Oli Bell returns with a preview of the QIPCO Guineas Festival and much more in his latest column.
What better way to get in the mood for the first Classic of the summer than with The Opening Show on ITV this Saturday? This weekend we’re on the main channel at 9.25am ahead of a huge weekend at Newmarket, with the QIPCO 2000 Guineas the big race of the first afternoon.
We’ve got a really exciting show on Saturday morning, with Frankie Dettori as our guest and Francesca Cumani making her first appearance on ITV. Earlier in the year you will have seen Ed Chamberlin visit Juddmonte Farms and witness the birth of a Frankel foal. This week we return to see how the youngster is getting on, along with the great Frankel himself.
We will of course preview the weekend’s big races too, so there is plenty happening on The Opening Show – and I can’t wait. Having been away, it’s great to be back in the swing of things and working with everyone at ITV Racing.
QIPCO 2000 Guineas – Newmarket, Saturday 3.35pm
With The Opening Show paying another visit to Frankel and one of his foals in the morning, it’s arguably fitting that another of his colts is tipped by some to take the day’s big race.
But, however tempting 9/2 with Sky Bet is, Eminent is not necessarily the one for me this weekend. Regular readers will (hopefully) recall that I named Barney Roy – currently 7/2 – among my horses to watch for this year’s Flat season and I’m standing by my tip.
There’s a lot of intrigue surrounding this year’s race for many reasons. It’s not a big field, but you could still easily make a very strong, coherent case for nearly half of those entered.
The favourite Churchill (13/8) was one of the star two-year-olds from last year and you ask yourself what sort of form he will be in. The trials have also given us impressive winners and some very good two-year-olds have stepped up again for 2017.
Eminent was excellent at Newmarket on ITV4 last month and it was clear he had plenty more running in him as he powered beyond the 7f finish. The interesting thing about the Frankel offspring that I have seen is that he may not stamp them the same in terms of facial appearance, but when they run they do seem to have his long stride quality put into them.
The difference with Eminent – and a few others, as well – is that he seems quite professional when he’s racing, whereas some have had Frankel’s headstrong characteristic. Eminent has the whole package – the attitude, the stride and the power. They seem to have cherry-picked the particularly good bits of Frankel.
However, I’m still backing Richard Hannon and Barney Roy. Timeform recently published some interesting research into stride patterns with this year’s field and this Godolphin horse has the longest.
He won very well last time out at Newbury, showing a great attitude. He made up a lot of ground with the front two clear to eventually win, and gets his head down well. Sometimes if you see a horse has won a race by two lengths it doesn’t quite tell the whole story. Often you really have to watch the race – precisely what you needed to do to appreciate Barney Roy’s success.
And that’s also what makes this year’s 2000 Guineas such a good race – you can make a similar argument about a lot of the runners. But, for me, Barney Roy’s is the best.
Click here to back Barney Roy NRNB with Sky Bet
QIPCO 1000 Guineas – Newmarket, Sunday 3.35pm
Rhododendron (2/1 favourite with Sky Bet) will be pretty hard to beat. She’s got the best form and I’m not too convinced by the trials form of the fillies compared to the colts. Last year’s Fillies’ Mile winner sets a pretty high benchmark.
Jumps season signs off in style, promising much for 2017-18
Congratulations to Nicky Henderson on beating Paul Nicholls to the Champion Trainer title and to Richard Johnson for an amazing second Stobart Jump Jockeys’ championship. These are fantastic achievements and full credit has to go to all involved for their highly consistent and sustained efforts.
The next year is already set really well in the Timico Gold Cup division. Last week’s Punchestown Gold Cup was a fantastic race and fair play to Coneygree and connections for serving it up so brilliantly to Sizing John and Djakadam.
Altior really is a superb horse and it was fitting that his victory sealed Nicky’s trainers’ crown at Sandown. Sometimes you can think he’s in trouble but then he’ll take two or three strides to hit a phenomenal top gear.
The way Altior beat Fox Norton at Newbury and Special Tiara at Sandown shows he’s a novice in all but name. If I had to choose between a fully-fit Altior and a fully-fit Douvan I’d probably go for Nicky’s horse.
It was a great comeback from Willie Mullins to take Ireland’s trainers’ championship, but also well done to Gordon Elliott, who invariably has a smile on his face.
Good luck to Gordon’s former assistant Ollie Murphy who has left Cullentra House after four years to set up on his own. He’s a good man, a good talent and a name to keep an eye on.
Jump jockeys back in the saddle after just a day off
I tweeted at the weekend that just a day off between seasons was hardly enough of a break for the jockeys – and it certainly sparked a reaction, even if it’s not exactly the newest of arguments.
Ultimately, they go out for our entertainment, falling perhaps once every ten rides, repeatedly travelling the length of the country for, quite often, little financial reward with the midweek prize money on offer. And all they get in return is one day’s holiday.
I understand the business case behind starting the season so soon after the last but we could – and should – do more to say ‘thank you’ for the jockeys’ hard work. We always go on about how brave and tough they are, and they don’t make a fuss for exactly that reason.
Some people said the jockeys could take a holiday if they wanted as most are freelance, but I don’t get behind that argument for a second. Could you see a natural born competitor allowing someone else to ride a top horse, just because they fancied a week in Tenerife?
Joshua boxes his way into the mainstream – without the trash talk
Anthony Joshua v Wladimir Klitschko on Saturday night was one of the best sporting events we have been treated to for a long time and showed to me that a fight doesn’t have to be a pantomime for it to be incredible.
You don’t need the Haye v Bellew build-up for the event to be epic. From the moment the bout was announced there was a lot of respect between the two.
One thing I still don’t understand despite having watched the footage dozens of times is how Joshua’s uppercut on Klitschko didn’t floor him – the punch defied science.
Anthony Joshua is an absolute legend, he comes across so well and the pair both spoke amazingly well afterwards. It was a great night for British boxing and boxing as a sport.
The Glovers survive, but fans are left feeling green around the gills
Yeovil Town may still be a Football League club after just about staying in Sky Bet League Two – but I still think we could get relegated next year. I just can’t see how we’ll be alright.
The problem I have with the club is not necessarily what’s happening on the field because we’re Yeovil Town and we’ve achieved way more than we have really deserved in relatively recent seasons.
But, to me, the football club is a local, community club and for whatever reason the attitude of those that run the club, from stories I have been told and heard, appears to be shifting away from that.
At Cheltenham Town earlier this season the club hit the headlines because our disgruntled fans started fighting among themselves in the away end.
A group of supporters – among them a number who have helped raise a large amount of money for charity challenges organised by fans – have been banned with what appears to be little explanation.
Five years ago, all of this would have been laughable. Everything at Huish Park right now is just really messy.
If we were relegated for the next five years, but kept true to that community club ethos I maybe wouldn’t mind. There’s even almost something charming about following a team that’s rubbish but stays true to its principles.
However, if you change that ethos and ruin just why myself and so many others came to support our local club then you really are stuffed, with the finger of blame pointing firmly at those in charge.
UEFA Champions League hots up
Juventus’ visit to Stade Louis II tonight (Wednesday) should be fascinating. The Italians are a fantastic defensive unit while hosts Monaco boast a formidable attacking record.
Kylian Mbappe is on fire at the moment and 2/1 to score in 90 minutes with Sky Bet looks a good bet.
Dressage do’s and don’ts
I’ll be watching this week’s Badminton Horse Trials with considerable interest. My first job was at Burghley, covering dressage, where the lower the score, the better.
Thankfully, my first interview was recorded rather than broadcast live. The competitor scored 99 and I thought she’d nailed it. I’ve gone to her “well done, you must be over the moon?” Quite rightly, she looked back at me like a complete moron and said: “That’s the worst score you can ever get.”
Because I still looked about 12, I got away with asking if we could start the interview again and in the space of five minutes I went from “well done” to “what went wrong?”