2000 Guineas Tips, Free Horse Racing Tips

Is This The Worst Ride Ever On #Zenyatta?

November 7, 2010 By Carl Harris

I laid Zenyatta as I said on Twitter on Saturday, but I have to say Zenyatta should have won and won quite easily. Just watch the race….

Now, in my view I don’t buy that she didn’t travel early, if that was true she wouldn’t have picked up like she did. In my view they held her up so they could grab headlines saying how far back they came from. Mike Smith, her rider was quoted as saying she is the best horse ever, supreme confidence and after the race her Jockey blamed himself. Quite ride. This is one of the biggest races of the entire year, how can you expect to come from so far back?

In my view this was supreme arrogance, showing total disrespect for your opponents. Had he won he would have had all the plaudits but would have been lucky. The mare deserved better than that, I think it was a case of big time Charlie. Shocking.

I wonder if Frankie Dettori would have made the same mistake? I doubt it!

Great horses need great jockeys. Sadly one of the pair was found wanting !

Filed Under: Horseracing News Tagged With: Breeders Cup, Zenyatta

Charlie McCann’s Weekend #Horseracing Betting Preview

November 5, 2010 By Charlie McCann

The Breeders’ Cup is the weekend racing highlight with the brilliant unbeaten six-year-old American mare Zenyatta looking to retire after a 20^th successive victory in the big race of the night the Classic. She gave the boys a start and a beating on the Pro-Ride surface of Santa Anita last year but can she follow up on the Kentucky dirt?

Jockey Mike Smith celebrates aboard Zenyatta after winning the Breeders' Cup Classic thoroughbred horse race at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California November 7, 2009. REUTERS/Fred Greaves

The whole of America is behind her, but it should be noted that she has only run once against the boys in her 19 career wins and there are some, myself included, who do not feel she will be as effective on today’s surface especially as her come from behind tactics will mean she will get her fair share of kickback.

Looking At Lucky (10.45) would have been a confident selection had it not been for his dreadful draw in stall 13 but the hope is that jockey Garrett Gomez can get the Preakness Stakes’ winner into a challenging position at the first bend from his coffin box. The selection has eased in the betting from 7/2 to 5/1 with StanJames.com as a result of the draw but we should know our fate by the first turn.

If Zenyatta is to retire undefeated she is likely to have to pass the vast majority of the field and she normally circles her field. She showed last year she was a special mare. Tonight will show us if she deserves to be called one of the sports’ greats.

Breeders’ Cup Classic: Prices from StanJames.com

9-4 Zenyatta

5 Looking At Lucky

11-2 Blame

7 Quality Road

11 Haynesfield

16 Bar

Earlier on in the card French winning machine Goldikova is bidding to become the first horse in history to land three Breeders’ Cups. She showed she was as good as ever when winning the Prix Foret at Longchamp last time and has finished in front of Paco Boy on each of the four times they have met. She overcame a moderate draw at Santa Anita last year and could have been more fortunate with the draw again tonight.

Ryan Moore takes over from Richard Hughes on Paco Boy as the latter is embroiled in a battle for the jockeys’ title which has gone down to the wire at Doncaster. It would be somewhat ironic if Paco Boy was to finish in front of Goldikova for the first time without the assistance of Hughes, but I look elsewhere for the winner and suggest Gio Ponti (8.40) can keep the prize at home.

The forecast firm ground won’t inconvenience Gio Ponti who finished runner up to Zenyatta over 10f in last year’s Classic. He will need an end-to-end gallop at a mile given he needs holding up, but he showed a smart turn of foot at Keeneland last time and may cause a shock.

Breeders’ Cup Mile, (place terms: 1/4 the first 3) prices from Stan James:

5-4 Goldikova

11-2 Paco Boy

11-2 Gio Ponti

9 Sidney’s Candy

12 Proviso

20 Bar

The dual former Gold Cup winner Kauto Star (2.25) is in action at Down Royal and cannot be opposed given there remain stamina doubts about his main market rival Arkle winner Sizing Europe staying 3m. Kauto Star is nearing his 11^th birthday and is unlikely to be getting any better, but he goes well fresh, is arguably better going right-handed and ought to make a winning reappearance.

As long as there is no significant rain at Wincanton I am keen on the chances of Kerada (1.40) who has a big pull in the weights with Banjaxed Girl on Newbury running back in the spring. Some of the stables’ inmates have been needing a run but as long as the ground is no worse than good to soft Kerada must take some beating off 10st 5lbs.

Champion trainer Paul Nicholls has a couple of runners in the Elite Hurdle and jockey bookings would suggest that American Trilogy is the one despite not having run for 690 days. The grey is a former Festival winner but I just favour Tito Bustillo (2.10) in a cracking renewal. The selection showed with his two wins at Taunton last year that a tight handed track is his optimum conditions and this could be his best chance of a big race win this term.

I hope the 2010 flat jockeys’ title is shared by Paul Hanagan and Richard Hughes and the latter is aboard Senate (3.10 Doncaster) who has long been at the top of my November Handicap shortlist and will appreciate the forecast good to soft ground.

At Sandown Sonny Mullen (3.30) is taken to go one better having jumped well on his chase debut at Ffos Las over 2m 4f. Kim Bailey has his horses in excellent form and with the step up in trip a plus he merits nap material.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Breeders Cup, Goldikova, horseracing, Zenyatta

The Hitman On Saturday, Free #Horseracing Tips, 6 November

November 5, 2010 By Carl Harris

It is a big day of racing both in the UK, Ireland and of course at Churchill Downs where the Breeders cup will keep is going well into the night. The Hitman has all your best bets for Saturday’s action.

Goldikova- magnificent

Last week the Hitman hit the target with 8/1 Nacarat winning the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby, here are today’s targets, free horseracing tips from the Hitman exclusive to racing diary…

There has been a real big fuss made about the Breeders Cup but in my view running it over two days has watered it down and it has lost some of the attraction, it least in terms of staying in on a Saturday night to watch it. Were it not for two very special fillies I probably wouldn’t watch this year but in Goldikova ( 8:40 Churchill Downs) and Zenyatta (10:45) there are two superstars of the equine world in action.

Certainly Goldikova for me is the best bet of the night and all she has to do is beat Paco Boy again and she will complete a hat-trick of wins in this mile turf contest. That would be just simply sensational, she is the best miler I have ever seen and I will be willing her to win and dancing with tears in my eyes if she does. Sometimes racing isn’t just about betting, sometimes it is about greatness and this French filly deserves to go down in history. 11/10 May be short but I think it’s still worth having a bet.

The the handicap on Saturday is the November handicap at Doncaster which will be run on good to soft ground. The race is as always hugely competitive with 23 declared runners. I think this will be one for Richard Hughes aboard Senate (3:10 Doncaster) for trainer John Gosden who train the winner of this race last year. Senate didn’t seem to handle conditions at Newbury last time but connections expect better at Doncaster on a track and on ground that should suit ideally. There is plenty of value to be had about backing Senate and I will be doing so each way.

The best of the jumps action on Saturday is at Wincanton where I have my eye on a couple. Australia Day (2:10 Wincanton) looks want to keep on the right side of and despite having to concede weight to all of his 10 rivals I think will complete a hat-trick over obstacles.

Paul Nicholls has a very interesting novice chaser in the shape of Robinson Collonges ( 2:45 Wincanton) who opened his account over fences at Bangor winning by 20 lengths, as easy as you like and definitely looks a high quality individual to follow. We may not get much of a price here with only five runners declared but this is very much one for the future from a powerful stable. Even money bigger though, count me in!

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Breeders Cup, Doncaster, Down Royal, Free Horseracing Tips, November Handicap, Wincanton, Zenyatta

A Great Night at Santa Anita- Breeders’ Cup 2009

November 8, 2009 By The Hitman

Racing Diary had a brilliant Saturday evening at the Breeders’ Cup as Europe had a brilliant meeting! It was a brilliant night of racing at Santa Anita, USA for the Breeders Cup 2009.

Henry Cecil added a Breeders Cup win to his CV whilst Conduit and Goldikova defended their titles. Goldikova overcame an outside stall to win with a devastating turn of foot. Frankie Dettori kicked things off with a winner on Pounced. All were advised by Racing Diary! We also advised to back 6 or more winners with Stan James which was won in style!

Frankie Dettori gave Europe the perfect start to day two of Breeders’ Cup 2009 by winning the opening Juvenile Turf on John Gosden’s Pounced at Santa Anita. The Italian sent his mount – the 3-1 favourite – through a gap on the inside to take it up a furlong from home.

Goldikova emulated Miesque by winning back-to-back renewals of the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita. Trainer Freddie Head had the pleasure of riding Miesque and completed a remarkable feat that will take some matching. Draw 11 of 11, Olivier Peslier bided his time at the back of the field and had to weave through runners in the straight. The Americans tried to stop her with the draw, they couldn’t!

Conduit etched his name in Breeders’ Cup history when winning consecutive renewals of the Turf at Santa Anita on Saturday night. Sir Michael Stoute’s four-year-old had to work a good deal harder then when winning 12 months ago and Ryan Moore excelled on the chestnut. A brilliant race ride by Champion Ryan Moore, excellent!

The final race the $5m Classic went to Zenyatta who had won 13 from 13 and faced Rip Van Winkle, Twice Over and a field of colts. The start was disrupted which may have had an effect on proceedings. Zenyatta was slow out and was last in the early stages of the Classic, Rip Van Winkle was always up with the pace but didn’t handle the surface and was not competitive. To give them that much of a start was brave, but she stuffed them with a brilliant ride and that was one we got wrong but wow, what a superb filly! As good as we have seen, what a night!