Well, there’s no denying that this one belongs on Wacky Races. The whole race (the Star Sports Novice Handicap Chase at Towcester) is crackers from beginning to end!
In the bet365 Fillies’ Mile (3.35) at Newmarket on Friday, Aidan O’Brien made a statement of intent by declaring half a dozen at the five-day declaration stage. Of his original sextet, he relies on Hermosa and Zagitova, who were third and fourth, respectively, behind Skitter Skatter in the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh 12 days ago and may, once again, come up a little short at the highest level. Of course, the Master of Ballydoyle should know where he stands with Prix Morny winner and subsequent Cheveley Park Stakes fourth Pretty Pollyanna, having saddled Fairytale and So Perfect to finish first and third, respectively, in the latter contest.
Even so, Michael Bell’s filly has enjoyed a terrific season so far, fulfilling the promise of her close fifth in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot by sluicing home – by 7 lengths from subsequent winner Angel’s Hideaway – in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes on the July Course at Newmarket and following up, against the colts, in the Prix Morny at Deauville in August. In the Cheveley Park Stakes she ran, not for the first time, as if a step up in distance would do her no harm and, being out of a Shamardal mare, should find an extra two furlongs well within her compass.
The weather in East Anglia appears set fair for the next few days so, with the going on the Rowley Mile already good, Pretty Pollyanna should have her favoured underfoot conditions and it’ll be disappointing if she doesn’t go very close indeed, to winning this valuable prize. Odds of 11/2, or thereabouts, ante post look more than fair for a filly who has much less to prove than some of her rivals.
Selection: Newmarket 3.35 Pretty Pollyanna to win 9/2
Time for a bit of long overdue horse humour, these these horse and horse racing jokes!
Why did the boy stand behind the horse?
He thought he might get a kick out of it!
What did the horse say when it fell?
“I’ve fallen and I can’t giddyup!”
A guy is walking through the country when he spots a sign that reads, “Talking Horse for Sale.” Intrigued, he walks up to the stable to check it out.
“So what have you done with your life?” he asks the horse.
“I’ve led a full life,” the horse answers miraculously. “I was born in The Andes where I herded for an entire village. Years later, I joined the mounted police force in New York and helped keep the city clean. And now, I spend my days giving free rides to underprivileged kids here in the country.”
The guy is flabbergasted. He asks the horse’s owner, “Why on earth would you want to get rid of such an incredible animal?”
The owner says, “Because he’s a liar! He never did any of that!”
That horse is so slow the post office should buy him.
Three race horses stood in their stalls. One said to other others: “I ran 20 races and I won 15 of them!” he bragged. The next said with a snort, “Well, I ran 30 races and won 25 of them!” Then the third horse spoke up proudly, “Yeah, I ran 41 races and won 39 of them!” This seemed to settle the topic when the horses noticed a Greyhound outside their stalls. The Greyhound said, “I ran 100 races and I won 99 of them.” The horses looked at each other in amazement and one gasped, “Wow! A talking greyhound!”
I bought a horse. In its first race it went out 25 to 1. The only problem is that all the other horses left at 12:30.
His horse lost the race, and the owner was irate. “I thought I told you to come with a rush at the end,” he screamed at the jockey.
The St. Leger Festival at Doncaster gets underway with St. Leger Legends Day on Wednesday and, hopefully, Converter can get us off to a flying start in the opening British Stallion Studs EBF Conditions Stakes (1.50). The Swiss Spirit colt was easy to back, at 16/1, on his debut at Nottingham last month, but that didn’t stop him from readily accounting for the odds-on favourite Qutob – who had the benefit of a previous run – and he’s held in high regard at home. High enough, in fact, to warrant an entry in the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket at the end of the month.
Obviously, it’s still early days, but trainer Mick Channon described as “a smashing type”, who “has all the tools to be decent.” Channon admitted that Converter needs to improve if he’s to take up the Newmarket engagement but, with the soft going on Town Moor in his favour, that’s not beyond the realms of possibility. In any case, in receipt of 2lb and upwards all ‘round, Converter looks a decent bet to confirm the promise of his Nottingham debut and take another step forward.
The twice-raced Khadeem was a comfortable winner at Newmarket last month and also holds an entry in the Middle Park Stakes, so may well turn out to be the main danger. Nevertheless, Converter currently falls into the ‘could be anything’ category and it’s worth chancing that his trainer’s assessment of him is fairly accurate.
Selection: Doncaster 1.50 Converter to win 8/1