Horse racing news Monday 4th June 2016

Near but no cigar for Triple G and the Classics so far this season; if it wasn’t bad enough my 1,000 Guineas ante-post punt Alpha Centauri goes and wins the Irish version when I don’t have a copper coin on, my 2,000 Guineas punt has now gone and reversed the form with Saxon Warrior from that race and won the Derby! Sometimes this game can drive you mad.

Talking of the Classics Investec Oaks runner-up (my tip) Wild Illusion has The Prix de Diane and the Ribblesdale Stakes as two options in the coming weeks. Trainer Charlie Appleby reports the filly to have recovered well from the race and the French Oaks at Chantilly on June 17, one of her original targets or the Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot is where we are likely to see her next. Talking on Sunday morning he said Sunday morning: “Wild Illusion has come out of the race well, which is great when you consider the ground was fairly testing on Friday. She had a jog on Saturday morning and again this morning and seems in good shape. We’ll see how she is in the next 10 days and then decide whether we go for the Prix de Diane or go to Royal Ascot for the Ribblesdale.”

It wasn’t a bad couple of days for the yard with Masar taking the Derby on Saturday giving Appleby his first Classic win. As for the colt, The Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh looks likely to be the next stop. Appleby told Press Association Sport: “We had a quiet night and the horse pulled out well this morning. It still hasn’t completely sunk in, to be honest. It was a fantastic result for everyone involved and as many people have said already, it’s great for racing. Coolmore and Ballydoyle are doing what they’re doing and fair play to them. They’re very sporting people and they’ve congratulated us, too. I said last week I felt he (Masar) was a big price. Obviously, there was a question mark about the trip and I suppose the fact the trainer hadn’t trained a Classic winner before contributed, too! Myself and Sheikh Mohammed watched the replays together last night and I think we’re both on the same page. We’ll see how he is and how he comes out of the race, but he stayed the mile and a half well and I think the Irish Derby is the obvious place to go. We have no reason to come back in trip at the moment.”