Only half a second behind the track record Sole Power got the very fast pace he needs and won well, Kingsgate Native continued his good runs at the track and Prohibit also appreciated the strong pace. Overdose was unable to match the best of the UK and poor old Borderlescott at one stage was running with a loose binbag covering his entire head !
This is going to be run at a furious pace with several front runners in the lineup and Fleeting Spirit's course record of 57.15s may well be broken. It is a Group 1 field running in a Group 2 race.
MARKAB will be sharper for his run at York when 6 1/2 lengths behind Delagator, but the truth of the matter is he has never won over 5f and this looks a difficult race to accomplish that first although he will be likely to appreciate the fast pace and should be staying on. In fact last seasons King Stand when he finished 2nd to Equiano beaten 1 1/2 lengths is the only 5f race he has contested and he has a Group 1 penalty this time.
BORDERLESCOTT he should reverse placings with Markab from the Kings Stand on revised terms but he may be outpaced in the early part of the race and he has to hope that the field will be coming back to him at the end and he will need to reverse placings with Sole Power from the Palace House.
GROUP THERAPY may well struggle against this opposition and he has 1/2 a length to find with Borderlescott on last seasons form at Goodwood (57.22s). He may well come with a strong run at the end but Ive a feeling the winner will have already flown and gone.
HAMISH MCGONAGALL is being highly tried in these Group races, however he will appreciate a return to 5f and the going, but in relaity he is a decent Class 2 handicapper and will be found wanting again.
KINGSGATE NATIVE which horse will turn up is anyone's gues, he won this last year when beating Equiano and Borderlescott and also finished a 3 length 4th to Markab in the Sprint Cup so the course may well bring out the best in him but his price of 5/1 reflects that.
OVERDOSE has only lost once in a 16 race career and has won 4 times over 5f. You may well remember him romping away with the Prix de L'Abbaye only for the race to be declared void and re run without him taking part. He is a speedball of a horse and he has the ability to maintain it throughout, okaytheraces he has won appear to be lowly affairs but he wins them in fast times and that is all he can do. If you do look through Overdose's form you see the word unchallenged figure a lot and you may see it again here, his only race this season, when he broke the track record, is featured below.
PROHIBIT this will be Prohibit's seventh race of the year having been out to Dubai and he ran very well off a strong pace last weekend at Longchamp (55.92s) in the race won by Inxile were he finished 4th beaten a quarter of a length. He had Dettori up there and he is going to get the strong pace again but will the race come too soon ?
SOLE POWER excels off a fast pace as we saw in last seasons Nunthorpe (57.14s), but he also needs fast ground and I'm not sure he has that at Haydock. He should be finishing well from off the pace though but he may be fighting out the minor honours.
TANGERINE TREES is another who goes off fast and he will be pushing at Overdose from the off. He has won 6 of his last 8 races and although this is the highest class race he has run in he is moving up the ladder fast and should run a good race although his trainer was only 50/50 about coming here earlier in the week.
ROSE BLOSSOM needs to lead or she may sulk and not get into it, she will have to have improved since last season and I'm not sure she will be able to run all the way to the line at the pace they will be going here.
NEW PLANET gets the 3yo allowance but is very inexperienced and will have to run the race of his life to win here and I dont want to chance any money hoping that is going to happen.
STONE OF FOLCA another with little experience and I'm not sure he is up to it.
In conclusion I think Overdose is better than some people give him credit for and he will be hard to beat if he runs his usual race and 2/1, albeit a bit short, is probably about right. Of the others I would look to those who will be running on at the end such as Group Therapy 20/1, Prohibit 16/1 and Sole Power 12/1.
There are several other top sprints on Saturday and I will try and cover as many as possible over the next 2 days, so keep in touch with the blog.
Why wont someone put up a £1 million to arrange the challenge match of all-time; OVERDOSE vs BLACK CAVIAR.
That would be a great spectacle, maybe it will happen in the 2012 Kings Stand.
OVERDOSE is 7/2 with Betfred as I write this (11:15am on Sat morning). If he's as good as he looks this could be the value bet of the year!
Sing for your supper !
Fanning can bring out best in Judge 'N Jury !
The Caviar gets better !
The Grand Old Duke of York !!
Good day for "Horses to Follow" !
Hawkeyethenoo ideally drawn to win again !