 Cesarewitch Colts Final  3200 Turf 30th March 2012 |
This Season's Contenders
| Horse : The Death Machine, El Legendario, Obsessive Cure, Proud Hero | Trainer : Shotgun Mike |
The Death Machine will have no problem with the distance but maybe turf is not quite his cup of tea. All six of the horses victories have come on the dirt, muddy ground, which leads me to believe that next seasons final will be more to his liking. He has never won a race on turf but that statistic shouldn't be dismissed lightly as he possesses enough ability to run well here and some decent form is viewable on the surface. El Legendario is a final stalwart, this race will mark his tenth appearance in a glitzy career that has already bagged the juvenile and three-year-old championships, it would be a fitting end if he were to win here and with it, the triple crown and retire a champion of each age division. There is no doubting his stamina and he will be doing a rain dance for yielding, he may well be able to shoulder his penalty with ease which gives him a chance! Obsessive Cure has winning form on dirt and turf but most notably on firm ground. He does have lines of form on yielding but at a guess he will require the rain to stay away to produce his best. With only a small penalty and youth on his side, we could see him go well in this and future renewals of the race. The last of the foursome will run off the minimum weight. Proud Hero has placed in both his challenge finals, Kieran Doyle mounting him to fourth place as a juvenile and three-year-old, a repeat effort here could see him play a big part in the outcome but he is going to have to achieve something he has never done in the past, winning a staying race on turf within the challenge arena.
| Horse : Super Sonix, Earthquake Mcgoon, Vladimir Vysotsky, Flirt Around | Trainer : Sky Castle Stables |
It is likely that Super Sonix will struggle a little with his 4lb penalty and will need every bit of help he can muster to figure in the shake up. Good ground seems to be his main hope but I do not feel confident of this chance in this company. Being born into a generation that includes Papa Sangre and Tytan, the wins are always going to be hard to come by. Yet, Earthquake Mcgoon has handled this pressure well, even if he hasn't won too many. He has always been there to hustle the monsters and lines up here, hoping for firm ground. No weight penalty at the moment but a run in the King George a day earlier than this could contribute, should he win there. You would have to say he is not without a chance in this. Four races and four places in the series, since an auction transfer to the yard, Vladimir Vysotsky has earned his place in this line-up. He will benefit from rain and although his best form is on a muddy surface, he has only ever been out of the money in one qualifying race run on soft or yielding. A bit of rain will serve him well and 2lb extra may not be too harsh for the horse. Flirt Around will compete in his first challenge final. This horse was a massive price at auction in his juvenile year and has since found his way to Sky Castle for a fraction of the price. He is obviously classy and will relish conditions. He doesn't have to carry any extra weight but one statistic that is worrying is that he has only ever headed the field in one qualifying race, a small field St Leger trial. There is a nice line of form through Bamboo Bob which looks encouraging and it may be good ground, he is best at.
| Horse : Tec | Trainer : Garcar |
Tec has never won a race amongst challenge opposition over the marathon of 3200m. He appears weighted out of this race with some quality animals holding far better chances at their weight. It would be an incredible result if we called this one home as the champion, alas, I don't think that will happen, no matter how poorly others in the race may perform.
| Horse : C K Brown | Trainer : Liveoak Stables |
C K Brown ran well in this last season, without making the frame. That race was on a fast American track, a surface he may not be best at. I think he will benefit from a return to the turf and may need some rain to show just what he is all about. As a juvenile, he ran a really sound race in midfield, behind Adrenaline Rush, over today’s marathon trip and he can take a lot of confidence from that effort. A similar push to the line, with a little more luck in running will see him show up well. I'm not sure he can win this but he does look well in at the weights.
| Horse : Bamboo Bob | Trainer : Ginger Richards Stud |
I better watch what I say about this horse as I don't want to feel the wrath of one of the most verbal trainers at RaceClubs.com. We all know how much the yard hold this horse in high regard but for all the big-ups the horse gets, the fact remains that he has not yet shown his best in a challenge final. I would contribute that, more to, bad luck than anything else, as he has not got the going he desires in those races. You won't hear a bigger cheer in the virtual world if this one comes in, nor, will we ever hear the last of it. However, in my appraisal, an opinion only, don't bite my head off Ginger, I don't think he can win this. Bold presumption I know and I have opened the door for these words to be forever remembered by the yard, if proven wrong. I just think that other horse who yearn the same going, are better or better weighted in the race. Controversial, exactly how I roll baby!
| Horse : Khi'gilan | Trainer : Green Bay Stable |
This horse is best on muddy and it might be worth pointing out that the horse has never won a race over 3200m. This trip may test his limits to the maximum capacity. Yes, he has run some decent races in his defeats over this distance but in a final contested against some of the best 3200m horses, the virtual world has to view, I think he will struggle. He also went his entire three-year-old season without a single win, something that is unheard of, when you factor that he was a juvenile classic champion, in some style at that! This can only mean that he might not have trained on as well into his next season. A return to the winners' enclosure has materialised this term but I find it all too strange, unless of course, he has been severely bagged but that doesn't add up when there are so many riches to be won as a three-year-old, maybe he has been very unlucky.
| Horse : Assalamu Alaikum | Trainer : The Sledgehammer |
Most of his races have come with a bit of give underfoot, which strongly suggests that this one will need rain, anything else could put an end to his charge, before a hoof has touched the hallowed turf. I don't like the fact that a cheap win was taken just after his last qualifying win, adding an unnecessary 2lbs. This is a very strong race and he may find a good few too good. It will be a debut challenge finalist for The Sledgehammer and despite the expectation of a runner in such a big race, I feel that the yards time will come, though not in this final.
| Horse : Designer Beast | Trainer : North And South |
The horse oozes class on muddy ground and is no slouch on yielding either. If the ground comes up on the sound side, his chances in this are likely to be very slim. On the other hand, a bit of rain will do the horse wonders. His 4lb added penalty is a bit steep for him to carry on turf and if this line-up appeared in next seasons final, on identical weight, muddy ground, he would be amongst the favourites. I feel that this race will be a tough ask for the horse as others appear stronger on soft or yielding ground.
No comments:
Post a Comment