Horse racing news - a look back at the weekend and preview of the week ahead

My form at the moment leaves me scratching the old noggin, another weekend of close but no cigar with Chindit the sole winner of my five bets across the two days – they even got Ghaiyyath beat! It was a cracker of a race out in Ireland though and for me it was a simple case of the 3lb mares allowance telling in the end; both horses are top, top class and though the result went the wrong way for me as a huge Ghaiyyath fan you don’t get to see many races like that!  

If you are reading Charlie Appleby and Sheikh Mohammed you know where you need to go next – THE BREEDERS CUP TURF!  

The Arc ‘trials’ weekend left us with as many questions as answers once again and the two that didn’t run anywhere this weekend, Love and Enable, still dominate the market for the big one in Paris. Mogul was perhaps the biggest eye-catcher but O’Brien was talking about the likes of the Champion Stakes at Ascot and perhaps Hong Kong or Australia rather than a return visit to France anytime soon. Looking at the other big races on Arc day Battaash heads the Abbaye market unsurprisingly but Glass Slippers advertised her well-being in the Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh and  Kevin Ryan plans to send her. At this stage the Prix de la Foret and Prix de l’Opera both still look pretty open affairs three weeks out; it’s difficult to predict even which horses will run!  

Thunder Moon won the National Stakes at the Curragh and will be considered the leading juvenile for now but I am not sure about the race. Master Of The Seas was a bit to free early which I think led to his demise fading in the final furlong whilst Lucky Vega got no luck in running. You won’t get me ante-post punting on the Guineas off the back of this race.  

The week ahead is one of those that might be interesting, there are a couple of best I may have, but in fairness most of the racing if bulk standard stuff. For those of you that like a tricky handicap the three-day Ayr Gold Cup meeting kicks-off Thursday with plenty of puzzles to be solved north of the border. We do have some decent Pattern race to look forward to at the weekend from Ayr and Newbury.