Santa Anita© Photo Healy Racing
Some serious racing this weekend and it's hard to know what to focus on.
Breeders Cup action will be top of many a weekend to do list with some serious European challengers ready to do business in the States. Whilst I'll be no doubt watching amidst chucking sweets at ankle biters brave enough to knock on my door it will be on into the late hours then pouring over the fields for the Charlie Hall and the JNWine.com Chase action at Wetherby and Down Royal respectively.
America first though and Santa Anita where this evening I'm most looking forward to Hootenanny for Wesley Ward and Frankie Dettori in the Grade 1 Juvenile Turf. An absolute speedball who is now tried at a mile on what is a very tight track and if he does get away with it is the class act in the field. Catch the pigeons stuff at Ascot was followed by a blunted run in France behind The Wow Signal on soft ground but he has a good draw here for the two turns before the straight and if he has the energy conserved he should blitz away under Frankie.
On Saturday evening I think the Qatar Racing pair of Secret Gesture and Just The Judge are the ones to concentrate on in the Grade 1 Filly and Mare Turf and Pat Smullen getting the leg up on Secret Gesture is great for the man who has been riding at his very best this term. Connections were thought to be considering Olivier Peslier for the spin but speaking to Donn McClean on RacingFM this week he was of the opinion that Smullen is in the same league as the forever hailed Ryan Moore and I have to agree. He could have a very good evening of course with three rides including Mustajeeb for the boss D K Weld very much in the picture for the Mile against Toronado.
Secret Gesture has always been a little shadowed after being out gunned by a stable mate in the Oaks in last year but she is full of class and I hope she will react well to this test and happy to take a chance at double figures.
Paul Nicholls is sending over the ammo once again for Down Royal's meeting and I expect him to come away with the two big chases on the card. Wonderful Charm is set to become a seventh winner in a row for the handler in a small field for the Grade 2 Powers Irish Whisky Chase and in the race before that Rocky Creek will attempt to land a fifth JNWine.com Grade 1 Chase for Nicholls in the past eight years. Rocky Creek looks a punt at the early prices. A massive run fresh in the Hennessy last season and I'm surprised he is as big as 4/1 for the race where Ma Filleule looks short to me against this calibre of opposition. The pair of First Lieutenant and Boston Bob are closely matched of course but I'd not be keen on them being cherry ripe first time up. A really good race in store.
The Charlie Hall at Wetherby is strong of course and Nicholls again set to dominate with the 2012 winner Silviniaco Conti at the head of the market. Whilst I have a soft spot for Medermit I'm not sure it's soft enough to wade in at mildly tempting odds. It's a shame that the Grade 2 Hurdle on the card has three runners, a race won by Tidal Bay, Fair Along and Inglis Drever will most likely see At Fishers Cross added to that list but where are all the horses? Is it the decent ground, the prize money or has the haphazard jumping technique and wayward tendencies of the Rebecca Curtis trained favourite scared them away...he was there for the taking wasn't he?
Good luck this weekend to all.
