Yahoo News Talking Horses: Jeremiah too big at 7-1 for Ascot specialist Charlie Fellowes
Ascot must be Charlie Fellowes’ favourite course, considering the young Newmarket trainer has won more races there than at any other track this year, including a double at the Royal meeting. He heads back there with his game chestnut Jeremiah (3.35) for the Thames Hospice Handicap, the main betting race on ITV4’s seven-race programme.
Jeremiah looks a horse who has just grown into himself, travelling strongly and battling dourly to beat Sam Cooke here last time, the pair clear. That was a better race than the one won by Look Closely and Jeremiah seems overpriced at 7-1.
Related: Ascot still has hopes for a crowd on Champions Day despite prize fund cut
1.50 Ascot There was a lot to like about the way Theotherside established a winning advantage at Newmarket a fortnight ago and she can confirm the form with Will To Win and Hamish Macbeth, despite being worse off at the weights.
2.05 Haydock Veracious really ought to be capable of scoring at Listed level but she’ll be a short price and was a beaten favourite in her first two runs last season. The progressive Festive Star appeals as an alternative, having given lumps of weight and a beating to the subsequent winner Tomorrow’s Dream last month.
2.25 Ascot Soft ground was no use to Cap Francais at Haydock last month but Ed Walker’s game little handicapper has another race in him back on a sound surface, judging by his reappearance win at the Merseyside track. Shelir is going to get it right some day but is a short price for one who has been unplaced in his last four.
2.40 Haydock There is racing on his doorstep but Frankie Dettori travels to Merseyside for two rides, including Global Giant in this Group Three. He is two from three since joining John Gosden and the form of the other race looks strong. Zaaki and Fox Tal have been disappointing, so the favourite should justify his jockey’s presence.
Haydock
12.30 Magic Voice 1.00 Toro Dorado 1.30 Dubai Mirage 2.05 Festive Star (nb) 2.40 Global Giant 3.15 Sansevero 3.50 War Glory 4.25 Aristocratic Lady 4.55 Our Little Pony
Ascot
12.40 Megallan 1.15 Jadwal 1.50 Theotherside 2.25 Cap Francais 3.00 Kaloor 3.35 Jeremiah (nap) 4.10 Grand Bazaar 4.45 Kick On Kick On
Newmarket
1.40 Wakening 2.15 Ayo Patsy 2.50 Thank You Next 3.20 Fly Miss Helen 4.00 Al Rufaa 4.35 Zegalo 5.10 Emissary 5.40 Coltrane
Uttoxeter
4.30 Enemy Coast Ahead 5.00 Ycces Portocervo 5.30 Pacify 6.00 Yes No Maybe So 6.30 Luck Of The Legion 7.00 Anywayyoulookatit 7.30 Captain Tom Cat 8.00 Dear Sire 8.30 Present Chief
3.00 Ascot Australis, the likely favourite, is respected but has yet to win on turf and is a stone higher than when he last tried. Kaloor could turn him over, having finished strongly when his new trainer stepped him up in distance last time.
3.20 Newmarket Richard Hannon was in effusive form after Fly Miss Helen was a well backed and impressive winner of a Newbury maiden three weeks ago, suggesting she would be aimed at a Group One this season. This Sweet Solera must be won if those aspirations are to be maintained. Hannon has won it twice in the last four years and the extra furlong will suit her. Chris Cook
Orr gets late call-up for Phoenix fancy The Lir Jet
Oisin Orr has been called up to ride The Lir Jet, the second-favourite, in the Group One Phoenix Stakes at The Curragh on Sunday after Ben Coen, who was originally booked to ride, was stood down with a broken collar bone following a fall at Sligo on Friday afternoon, writes Greg Wood.
Orr shared Ireland’s champion apprentice title with Andrew Slattery last season after riding a double on the final day of the campaign, but cannot have expected to get such a high-profile chance in a Group One so soon afterwards. His only previous rides at the highest level were aboard Katiba, a 66-1 chance, in the Irish 1,000 Guineas in June and Search For A Song, at 50-1, in the Tattersalls Gold Cup less than a fortnight ago.
“He [Coen] is not riding on Saturday, I know that much, so we’ve booked Oisin Orr for Sunday,” Michael Bell, The Lir Jet’s trainer, said. “Of the riders available, he was the one that Sheikh Fahad [al Thani, the colt’s owner] wanted so he’s the one we’ve plumped with.”
Sheikh Fahad bought The Lir Jet after the colt broke the all-aged track record for five furlongs on his debut at Yarmouth in early June, and Oisin Murphy, his retained rider, was aboard for his subsequent victory in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot and a narrow defeat by Ventura Tormenta in the Prix Robert Papin at Chantilly.
Coen was originally booked to ride The Lir Jet after Murphy was ruled out because of the two-week quarantine period for travellers from the UK to Ireland. Ventura Tormenta, who reopposes The Lir Jet on Sunday, will also have a new rider in Declan McDonogh for the same reason.
“It’s definitely not a positive,” Bell said, “because obviously Oisin [Murphy] knows the horse, but conversely, the jockey [Orr] knows the Curragh like the back of his hand. Obviously Sheikh Fahad would like and we would have preferred to have the jockey who knows the horse, but it is what it is. But it’s a big chance for Oisin Orr to impress in a Group One and hopefully he will do so.”
Steel Bull is the 9-4 favourite in the early betting for Ireland’s first Group One juvenile contest of the year, with The Lir Jet on 7-2 and Ventura Tormenta at 5-1.
Coen will miss out on the ride aboard The Lir Jet following a serious incident at Sligo, which saw four of the 12 runners in a 10-furlong handicap stumble and unseat their riders independently at the same point on the track.
