SATURDAY MORNING – Tune into HPI for races from ASCOT this morning – the mighty FRANKEL is in the Champion Stakes, his final hurrah, meets 5 rivals and the course may be a bit soft.
Fabulous Frankel – from Wikipedia
NIIGON REMEMBERED
A Thoroughblog commenter (on the post GUARD) SENT IN THE FOLLOWING TRIBUTE:
Run wild,run free Niigon,we’ll miss him Jen.He will be with us for a few years longer,as he “stamps” his offspring..his kids..with his classic head,and his long legs
Godspeed Niigon xxx
RACING POST REPORT
FRANKEL FEVER ON!
Frankel Ascot prospects improved after dry night
By Stuart Riley (approx 7:40 a.m. est)
ASCOT clerk of the course Chris Stickels on Saturday morning broke the news all racing fans were praying to wake up to, with a dry night at the Berkshire venue improving the chances of one last wondrous performance from Frankel.
The participation of the world’s highest-rated horse was put in doubt with the deteriorating ground conditions throughout the week but overnight the weather gods did their bit to ensure Frankel goes to post in the highlight of the second British Champions Day.
Stickels said: “We had 6mm of rain yesterday but have been dry since about 7.30pm. The ground is soft on the straight course, and soft, heavy in places on the round course. Today is currently due to be dry with just the risk of an isolated shower.
http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse-racing/#newsArchiveTabs=last7DaysNews
WOODBINE NEWS
WEDNESDAY-FRIDAY WRAPS
FRIDAY, a lovely day for racing (like 17 celcius!), started off with a big favourite winning – BESTAVAILABLE won his 4th career race for $20K maiden claiming, 2nd time Lasix for Harlequin ranches and Roger Attfield.
The win was the first of FIVE scores for popular JESSE CAMPBELL who gets a lot of run out of his mounts.
The winner is by Best of the Bests (Ire) and is a Manitoba-bred.
The winner was claimed by Mike Wright Racing (not Michelle Wright as it is reported in the result chart) and that was good timing as Wright won the 2nd race with BINKS FOREST, who led all the way through 1 3/`16 miles to win for $20K claiming.
That was win no. 2 for jockey Campbell.
IMPRESSIVE HAILEY is a nice 2yo filly prospect for Terra Farm. The Trajectory – Impressive Flash, Bold ‘n Flashy homebred was making her 2nd career start and she won at 55 cents on the dollar under Eurico da Silva. Nick Gonzalez trains.
ANDROEAH, by Arch, won the off the turf 4th race at 5 to 1 for John Sikura. This was another Campbell winner but instead of leading all the way, she came from almost 10 lengths back, pushed Perfect Agility out of the way 6 wide off the turn and
won for trainer Josie Carroll.
CONSOLIDATOR JOE is a guy who loves to win races. The Ontario bred got lucky as a main track only in the 6th race which came off the grass. recently claimed for $25K by On The Run racing and Ross Armata, the Ontario bred won the 1 mile and 70 yard event for $32,000 in 1:42 (85 Beyer) for his 8th win in his 14th race.
The lovely old timer SAFETY ZONE, dropping well down in class, was claimed by Martha Gonzalez.
The Pick 4 ended with more Jesse Campbell and it was a poignant moment for the winning owners, Chiefswood Stable, which lost its star racehorse and sire NIIGON last Sunday. The winner, NIIGON’S PLAYER, led all the way at even money and put her sire and owners in the spotlight for the day.
The fastest race of the day was the 8th – an 89 Beyer for 1 mile and 70 yards (off the turf) and it was won by JOMELO,
owned by WEG chairman JIM LAWSON. This grey fellow by Giacomo was very impressive as he rallied from well back under, who else, Jesse Campbell, and he almost beat the track record. His time of 1:40.46 was off by a smidge – the record is 1:40.13.
The winner, who was under heavy left handed pressure, is trained by Sid Attard.
The day’s finale was won by COURTVILLE, a nice runner for Laurie Silvera.This guy by Saffir came from 12th in the allowance race for Ontario sired runners under Omar Moreno and rode the rail to victory. He was bred by Larry and Rosalie Edwards.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT – Canada’s leading 1st crop sire is MARCAVELLY, who stands at Colebrook Farms in Uxbridge, Ont. The son of Silver Deputy has THE B’S AND E’S in the Cup & Saucer and had his 3rd winner on Wed. night when MARCAVELLY MAN won his maiden in race 1 for owner/breeder Wayne Gillis.
The 2yo is trained by Sid Attard and was racing for a $20,000 claiming tag. Ridden by Jesse Campbell, the colt, out of
Ascots Move, by Ascot Knight, pressed the pace early and held off beginner Big Chune “under strong left handed pressure”(track announcer).
Wednesday’s featured race was the 3rd, an allowance/optional claiming race with just 5 runners and CASA LOMA was a logical winner and she slowed the pace down on her way to victory. The Minshall farms bred 3yo has been battling some of the toughest gals on the circuit so it was good to see her get a win for Rolph Davis and trainer Robert Tiller.
Her Beyer was 75, the highest of the night, her 7 furlongs ran in 1:24.21.
HIGHLAND BAY was a 9 to 1 winner of the 4th race, a maiden allowance for Ontario sired 2yos. He is a Sligo Bay (Ire) guy out of Brazilian Mama by Siphon (Brz) and was bred by Beata Grodkowska. Shale Wagman owns the gelding and Denyse McClachrie trains.
Other winners Wed. night included Track West’s homebred filly SUMMER WEST, a Survivalist filly who flew late to win under Chris Griffith in the $25,000 maiden claimer. One runner to watch from that race is WHINNY POOH, who recently came off a 3 year layoff. She was making a strong wide move on the turn before she forgot to corner into the strtech and she closed well for 4th under bug rider Katy Morrison.
The last race of the night was bombs away as SEPTEMBER SQUARE came from behind heavy traffic, and was up in the last jump to win at 28 to 1 under Davy Moran. The winner is a 7yo by Compadre and he won for $11,500 claiming.
The 9-year-old PASSAGER, owned by Tucci Stables, was last of 12 in his 40th career race. The one-time stakes gelding has won $455,126 in his career.
MUSKETIER RETIRED
Congrats to the oldest horse to ever win a Grades Stakes race in North America! MUSKETIER has been retired at age 10!
http://www.drf.com/news/woodbine-musketier-10-calls-it-career
WILF JONES WINS AT WOODBINE!
THANKS TO HARLAN ABBEY for the following tidbit from Fort Erie news in the NF Review:
Trainer Wilf Jones passed a milestone when his own Tevez came from behind to win a race at Woodbine on Oct. 13, zipping six furlongs in 1:09.4, which, as they say, is “racehorse time” at any track on any surface.
Melanie Pinto rode the $64.40 winner, which was Jones’ first at Woodbine in the 21 years he has been racing in Canada.
