| Stayers Challenge Final Juvenile Colts  2850m Dirt Monday, November 29th 2010, 7.00pmLast Season's Final
This Season's Contenders
 Priego De Cordoba has been one of the busiest two-year-old challenge contenders this season. The colt has contested in two challenge finals this season and will be looking to make it third time lucky in this race. The horse has paid his way in the fourteen qualifiers he has contested this season and has been brought to this final with just one win to his name, a great training display by his yard. His third behind Emprise To Avalon was a good effort in defeat with six of this field trailing. He will have no problem with the distance and obviously, the minimum weight will certainly act as a positive. He has competed well on a muddy surface to date but will more than likely favour a fast going. He has to be considered a contender. Is he in line for the championship? I'm not sure he has the beating of a couple in the race but he is certainly worthy of a photo position. Moletown's Rating : 
 Commanding a huge price at auction, you would expect to see a big performance from Nashville Boy in the final. His fourth place in the Ladbrokes Monthly Final is a form line that stands out and you would think that a more favourable random in the final would help him reverse the form with Priego De Corda. However, the additional wins could prove costly and I'm not convinced that Liveoak Stables would have wanted him to come into this final with a four pound penalty. He is classy and should never be dismissed in this field but I think everything will need to fall into place for the black colt if he is to stand a chance of crowning glory. Moletown's Rating :
 Gallipoli Prince will, like Nashville Boy, enter the race with a three win penalty of four pounds. His campaign has been packed full of races this season but looking at the quality in this line-up, I am finding it difficult to make a case for this final. He certainly isn't a horse that should be overlooked but his chance in this could be determined by the weight he will carry. There are others in the race that will carry less of a penalty but a good random may energise the horse to run above his penalty. Moletown's Rating :
Herminator may find that his latest win in the qualifying series a bitter pill to swallow. After removing the blinkers for the race, the Green Bay Stable trained colt went on to record a third win of the season. Much like Nashville Boy it could be an unwanted win that may have faltered his attempt to win this final. He has tasted success on a muddy track and has also hit the line first on a firm going, which he may be able to convert to a fast track, so I don't see the distance or going having too much effect on his ability. He would possibly have liked to be carrying a couple of pounds less and may find the opposition stern. Moletown's Rating :
Dubai Spirit's chances in this final will probably come down to what random the horse receives. Despite coming into the race on a minimum weight, he could be considered one who may struggle in this field. His form suggests that he might just be below a good few of these in terms of quality. I could be completely wrong and it may materialise that he has bagged his way to the final and on race day will anihilate the field. How silly would I look then? Moletown's Rating :
Selwyn's Bog is an interesting runner coming out of the Squeaky Clean Stable. No penalty to shoulder in this final and probably more to come than we have seen from him this season. He is likely to favour a tacky surface when they go to post and may be a contender that could easily be overlooked, I like his chances of possibly ruffling a few feathers. Ok, so he is not a stand out favourite for the race but there is something telling me he will be fully charged and raring to go. He may not win the race but it might not be beyond him being there when the race reaches its finale, in with a shout. Strong place claims. Moletown's Rating :
 Another expensive auction purchase who has made it into a final. The £750+ paid for Spirit Of Alaska will look a shrewd investment if he walks away a champion here. My gut instinct tells me that the horse will perform well in this final regardless of the going on the day. He has the form to back up his claim in this race, without winning, ensuring a run off the minimum weight. Sold from the Black Death yard, mid September, Wrs stables will ensure that the horse is optimum for a run and he could raise a few eyebrows here. If he turns for home anywhere near the front, he can easily make the frame, will he win..? Moletown's Rating :
Global Legacy had the beating of Priego De Cordoba in his last outing, but I'm not sure he has what is required to go on and defy the penalty he has incurred. It's no secret that Priego doesn't act as well on muddy as he does fast and this last race may have been about as best as Global Legacy can deliver. He is obviously in tune on a muddy track and could deliver an above par effort, however, even on a muddy surface I am finding it difficult to see him turn over Priego De Cordoba, let alone, the rest of this quality field. Each way claims are not beyond him but I just can't see him winning. Moletown's Rating :
Creative Chaos has juggled classic and stayers qualifiers all season. I wrote him off in the final of the Classic Final as a lively outsider and I think the same will apply in this race. His chances of making an impression in this race are slightly better but I still think the horse is better suited on turf than he is on a dirt track. He proved his staying ability in his last race when executing victory over the maximum trip. He remains a lively outsider in this race for me too but I am anticipating a far better effort in this race than he puts in when he lines up for the classic. I fully expect him to be pumped and who knows, he may do quite well for his yard. Moletown's Rating :
I really like Chicarito! He was a late acquisition to the yard and has just managed to get into this final off the back of some really consistent efforts in the three qualifiers he has run. He may well be the one who could come late and snatch victory. He certainly has no faults to pick in his efforts since hitting the track. I'm sure like all trainers, he would have liked to come into the final carrying the colours with the minimum weight on his shoulders. Having said that, the two pound penalty shouldn't hamper him in any way and this race could well be at his mercy, should the ground come up muddy. Of the Gods Country brace of finalists, I believe Chicarito to be the one who performs better on the day and strong claims may be the order for the bay colt. Moletown's Rating :
Northerly Sky is a force to be reckoned with in this final. If he makes me eat my words and lands the classic final then his chances in this will be considerably reduced with the added penalty but he will still be up there as one to watch out for. Out of his two finals this seasons end, it is here that I think he will make his biggest impression. His last two efforts were probably races to consolidate his final berth and should be overlooked. He clearly has the neccessary class to compete from classic to stayers trips and will possibly be there or there about at the end of the race. He may have wanted to get into the final without the additional win he picked up when competing in the classic at 1800m but remains a very dangerous threat to all. He may be the one they all have to beat. Moletown's Rating :
I may have misjudged Emperor Alexander's chances in the Classic Final, so I am not about to do the same thing here. He comes into the final on the minimum weight, that is, if he doesn't put egg on my face and win the classic. Even so, the two pound penalty wouldn't be the greatest of hurdles to overcome and for that reason he is on my shortlist as a potential to win this championship. The two pound he gains from Northerly Sky, may be a telling factor but I am having a torrid time trying to split the pair. Emperor Alexander was favoured for this final ahead of stable mate, Emprise To Avalon, which may point towards many positives for his chances. It is this reason that puts him at the head of affairs and in with a great chance. The final is certainly a very strong field and there are a few who have solid claims to lift the title, Emperor Alexander is certainly one to consider. Moletown's Rating :
The chances of this horse winning this championship are rather remote. The horse has performed well in small field qualifiers this season but when the chips are down, it is difficult to make a case for this one to pose any threat to the head of the field. He did finish fourth in a consolation race this season and he might have been better suited in the consolation final, rather than lining up against these. He has to be considered as an outsider for the race and I don't expect this one to be in the winners enclosure. Moletown's Rating :
The second runner from the Sky Castle yard got into this final by virtue of his second place in the last qualifying race of the season. He has run consistently well in both the classic and stayers series and will feature in a consolation race prior to this final. His weight is low and he could be anything. I am swayed to think he may prefer a fast going in preference to muddy. He has ran above his random on a few occasions and he could come into this race a very capable outsider. He is one that I cannot make my mind up on and for that reason I will sit on the fence and watch his performance in the race. Moletown's Rating : |
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