Social Discourse – 10th June 2019

Happy Monday, and welcome to another weekly round up of the pick of the news as seen through the tweet machine lens…

There’s only one place to start this week’s Social Discourse, and that is the fire which could have been a tragedy if not for the extremely quick work of those based at Jamie Osborne’s Old Malt House Stables in Upper Lambourn. When flames engulfed the yard at 4am in the morning, destroying the tack room, a bungalow and mercifully nothing more, it was thanks not only the quick thinking of Osborne but of all those involved, and the kindness of – amongst others – Stan Moore, who stabled some of the affected horses for a day afterwards. See some of the events below:

 

 

Tweet Of The Week: This says it all. What a man Jamie Osborne has been, and what a team he’s got behind him.

 

  1. All Rise for Sir Winston

This has been a rather dramatic Triple Crown year. It’s only six weeks or so ago that we had the first disqualification in Kentucky Derby history. Then, in the Preakness, the middle leg of the Triple Crown, we saw a riderless horse (having unshipped Johnny Velazquez, no less) stealing America’s heart, perhaps gaining more love than the winner. And in the third and final leg, we had another surprise as Sir Winston nipped up the rail to record an upset in the Belmont Stakes.

 

Making his Classic debut for Mark Casse, who was training a second of the three Triple Crown winners, Sir Winston travelled like he’d been at this level for just as long as any horse in the field. Held up early, he moved into contention smoothly in the run-up to the far turn; thereafter, jockey Joel Rosario had to hold his nerve when he was briefly boxed in, but when the gap came he scooted up the inner for what was a perfectly timed winning run. The Twittersphere had plenty to say about the race, the rides, and the tactics.

https://twitter.com/Calim1701/status/1137499938542182402

 

Any later, and it’s possible that favourite Tacitus, fourth in the Kentucky Derby before skipping the Preakness, might have got there in time, whilst Japanese contender Master Fencer appeared to finish fastest of all (just as he did in the Durby), but the glory went to Sir Winston.

A shout out to Master Fencer’s connections, who have taken the Triple Crown in stride, and hopefully they will be back very soon.

 

  1. Judge, Jury and Mr Adjudicator
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Tory leadership contenders talking about taking drugs, taxes and Willie Mullins winning the Prix la Barka. They’re three certainties in life and we’ve had all of them this weekend, with Mullins continuing the Closutton domination of this French Grade 2 hurdle. This time, Mr Adjudicator denied stablemate Bapaume in that one’s quest for back-to-back wins.

https://twitter.com/AtTheRaces/status/1137813615791071232

Mullins had won the last three renewals, with Un De Sceaux and Shaneshill scoring prior to Bapaume 12 months ago, and he’d entered over half the field on this occasion.

Elsewhere on the card, the Prix des Drags was a race of contrasting emotions; joy for Isabelle Pacault and dedicated ally Jonathan Plouganou after Jubilatoire’s win, and despair for the Mullins brigade after the loss of Irish Grand National runner-up Isleofhopendreams, who was fatally injured at the water jump in front of the stands.

The Prix Questerabad saw Irish interest in the shape of French Made, but she was a blowout when fourth behind L’Autonomie, an impressive winner.

 

  1. Santa Anita-Close Down

Breaking: As I write this newsletter…

The consequences: Obviously massive. California’s premier racetrack – and arguably the premier racetrack in America, if not the most famous one – has been here before, and the first question that comes to mind especially for many readers here, will be what happens to the Breeders’ Cup, which took place at Churchill last year but which was set to return to Arcadia in 2019.

https://twitter.com/ArsenioHall/status/1137969596433162241

This is another reputational disaster for racing – there have already been nationally uncomfortable questions – and once again, questions to which the authorities do not have the answers will be asked, especially PETA, on a national stage (see the New York Times tweet above). Where do we go from here?

  1. Elsewhere at Belmont

Heading back to America, it was a truly top class card at Belmont to entertain on Saturday.

  • Bricks and Mortar, now firmly established as the best turf horse in the US, added to his Pegasus Turf win with a cosy success in the Manhattan Stakes

https://twitter.com/HorseRaceSite/status/1137479973135179779

 

  • Mitole took a thrilling and extremely high-class renewal of the Metropolitan Mile Handicap, holding off the late and unlucky challenge of McKinzie with Thunder Snow a fine third over a trip short of his optimum. The latter will stay in America for a summer campaign, perhaps heading to Saratoga next.

 

  • Thanks to a meltdown early pace, Hog Creek Hustle sprung an upset in the Woody Stephens, beating fellow outsider Nitrous, and an objection from the stewards as they debated whether the winner caused Mind Control to lose any chance in the lane when he shifted in his stretch run.

https://twitter.com/WHR/status/1137455811322683392

  • Guarana showed herself to be a horse of immense promise when graduating straight from maidens into Grade 1 company, breaking the track record as she slammed Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress by six lengths in the Acorn Stakes.

https://twitter.com/WorldRacing_/status/1137442373288505344

  • World Of Trouble had no trouble in taking the Jaipur Invitational Stakes.

  • Midnight Bisou got the better of Come Dancing in impressive style when landing the Odgen Phipps Stakes.

  • Rushing Fall started what would be a Grade 1 treble for Chad Brown when landing the Just A Game Stakes.

 

  1. A Right Royal Treat, Part 1

With just over a week to go, some of the best racing days of the year are on their way, and there’s so much to look forward to. 

On the Tuesday:

  • The Queen Anne will see a host of names which fought out the Lockinge Stakes meet again, with Mustashry favourite to beat Laurens, Accidental Agent and Le Brivido amongst others
  • Last year’s 1-2-3 will meet again in the King’s Stand, with Blue Point, Battaash and Mabs Cross re-opposing
  • In the St James’s Palace, there’s the chance we might get to see Magna Grecia – if he can recover from the pulled muscle which saw him disappoint at the Curragh – take on Phoenix of Spain, bringing together the English and Irish Guineas winners
  • There are more Coventry contenders than one can count, in what looks set to be one of the most open races of the week

 

Wednesday:

  • Sea of Class and Waldgeist could be joined by last year’s Derby winner Masar and Crystal Ocean in what looks a potentially belting Prince of Wales’s Stakes

Thursday

  • The Gold Cup sees last year’s Champion, Stradivarius, take on Melbourne Cup winner, Cross Counter, and 2018 Derby fourth and improver since stretching out, Dee Ex Bee

https://twitter.com/Punters/status/1137947074752786432

 

Friday

  • Dual 1,000 Guineas winner Hermosa is now likely to take on the wide margin Newbury winner Jubiloso in the Coronation Stakes

  • In the Commonwealth Cup, Ten Sovereigns heads a field packed with speed and potential, including Jash, with whom he clashed in last year’s Middle Park

 

Saturday

  • Invincible Army, a very impressive winner of the Duke of York Stakes, takes on Godolphin’s French raider Inns Of Court, who was different class in the Prix du-Gros Chene, as we conclude the week’s Group 1’s in The Diamond Jubilee

Tip top stuff, of which more next week.

Meanwhile, this is WK signing off…

– William Kedjanyi

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