The Oaks & The Derby

[Elf On A Shelf]

Both races won by chestnuts, sired by Galileo, trained by Aiden O'Brien.

The Oaks - Love! What a filly! She did that well and looks to be something a little bit special! She is being priced to give Enable a run for her money in the Arc this year now. It was an O'Brien 1-2 and he was sensible to send his other good filly to France to keep them seperate this weekend.

The Derby - well .... the winner did it from the front and won well. But I still don't think we have another year of good colts, we haven't for a few years. O'Brien turns up with 6 horses but none of them really stand out on paper, no obvious pacemaker and no real form behind any of them. There were cases to be made for the other runners but to be honest no more of a case than any of the Ballydoyle fleet so it was quite an open race. I don't know why all the jockeys let Serpentine get so far away from them. They know he's a Galileo, they know he comes from a top notch yard, they know he isn't a simple pacemaker so why oh why did they let him ger 12l clear turning in!?! Pure insanity! I suspect they will all get a talking to! Take nothing away from the winner, he did it the hard way and he did it well. But it will be interesting to see what he does in the future.

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

Love was fantastic she gave me goosebumps watching her power clear I think she would possibly get the St Leger as well if they rode her conservatively or will they go for the Arc. Record time as well wasn't she?

The Derby was weird I wanted Pile Driver to win but the jockeys gave the winner too much of a lead he came round the corner and I said to OH he's not stopping he just kept motoring. I think he slowed slightly at the end but his lead was unassailable by then. Tje jockey did exactly what he had been told to. There were 2 groups the 3rd group were even further detached be interesting to see if he can back it up with other wins as while he has probably secured his place at stud due to the weird nature of the race he may have a slight asterisk next to his name until he wins another big race. Some lovely looking horses in that race

As an aside why are pacemakers allowed they were saying how the other Gosden runner in the Oaks i can't remember the horses name but the jockey wore yellow they were saying she was owned by the same person as Frankly Darling and she was in the race purely as a pacemaker. I know they used to have one for Frankel with Bullet Train how come its allowed? You're effectively writing off the horse thats being used for this and if I say owned a horse as a single owner would I be getting "screwed over" a bit because I don't have multiple horses so I couldn't use pacemakers and whatever tools at my disposal my horse would have to win on its own merit?

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

As an aside I love the painting that was behind Aiden O'Brien when he was being interviewed. Wonder who the horses in it were I could possibly make out Dylan Thomas in the bottom right as he had a snip when the full paintingwas shown. Be interested to know who the others were

 

[bonny]

Strange that he wasn’t there......he might have the best horses in the world but he’s also a brilliant trainer.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Strange that he wasn’t there......he might have the best horses in the world but he’s also a brilliant trainer.

They still have to quarantine for 14 days when they return to Ireland which will be why he isn't going anywhere just now. Seamie Heffernan and Beggy will be being well paid to have a 14 day holiday after racing in France tomorrow too. There isn't any really good racing in Ireland for a couple of weeks so they could be spared for the Derby. Same as why Ryan Moore isn't going over to ride, he would need to be there for 14 days in quarantine first before he could ride.

I know a lot of people say O'Brien only wins because he has the best horses. But you still need to train them. A good horse that isn't fit isn't going to win. He is a master of what he does and very few horses get by him.

Pacemakers - why not use them? They are allowed so long as they are pushed out to finish in their best possible position. Some pacemakers set things up nicely for other horses too as a happy coincidence, if you don't like the pace the pacemaker is setting you can either do your own thing or enter your own pacemaker. You would be surprised at how many owners would let their horse be used as a pacemaker for another in the yard just so they can say they had a runner here or there no matter the outcome. Plus they probably get a decent pay packet for their troubles.

 

[Steerpike]

Strange race couldn't believe the jockeys let him get that far infront, but have to say I'm glad Tom Marquand beat Frankie!

 

[{97702}]

Strange that he wasn’t there......he might have the best horses in the world but he’s also a brilliant trainer.

Not strange at all - he succinctly said that he would have to go into quarantine when he returned, and he has work to do!

 

[{97702}]

As an aside I love the painting that was behind Aiden O'Brien when he was being interviewed. Wonder who the horses in it were I could possibly make out Dylan Thomas in the bottom right as he had a snip when the full paintingwas shown. Be interested to know who the others were

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I said exactly the same, that I loved the painting!

Love was amazing, Frankly Darling as the trainer admitted was only going to be a good 2nd if she’d got to grips with the track.

Serpentine ran his own race and pulled it off - what an outcome, nobody expected it, I bet some jockeys got some bollockings from trainers after the race!

 

[TheMule]

Strange race couldn't believe the jockeys let him get that far infront, but have to say I'm glad Tom Marquand beat Frankie!

I love that too- he is a classy jockey

 

[jaquelin]

I am not so sure the other jockeys could have stopped him, he got away fast! And then kept a cracking pace thru the uphill part, only slowing ever so slightly at the end. Big striding horse that seemed to launch himself thru the air with every stride. Give him, trainer & jockey full credit. I think we’ll see more of him.

 

[lar]

We had a lovely afternoon watching itv racing. Love was so impressive and just beating Enable's time (though she did it in shocking conditions). I heard some mutterings about it being a boring Derby. I thought it was fabulous. The race was won at the 3f post but we were screaming at the telly for the jockey to keep riding him home. I did wonder if he'll win many more as I doubt he'll ever be allowed that much rope again. But fair play he's a Derby winner and nobody can take that from him. I thought the jockey did a superb job. He had been briefed on how to ride the horse to win and he put it into practice superbly. So pleased to have Matt Chapman made to sit down and shut up (why do the betting experts have to always act like k**bs) and well done Tom Marquand getting second on another outsider having got jocked off the favourite.

 

[Nicnac]

Fantastic racing - both horses looked in a different class. AO'B is so unassuming - bit of a genius isn't he. Definitely leaves no stone unturned in his horse's prep. Isn't HHO's very own Fig a Galileo boy?

Stunning painting too.

 

[Orangehorse]

I was admiring the painting too!

Incredible that the Oaks and Derby were won in the same fashion.

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

I'd like to know which horses were in the painting.

I so much prefer them having to focus on the horses not drunk idiots/ fashion enjoying seeing pictures of them as foals etc far more interesting than drunk idiots!

 

[scotlass]

The lovely painting was done by Jacqueline Stanhope of Aiden's Irish Derby winners - Desert King, Galileo, High Chapparal, Dylan Thomas and Soldier of Fortune.

 

[Snow Falcon]

Enjoyed the races today. Loved the painting too.?

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

The lovely painting was done by Jacqueline Stanhope of Aiden's Irish Derby winners - Desert King, Galileo, High Chapparal, Dylan Thomas and Soldier of Fortune.

Thank you for that it was a beautiful painting interesting to know who was in it, I thought I'd seen Dylan Thomas

 

[fetlock]

We had a lovely afternoon watching itv racing. Love was so impressive and just beating Enable's time (though she did it in shocking conditions). I heard some mutterings about it being a boring Derby. I thought it was fabulous. The race was won at the 3f post but we were screaming at the telly for the jockey to keep riding him home. I did wonder if he'll win many more as I doubt he'll ever be allowed that much rope again. But fair play he's a Derby winner and nobody can take that from him. I thought the jockey did a superb job. He had been briefed on how to ride the horse to win and he put it into practice superbly. So pleased to have Matt Chapman made to sit down and shut up (why do the betting experts have to always act like k**bs) and well done Tom Marquand getting second on another outsider having got jocked off the favourite.

Considering he was racing only against himself for the entire race, his winning time was none to shabby - looking at winning times over the last 50 years and he lies 16th.

 

[Clodagh]

How can we ask ITV to continue looking at the horses when 'normailty' resumes. The coverage has been great.

I was so pleased Tom Marquand came second in the Derby having been jocked off for Frankie. The whole afternoon was great viewing. Love was amazing. I like A O'B, when he is at the races I like that he wields a dandy brush and walks with his horses when they parade, He strikes me as a proper horseman.

Of all the horses there yesterday I want Inhaler, who ran in the first. I think he would be bay? And had a gulastral plume (spelling). He was small, well put together and a stunning colour.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I really hope ItV listen to the people and keep the crap out of the show and focus on the horses.

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

Anyone watching today's racing?

Is it me or does Hayley Turner sound very much like Pippa Funnel?