AT LONDON BRIDGE THEY’RE FALLING DOWN, FALLING DOWN, FALLING DOWN!
Well, they might be if they don’t get their Race Instructions and Jockey pairings right! The Epsom Derby is often the springboard for Epic trained horses, highlighted by the that fact it’s been the Maiden World Cup win of some true greats of this game – Tripp Leilani and Relaunch being the standouts.
Despite uncertainties over horse stamina, race favorites and the eventual state of the ground, one thing is for certain – The final will be a grueling test of endurance for this crop of young horses!
Like those great names before them, these 3 y/o’s all line up desperate for a first cup win! Interestingly, all stables involved are also looking for their own maiden win at the Epsom Derby event itself! New ground WILL be broken at LOND this Saturday one way or another!
The race looks wide open but still has a few runners who will be favored at the window when they enter the stalls on Saturday:
The Captain may have to reveal his secret to us all, as his entry Captain’s Secret looks remarkably healthy for a horse that ran 2nd in a heat 3 days prior to writing! The $1.75m purchase from Secret Revolution appears to have been very much restrained throughout that race, and will no doubt be pushed harder by Billy Bushwacker in the final. Although trained more as a Long distance specialist, I would expect this Natural Champion to be there or thereabouts in the home stretch.
Big Bad Authority of Burgersfortheboyz is another who ran a reserved heat, Lissette Roop helping conserve health for the final. If the ground remains ‘Dead’, then expect this homegrown Competitive filly out of Lieutenant Dan to feature heavily with her distance and condition experience advantages!
The winner of heat 1 was Roll With It of Allison Racing. This Mudlark colt, a $2.2m purchase last season, looked tired when finishing the heat off. As the ground dries up, so too I fear, may his chances. A jump to Good ground would surely be disastrous, I fear.
Heat 2 provided similar times to Heat 1, but with the entire top 3 struggling for fuel reserves in the closing stages. Rubin Jets will be hoping for another good run out of his homegrown colt – Greta Garbo. If Patrick Strome finds the space he needs (wide via the lane draw or by front-running) then expect another good showing from the GRAN based outfit.
Also rounding out the top3 of Heat 2 were Pembe Yele of Yorulmaz and Another Vice of Moonlight Stables. Both are homegrown NC fillies, and both stables will look to use their experience to improve and challenge for purse money as a minimum requirement in the final.
The final mention should A-go-go to Swindin’s runner, who’s Fast Finishing filly would benefit heavily from a ground change of Dead to Good, and I suspect has the potential to show a lot more than she did in the heat. A-go-go Thalassa could well be a surprise package here!
Overall, I really feel the final will ultimately come down to Good v Bad. Will St Simon triumph with his magically healing horses? Or will the big, bad burger man slap his authority over this field?
My prediction: Big Bad Authority, Captain’s Secret & Greta Garbo.
Good luck to all involved!
Race field
| # | Form | Horse | Stable | Jockey | Final Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Captain’s Secret | St Simon Racing | Billy Bushwacker | N/A |
| 2 | 1 | Roll With It | Allison Racing | Irmgard Vanderhoef | N/A |
| 3 | 1,10,13,6,3 | Courses Affair | C M Pace Ranch | !Elois Gullatte! | N/A |
| 4 | 2,3,14,2,2 | Pembe Yele | Yorulmaz | Kelly Mettle | N/A |
| 5 | 2,4,7 | Twlight Karrea | Fairlawns | Sandee Ciubal | N/A |
| 6 | 1,3,6 | Billy Boy A | Cape Hall | Norman Bayus | N/A |
| 7 | 4,7,3 | Another Vice | Moonlight Stables | Paris Bissonnette | N/A |
| 8 | 3 | Big Bad Authority | Burgersfortheboyz | !Lissette Roop! | N/A |
| 9 | 1,1,6 | A-go-go Thalassa | swindin | Cammie Deck | N/A |
| 10 | 1,1 | Greta Garbo | Rubin Jets | Patrick Strome | N/A |
1. Captain’s Secret |
3yo filly from St Simon Racing, Career earnings: $80,000 Overall rating: Satisfactory(46) – Natural champion |
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Born:Fri 7th Oct 2016, bred by Secret Revolution
Lineage:By Secret Aurora out of Secret Solstice
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Stable comments: – “Captain’s Secret was bought primarily as a future brood, and I thought I might as well have some fun with her, before she hits the breeding shed. I need the midget on top to brings his A-game to the track on Saturday, to have any chance.
2. Roll With It |
3yo colt from Allison Racing, Career earnings: $160,000 Overall rating: Satisfactory(46) – Mud-lark |
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Born:Fri 7th Oct 2016, bred by Bones Graveyard Stud
Lineage:By Mr Gizmo out of Angel Bones
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Stable comments: – “Roll With It, is my first epic, so all an experiment. Unfortunately he is a muddie, and it looks like the ground may be at best, dead, which is disappointing, however we will see nearer the day before deciding to withdraw or not. Captains runner, and Burgerz the danger.”
3. Courses Affair |
3yo filly from C M Pace Ranch, Career earnings: $241,200 Overall rating: Acceptable(40) – Mud-lark |
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Born:Fri 7th Oct 2016, bred by C M Pace Ranch
Lineage:By Wingard out of Wilma Belladonte
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Stable comments: – “With Courses Affair I tried to breed a Mudlark on purpose for this age group’s epic cup series which will run mostly on slow tracks. It really happened. This one turned out as my best bred ever. Thankfully, despite having a Fiery temperament and refusing to lengthen her stride or drop any weight, she has taken well to 12 hours of training each week. Trouble is, she does not take well to racing. Born short, fat and mean, she does not obey any rider and continually fights against early holds to the point where both horse and jockey give up and walk in. I expect more of the same in the Derby final.”
4. Pembe Yele |
3yo filly from Yorulmaz, Career earnings: $314,111 Overall rating: Acceptable(44) – Natural champion |
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Born:Fri 7th Oct 2016, bred by Yorulmaz
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Stable comments: – “I’m hopeful from the final and we will run the race with own breed horse and our ex-app. Roll With It and Big Bad Authority would be the main contenders for the trophy. Vets factor could be critical.”
5. Twlight Karrea |
3yo colt from Fairlawns, Career earnings: $108,382 Overall rating: Acceptable(40) – Natural champion |
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Born:Fri 28th Oct 2016, bred by Seahorse Racing
Lineage:By Dancin out of Airy Flush
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Stable comments: – “I paid $500,000 for Twilight, a well bred natural champ. He has all the attributes for an epic runner, the only thing that will let him down is my lack of experience in training an epic runner and the jockey’s lack of experience at epic distances. Apart from that he has a good chance to sneak into the top five. Good luck all.”
6. Billy Boy A |
3yo colt from Cape Hall, Career earnings: $237,150 Overall rating: Acceptable(40) – Early sprinter |
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Born:Fri 7th Oct 2016, bred by SOFIA SPEED HORSE
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Stable comments: – “
7. Another Vice |
3yo filly from Moonlight Stables, Career earnings: $98,000 Overall rating: Satisfactory(45) – Natural champion |
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Born:Fri 21st Oct 2016, bred by Moonlight Stables
Lineage:By Most Awesome Ever out of Destroyer Crappy
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Stable comments: – “Another Vice might not have exactly the experience of some of the other entries in the Epsom this weekend, but she has been training well and is certainly not lacking in heart. This little filly might just surprise a few of the bettors. “
8. Big Bad Authority |
3yo filly from Burgersfortheboyz, Career earnings: $80,000 Overall rating: Satisfactory(45) – Competitive |
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Born:Fri 7th Oct 2016, bred by Burgersfortheboyz
Lineage:By Lieutenant Dan out of Big Bad Dominatrix
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Stable comments: – “Qualifying for the Epsom Derby final is a personal achievement for the Burgers stable as twice before we have trained up a juvenile for the race only to discover that the race was not being sponsored those seasons. Talk about being all dressed up and no party to go to. Our filly Big Bad Authority is certainly built to handle the rugged trip. At 19.2 hands the jockey will require a step ladder to mount the filly. She ran on nicely in the heat and a bold showing is expected.”
9. A-go-go Thalassa |
3yo filly from swindin, Career earnings: $456,000 Overall rating: Acceptable(42) – Fast finisher |
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Born:Fri 7th Oct 2016, bred by swindin
Lineage:By Barking Assembly out of Purchase
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Stable comments: – “A-Go-Go Thalassa— good effort last start, but might find these too classy for him.”
10. Greta Garbo |
3yo filly from Rubin Jets, Career earnings: $465,200 Overall rating: Acceptable(44) – Needs space |
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Born:Fri 7th Oct 2016, bred by Rubin Jets
Lineage:By Porto out of Sinn Mollie
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Stable comments: – “Greta Garbo has exceeded and confounded expectations. She was born plain ugly. A breeding disappointment. A temperamental NS. Hence the name. She did nothing on TT. Her fledgling career as an epic runner was the stable joke. Until she started racing. Her win in the 2yo Medi regionals was a surprise in a field of 16. What happened to Greta’s need to be alone? She meant alone in front. The stable was still sceptical about entering her for the Epsom heats. But why have a 3yo epic runner if you don’t enter her specialist event? And she amazed connections again. Alone in front. The final will be a different matter. But if she gets free in front, and her legs don’t give out, who knows?”