winkle had a slight problem with a hind hoof. We will check him out in the morning and it’s possible that he will travel to Goodwood and a decision be made after he gets there.”

On Tuesday evening, Rip Van Winkle was a best-priced 13-8 favourite to land a first Group 1 victory, with Ghanaati next best at 5-2.

Should Rip Van Winkle miss the Sussex Stakes it would be a blow to racefans eagerly anticipating the triple-headed showdown between the Investec Derby fourth, Royal Ascot winner Paco Boy and superstar filly Ghanaati.

Paco Boy steps back up to 1m after being outpaced in the 6f Darley July Cup at Newmarket last time. He was previously an impressive winner of the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Trainer Richard Hannon believes the return to a mile would not be enough for Rip Van Winkle to beat his elder rival and instead sees Ghanaati as the main danger.

He said: "Ghanaati could be a tough nut to crack. She impresses me more every time I see her and, being a filly, she receives 11lb. Apart from her I can't see anything to fear."

Ghanaati will bid to be the first filly to win the Sussex since Soviet Song in 2004 and the first three-year-old filly to win since Marling in 1992. The Hamdan Al Maktoum-owned filly has already landed Group 1 success in the shape of the Stanjames.com 1,000 Guineas and Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot but will take on older rivals for the first time at Goodwood

Moore leads the way in top jockey competition


TWO wins on day one of Glorious Goodwood were enough to put Ryan Moore in pole position in the race for top jockey, sponsored by the Racing Post.

Moore won on the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Harbinger in the Betfair Gordon Stakes and Manyriverstocross in the Detica Summer Stakes.

Stan James cutthe champion jockey and ante-post favourite to 2-5 from 10-11 to land the top jockey prize.

Richard Hughes, who won on Monsieur Chevalier, is next best in the market at 4-1 and Jimmy Fortune, who scored aboard Drumfire in the opener, was trimmed to 8-1 from 10-1, to take the prize which was won mast year by Johnny Murtagh.

There were also wins for Tadhg O'Shea, Chris Catlin and Greg Fairley.

Nice call on your best bet for the meet Dave.

Tomorrow I like Ghanaati and Akmal and will include Full of Love for the place treble.

Tomorrow i am only playing Redcar as Goodwood will be a minefield

Great win

Rip Van Winkle earns Sussex Stakes spoils


Report: Goodwood, Wednesday

BGC Sussex Stakes (Group 1) 1m, 3yo+

RIP VAN WINKLE justified6-4 favouritism when giving trainer Aidan O'Brien a fourth success in the BGC Sussex Stakes at Goodwood on Wednesday.

Putting aside doubts over his participation, which was threatened by an injury to a hind hoof, the son of Galileo finally recorded his first victory at the highest level by seeing off Paco Boy in imperious fashion under Johnny Murtagh. Stanjames.com 1,000 Guineas and Coronation Stakes winner Ghanaati claimed third place.

Having finished fourth in both the Stanjames.com 2,000 Guineas and Investec Derby, Rip Van Winkle produced a career best last time out when running Sea The Stars, the winner of those contests, to a length in the Coral-Eclispe.


Murtagh, who has ridden the Ballydoyle colt in all but one of his races, said: "I said he was one of the best horses I've ridden and I still think that - he's a great horse.

"I thought he'd be unbeatable at the start and over a mile, mile and a quarter, he'd be very hard to beat until the end of the season."

Asked how Rip Van Winkle compared to last year's winner Henrythenavigator, also trained by O'Brien, Murtagh added: "The last bit of work I rode I said he's starting to feel like Henry and coming here today I thought he'd be unbeatable."

Accompanying pacemaker and stablemate Malibu Bay early on, Rip Van Winkle travelled withhis customary ease and was committed entering the straight by Murtagh, who stole a look at the chasing pack, of which Paco Boy provided the main danger. He again ran with credit for trainer Richard Hannon and jockey Richard Hughes but never looked liked troubling the winner, while Ghanaati, who sat behind the Ballydoyle duo under Richard Hills, could not add to her stunning performances this season.


O'Brien, whose other wins in the race came courtesy of Rock Of Gibraltar (2002) and Giant's Causeway (2000), paid tribute to Rip Van Winkle's ability and constitution after the late injury scare.

"The plan was to try and get here with how important Goodwood is, and see if Johnny was happy with him taking him down," the champion trainer said.

"The horse is amazing. What he's come through, I've not seen it before - he's unbelievable. Everything went right after the Eclipse until yesterday, and it's a credit to the horse and his toughness and pain threshold.

"He's unbelievably classy and travels so easily, he's a very special horse.

Regarding Rip Van Winkle's plans and another crack at Sea The Stars, O'Brien added: "We're never afraid of one horse and the plan for Mastercraftsman is York [Juddmonte International] and we've Fame And Glory for Leopardstown [Tattersalls Millions Irish Champion Stakes] so this horse has France [the Pix du Moulin] and the QEII."

Moore still ahead by one in top jockey contest


A HOST of top jockeys were snapping at Ryan Moore's heels in the race to win the Racing Post-sponsored top jockey competition at Goodwood after Wednesday's action.

Moore is the only jockey to notch two wins, courtesy of day one success in the Betfair Gordon Stakes and the Detica Summer Stakes and on Wednesday he was cut to 1-3 to lift the prize by Stan James. Frankie Dettori is a 4-1 shot and Richard Hughes next best at 6-1.

However, the champion jockey drew a blank on day two - but has an early chance to stretch his lead in the opener on Thursday when he rides Mirrored for Sir Michael Stoute in the Summer Vase Stakes.

The 2008 top jockey, Johnny Murtagh, chalked up his first win with his first ride of this year's festival.

The well-backed Rip Van Winkle, Murtagh's sole ride on Wednesday, romped to an easy victory in the Group 1 Sussex Stakes.

Jamie Spencer was another with just one ride on the day and he made it a winning one on Alsace Lorraine. Frankie Dettori joined the crowd of top jockey contenders when he fired home on Axiom, the winner of the last.

Earlier on Wednesday, Sweetheart provided jockey Liam Jones with his first win of the festival in the Goodwood Stakes. The 8-1 shot was an easy winner and widely tipped in the Racing Post.

Adam Kirby got on the scoresheet with an impressive victory on Xtension in the Vintage Stakes and Neil Callan partnered Beyond Desire to victory in the Markel International Maiden Fillies' Stakes.

There were also wins on day one for Richard Hughes, Jimmy Fortune,Tadhg O'Shea, Chris Catlin and Greg Fairley.

Standings after day two

2 wins: Ryan Moore

1 win: Richard Hughes, Jimmy Fortune, Frankie Dettori, Johnny Murtagh, Jamie Spencer, Neil Callan, Tadgh O'Shea, Chris Catlin, Liam Jones, Adam Kirby, Greg Fairley