Enable should be ready to defend Arc de Triomphe title
GOSDEN HAS PREPARED FILLY’S COMEBACK AROUND FRANCE’S PREMIER HORSE RACE
Geoff Lester bids farewell in his final column.
London - It was in 1964 that I carved my first niche in racing journalism with the Sporting Life and I remained with The Queen’s favourite newspaper as chief correspondent until its demise in 1998.
I’ll never forget on my way to The Life that first morning listening to Bob Dylan’s politically charged hit, The Times They Are A Changin’, and as I pen what is my final column (for now at least) for The Citizen, I can’t help but reflect that no song could have been more appropriate as 54 years on the sport of kings is barely recognisable.
Whatever line of work you are in, younger readers will grow tired of my fellow coffin-dodgers claiming “we had the best years”, but, while it is true that in racing not all the so-called improvements have been for the better, one of Sheikh Mohammed’s favourite sayings is “progress never sleeps” and my beloved sport has done its best to move with the times.
We have rejoiced over the last few decades in the growth of international racing – remember it was only in 1981 that America heralded the first $1-million purse – and, while we are on the back nine for 2018, both Britain and Ireland still have their Champions Day meetings to come, while the European jewel in the crown remains the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at the new Longchamp course on the first Sunday in October.
You can also guarantee that Europe will make their presence felt both in Australia and at the Breeders Cup, which is back in Kentucky this year, and my in-tray of e-mails is testimony to the fact that, like me, you guys love a longrange ante-post challenge.
Those of you who were with me every step of the way last summer when I began championing Enable as the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner after she had captured the Irish Oaks in July would like nothing better than to hear the bookies squeal again, so with the racing menu in Britain this week bland at best, the crystal ball is primed and ready for one final roll of the dice.
Never chase your losses is the number rule for a punter, but we enjoyed a profitable York, with our Money Man feature coming up with Ebor winner Muntahaa (11-1), who was available at twice those odds in the morning, plus Roaring Lion and Fairyland, so at least we are in front and playing with the layers money.
Sea Of Class, who also did us a turn in the Yorkshire Oaks, is now favourite for the Arc with some firms but although she is the best middle-distance three-year-old of either sex, she has yet to meet a colt or an older horse and there is no guarantee she will get her favoured fast ground in France.
In contrast ENABLE, who was awesome at Chantilly last season, is proven in the mud and crossed the channel with two Oaks and a King George already on her CV.
Granted, we have not seen Enable since, but it was not a serious injury and John Gosden has planned everything around the defence of her Arc title with the September Stakes at Kempton on Saturday week the perfect dressrehearsal.
So take the 5-1 for Longchamp now. Enable started odds-on last year, and this Group 3 on the Polytrack will blow away the cobwebs before the filly’s last tango in Paris.
Gosden is assured of another trainer’s championship in Britain, and, with Kew Gardens slightly disappointing at York, my allegiance has switched to his unbeaten filly LAH TI DAR for the St Leger at Doncaster on 15 September.
We were denied a big ante-post killing when Lah Ti Dar, who is owned by millionaire impresario Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, was forced to miss the Oaks at Epsom, but Frankie Dettori has “no doubt whatsoever” that last week’s Galtres Stakes heroine has both the class and stamina to beat the big boys on Town Moor.
At 2000m stablemate Roaring Lion is imperious, with the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown and its namesake at Ascot both looking his for the taking, but it might pay to heed caution about Gosden’s champion stayer Stradivarius, who looked a tired horse when copping connections the £1-million bonus at York.
Stradivarius is evens favourite for the Long Distance Cup at Ascot, but it would come as no surprise if Gosden opted to give him “an early bath” and wait for next year, so give this “shortie” a swerve.
Europe’s champion at 1600m this season is undoubtedly ALPHA CENTAURI, so take the 3-1 about Jessie Harrington’s brilliant filly giving the Niarchos a seventh success in the Breeders Cup Mile at Churchill Downs, but make sure you get on before she runs in next month’s Matron Stakes at Leopardstown.
However, don’t be sucked in by the 3-1 about Alpha Centauri for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on Champions Day as she will always be most effective on fast ground. Ascot can come up soft in October, so keep your powder dry for Kentucky.
STRATUM, who suffered a nightmare run in the Ebor, is value at 10-1 for the Cesarewitch at Newmarket on 13 October, but, while I recommend you hold fire on a Melbourne Cup wager until we see how fair the Aussie handicapper has been on the powerful European team, I can recommend taking the 16-1 which is drying up fast about Gosden’s TOO DARN HOT for next year’s Derby.
Too Darn Hot, who is closely related to Lah Ti Dar, was hugely impressive on his debut at Sandown, and the plan is for him to return there on Saturday for the Solario Stakes, a race Gosden has already won four times and which Masar took en route to Derby glory 12 months ago.
Too Darn Hot might not have the pace for the Guineas but he looks tailor-made for Epsom and is preferred at this stage to Coolmore’s Anthony Van Dyck, who was shortened as favourite for Epsom after winning at The Curragh last Sunday.
It’s been fun over the last 18 years, and who knows maybe I’ll return one day. Never say never at this game, but for now I bid all Citizen readers farewell and be lucky with your punting.