| Classic Challenge Final Juvenile Colts  2200m Dirt Sunday, November 28th 2010, 7.00pmLast Season's Final
This Season's Contenders
 A brace of championship finals lay in wait for Northerly Sky. The Sky Castle trained will be looking to follow in the path of last years winner, Randwick and emulate his success. The July yearling has been very busy this term, competing in a total of twenty-one races, including a Ladbrokes Challenge Monthly Final over the extended trip of 2400m. The muddy going on that day was clearly not to his liking and he failed to make any impression on the winner, Royal Bluff. The colt appears to perform well on most goings and will have no question marks raised with that. However, the distance may be a little on the short side which could scupper his chance here and his trainer may feel that he has better chances in the stayers final. He may prefer the rain to stay away and will contest the final under a 2lb penalty, which he should be capable of taking in his stride over a stayers trip but I am not totally convinced he will be up there challenging for honours in this race. However, the stable are masters at getting them right for this race though and it will be no shock to see him put in a very decent effort. Moletown's Rating : 
If Northerly Sky has been busy, Gallipoli Prince has been a machine. Twenty-nine races this season has netted a fair pool of prize money for the Gissys Nags yard and started to repay some of the faith his trainer showed with his £800 price tag. He too, competed in a the Ladbrokes Final over 2400m and faired slightly better than Northerly Sky and will re-oppose many of that field in this final. A four pound penalty is his price for success this term and I'm not sure he has the ability to carry that against some low weighted stars. Nevertheless, his quality speaks volumes and the consisted bay will surely turn in a decent effort but may be best watched. Next season The Derby trip of 2400m will be more to his liking and similarly to Northerly Sky his big effort may come in the stayers final. Moletown's Rating :
Clasically proved that the classic trips would never be an issue when landing a Ladbrokes consolation race in September. His trainer may have been wishing he had secured his services a little earlier to feature in that final. That win cracked his maiden and he soon moved into the classic qualifiers. He could be something of a dark horse in this race and his trainer has done well to get him into this final on the minimum weight. He has obvious claims on a sound surface and should he get his wish he will certainly be in with a shout. I love the name of this horse and it would fit the bill well should he hit the line first. The trip will suit and besides the yards superstar, Darley Arabian, he could be the best chance of silverware if all goes to plan on the day. Moletown's Rating :
 Mr Mayhem is the yards only horse and what a fairytale story it would be if he were to fend off his opposition and claim a championship success. It will also represent the first time the colours have lined up in a championship final, so the excitement must be reaching fever pitch by now for Cool Ground. His price at auction wasn't too expensive for a challenge finalist but may suggest he is a little short in quality to pose a major threat as I'm sure an un-raced colt with finals aspiration should have commanded a larger price tag. I don't want to be too hard on the horse and say he can't win but my gut feeling is just that. Can he run into a place? Of course he can! He's got into this final so why not! What is in his favour, is the weight! The minimum on top with a good draw and random could have Cool Ground bouncing in his seat and he should relish this experience and win or lose, enjoy the buzz! Good Luck! Moletown's Rating :
Splodge will be another entered into auction before the finals. I won't labour too much on this one as I think his chances are greatly reduced by the amount of wins he has to his name. He is in the final though, so we should not dismiss that but I think he can be considered as one of the outsiders in the race and will need a super human effort from his allocated jockey to stay with them from halfway. He will be far better suited over an extended trip of 2400m and may find the pace too hot to handle in this one. Moletown's Rating :
Lethal Injection could well be saving his best for the final but is his best really enough to compete in this hot affair? He is no stranger to this field and has some solid form already in the bank. Whether he is to be competing for the honours will probably depend on the going on the day. His best form has come when the rain has fallen and it's likely this horse will crave that but I am not sure he handles a dirt track as well as turf and this could be his undoing. I think he is best watched in this final and I'm sure his yard will be looking forward to next season when The Derby will run on turf over 2400m. For me, this race will be one that he could struggle in. Moletown's Rating :
Has to be considered amongst the favourites in this field and comes into the race carrying a feather weight. Veandercrosse has been extremely consistent this term and finished third in the Ladbrokes Monthly Final, I have previously spoken of. The shorter trip remains a bit of an unknown factor but his recent running, when finishing third in a qualifier may suggest that this trip is of no hardship to him, whatsoever. I am expecting a big run from Veandercrosse and he will surely be going hammer and tong to the line in his quest for glory. I don't think the dirt will pose any threat to his chances but he may favour it a bit tacky as his form on muddy stands up better than on fast but this may just be a smokescreen and it is possible his ability to act on fast is in no way hindered either. Moletown's Rating :
Here is another who had fancied a bite of two championship pies. He will however, have to settle for a consolation race in the stayers ranks after failing in his bid to secure a finals berth. His form suggests that 2200m is not his trip but you have to be careful when examining the form of any of Micke's finalists. He is already a championship winner after taking down the Ladbrokes Monthly over the marathon distance of 3200m and may find this trip a little on the sharp side for his liking. I have to sit on the fence with this one as there is just nothing to go on in relation to whether all the conditions of this race will suit. We know he can handle the dirt but can he handle a two pound penalty over the trip? Moletown's Rating :
Creative Chaos will have two pops at landing the spoils during the festival. The Gods Country trained colt will compete in this and will also line up in the stayers final. His chances in this final may not be as strong as his claim in the marathon final. He has form to back up his claim in this race but that could be considered something of a muchness. His maiden win on dirt was in very low company where nothing less than a win could be expected and since has failed to deliver any decisive impression on the surface. I think the surface will not play to his strength and for that reason he is, in my eyes, a lively outsider in this field. Moletown's Rating :
If the ground shows muddy, have this one on your shortlist to win. In contrast, a fast going will probably deteriorate his ability slightly and with it, winning becomes a bit of a tough ask in this final. I really like the horse and it has to be said that he will shine on his prefered surface. If his form on a fast dirt track is anything to go by it will be difficult to see him fighting at the line, should the rain stay away. If all falls into place and we see a muddy surface, well the race could be at his mercy. He is undoubtedly a strong contender and has to be up there with the best in this field if his second in the Ladbrokes Monthly is anything to go by. I don't think the trip will falter his claim as much as the going could. Moletown's Rating :
I will keep this one short and sweet. Too much weight, not enough ability to carry it! An uphill struggle all the way and has to be the one you would favour to be last in the race. Anything beyond that and the yard have done wonders in training! Another horse fom the Divine Diva Stables that would have been more competitive if the weight had been taken into consideration. Moletown's Rating :
 Emperor Alexander may be the yards weakest link in this final but that is not to say that the colt has the ability to feature in a race like this. He will be present in the final of the stayers race and his recent entry in that suggests his yard needed him to be in that final. It is highly likely that he will fair a lot better in the final there than he will here and I am not 100% convinced that this race is his main aim for this term. What I am sure of is that he will be giving his all in both finals he lines up in and I will go as far to say that the yard has better chances with his other runners in this race. Moletown's Rating :
 A huge sigh of relief could be heard from the chill of Sweden when Edward Longshanks secured a last gasp berth in the final. The highly rated colt will face his toughest test yet when he tackles this field. All great champions of the past have shown their true worth when the pressure is on and Edward Longshanks is no exception. Muddy or fast going will probably be no issue for this horse. His form suggests that he could well be as versatile on both. Is he a champion in the making? He certainly has the credentials to be one, if his trainer's words are anything to go by. His participation and susequent failing in a Ladbrokes Monthly Final only help cement the theory that the trip here will be ideal for the grey. Edward Longshanks is my pick to come home with the bacon. Moletown's Rating :
Memory Of Cole was almost pushed out of the series standings in the final qualification round and his trainer will be happy that Edgar Von Slasher failed to secure a few more points in his last race. However, the signs are not good for the Currock Park animal as it appears that there may be a hint of uncertainty surrounding his liking to dirt. Both the horses wins to date have come on turf and a yielding surface and despite the distance, both won over 2200m, it is hard to see this one striking a winning blow. I feel there are better horses suited by the conditions of the race, carrying less weight and therefore the task will be made all that more difficult for this one. Moletown's Rating : |
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