St James Palace Stakes Group 1 Tuesday 15th June 3.50

latest decs below - any news/comments/stats/bets welcome

Al Zir (USA)  3 9-0  Saeed Suroor
Arcano (IRE)  3 9-0  B J Meehan
Beethoven (IRE)  3 9-0  A P O'Brien
Big Audio (IRE)  3 9-0  Saeed Suroor
Buzzword  3 9-0  Mahmood Al Zarooni
Canford Cliffs (IRE)  3 9-0  R Hannon
Cape Blanco (IRE)  3 9-0  A P O'Brien   
Penis Turpin (IRE)  3 9-0  R Hannon   
Elusive Pimpernel (USA)  3 9-0  J L Dunlop
Emerald Commander (IRE)  3 9-0  Saeed Suroor
Encompassing (IRE)  3 9-0  A P O'Brien   
Fair Trade  3 9-0  D R C Elsworth
Fencing Master  3 9-0  A P O'Brien
Free Judgement (USA)  3 9-0  J S Bolger
Frozen Power (IRE)  3 9-0  Mahmood Al Zarooni
Hearts of Fire  3 9-0  Pat Eddery
Jan Vermeer (IRE)  3 9-0  A P O'Brien
Makfi  3 9-0  M Delzangles   
Noble's Promise (USA)  3 9-0  Kenneth G McPeek
Poet's Voice  3 9-0  Saeed Suroor
Royal Bench (IRE)  3 9-0  R Collet
Shakespearean (IRE)  3 9-0  Saeed Suroor
Siyouni (FR)  3 9-0  A de Royer-Dupre
St Nicholas Abbey (IRE)  3 9-0  A P O'Brien
Steinbeck (IRE)  3 9-0  A P O'Brien   
Viscount Nelson (USA)  3 9-0  A P O'Brien

Makfi, will once again beat Canford Cliffs.

Nice work Charlton

TY Ben  :)

Who knows, some folk may not know the horse and/or the UK folk's aversion to the word d1ck. Just keeping it real.

canford wins this in a common hack - END OF FRED

I got 2k on at 2/1, what you on at Perp?

Elusive Pimpernel and Siyouni speculative suggestions to cause an upset

Between the Frenchies, Siyouni and Makfi for me, in that order.

No mention for Steinbeck :(

Cracking race

I thought he ran a nice enough race at the Curragh Ben, travelled very sweetly before getting a bit tired and seemed to stay on again.  He settled pretty good held up for the first time and showed he's adaptable.  He should come on considerably for the run but it's difficult to see him improving enough to beat CC imo. 

Still, they all have a "backable" price but given his form and in a race of this quality I'd be wanting double figures rather than, for example, the 9/2 SJ price him at, an all too typical bookie over-reaction given the stable and the hype that surrounds him.

Yeah price is actually a little disappointing, sure you'll get a decent price as people pile into Canford

Yes, CC makes the market and I guess people will fall one side or the other.  There's no doubting his ability but the day I back a horse at 6/4 to win a race like this is the day I chop my bllx off. 

Siyouni is a massive price for me and I backed him a couple of weeks ago.  He was very impressive at Longchamp on Arc day and had no race at all in the French Guineas after being tightened up at the top of the straight, when a very well supported favourite.  He's a fair bit better than Lope De Vega imo, who won that race pretty comfortably (beating D1ck of course). 

I like Makfi and think he is under-rated for an unbeaten horse and pretty easy Guineas winner.  Steinbeck is just too short for me at the moment, but he's respected.

Yeah I agree Siyouni should be the best of the French Guineas lot long term, he could be the value play but I'll wait for the day

7/4 down, can't envisage defeat.

Rosanara and Siyouni will bid to put their French Guineas hard luck stories behind them at Royal Ascot later this month.

Rosanara finished fifth in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches but was promoted to fourth after suffering major interference, while Siyouni was favourite for the Poule d'Essai des Poulains but finished ninth after failing to get a run in the straight.

Both horses are owned by the Aga Khan and his racing manager Georges Rimaud is hoping they can show their true colours at the summer showpiece meeting.

He said: "Rosanara has come out of the race at Longchamp absolutely fine and she was a bit unlucky. Whether she would have won or not we'll never know, but she did race very well and came out of it good.

"She will probably go to Royal Ascot now, that would be the plan at the moment. She's still in the French Oaks, but she will probably be directed to the Coronation Stakes.

"Siyouni is in good shape as well and he could go to Ascot for the St James's Palace Stakes. He was a little bit disappointing, but he didn't really get a chance to get a run. It was unfortunate what happened, but we'll just have to see what happens next time."

Was only messin perp, knew what you had [;)]
Celtic went 5/2 special on him today...

Someone is more than happy to lay Rosanara at 19s. I don't think she will run. These members of the press must get a few bob out of all this.

Does anyone think that Lope de Vega's win in French 'Derby' franks **** Turpin and in turn the English 2000 Guineas form?
I've just added **** Turpin at 15.5 as have seen its been backed into 5/1 with PP
Cannot see it not being single figures on the day - estimate 7/1ish.
Looks like being a cracking race

sorry 'Penis'[smiley:crazy]

**** = Penis

Just wonder whether Hannon will run both his in SJP?

I know they've taken each other on twice already this season but just a feeling CC will go for SJP and Penis elsewhere.

Hannon has said on website a few weeks ago that as under different ownership - they are both likely to run in the SJP

Pity Lope de Vega is not entered for the race, would be following the same path as his sire.

Fair enough, Belmez - decent bet.

Race does look an absolute cracker.

siyouni has ran all over loup de vega twice [admittedly the second time he didnt catch his pacemaker in time but came from behind loup and still beat him] before getting no sort of run in the 2000g for me siyouni has to be the play in the st james palace at around 15s on here

absolutely top3, starting to think we have a tip-top bet here...

Just looking at this market, it makes little sense to me.   

I mean, I love the Penis, as I'm sure we all do, but there's no reason this should be half the price of Siyouni, a horse that smashed it out of sight when it got a fair go.

They're all just propping up Noble's Promise's price imo

Looks like a great race.

Re: Siyouni - always a doubt about horses coming over from France, is he a confirmed runner?

Just had a quick scan of correlation between the 4 horses.

Siyouni 2 v Lope De Vega 1

Penis Turpin 2 v Canford Cliffs 0

Lope De Vega 1 v Penis Turpin 0

Had a couple of beers, so will ponder this little puzzle overnight!

Canford setled so much better in Ireland, if he does again at Ascot there is only one winner

Great race in prospect.

Plenty of possible winners so price will dictate what I back. No one apparently fancies Makfi - hope he drifts accordingly as I can see him being a maximum e/w bet for me at 4/1+

Weather forecast is pretty changeable, plenty of heavy showers and a spell or two of more prolonged rain forecast this week. Metcheck is forecasting rain again on Monday/Tuesday next week and that should really suit Makfi and probably be against Canford Cliffs.

Did they actual say what was wrong with Elusive Pimpernel last week?

steinbeck for me as long as the ground is fast .
which it probably will be .
he wasnt off a yard at the curragh .
and im sure this has been his main target.
as usual the ballydoyle horses will start motoring pretty soon
after a slow start .
the danger is the french bred siyouni imo.

the lay preacher     07 Jun 10 10:24 
steinbeck for me as long as the ground is fast .
which it probably will be .
he wasnt off a yard at the curragh .
and im sure this has been his main target.


Are you so sure this has been the MAIN target?This horse has been Ballydoyles talking horse,from what its shown winning its madien (beating Gold Bubbles who has not set the world on fire)then 4th in the Dewhurst running out of steam again 4th in the Irish he has it all to prove now.
People will say "don't believe the hype"I think they need to stand back and think if O'Brien had not told us all last year about the 'birds all singing in the trees when he was working'would they still hold this colt in such high regard from to date what its shown?That to me is a case of themselves being sucked in on hype.
If it runs he would be only a lay as I think time will show us he is nothing more than a classic Ballydoyle Hype horse.

prima should have said first target.
the same thing was said about rvw last year and he turned out ok.i was happy enough with his run in the irish guineas to make me think there is more to come they often use big races as preps for another day as im sure you know.

they often use big races as preps for another day as im sure you know.
Do they really is your twin brother ben10?

Connections of Canford Cliffs believe he is unlikely to be inconvenienced by going round a bend for the first time in Ascot's St James's Palace Stakes.

Last year's Coventry Stakes winner finally lived up to the hype when running out a ready winner of the Irish 2000 Guineas.

He has ground to make up on his Newmarket conqueror Makfi and stablemate **** Turpin, who has beaten him twice already this season, but Richard Hannon jnr, the trainer's son and assistant, is feeling bullish.

"He's in very good form and he's come out of the Irish race very well," he said.

"I wouldn't have thought going round a bend will bother him, he's very straightforward. He has ducked left on occasions but he's very straightforward generally.

"They went a very good gallop in Ireland and he was able to just get a nice tow off the leaders. The way he won, he won it so well, he never looked as if he was going to be beaten. He was very impressive and it definitely suited him being held up.

"He came home so well at Newmarket I was a little bit disappointed he didn't win that day.

"He'd had a prep run and there was no issue with the trip so it was maybe the dip that beat him.

"We are taking on the winner again but we'll still fancy him."

Having finished just in front of Canford Cliffs at Newmarket in second, **** Turpin then filled the same spot in France behind subsequent impressive French Derby winner Lope De Vega.

"You've got to respect him, he's done absolutely nothing wrong and when you look at the way that horse won the French Derby yesterday, there was no shame in being beaten by him," added Hannon.

"He's suffered a bit by being in Canford Cliffs' shadow but he's a very, very good horse," he told At The Races.

Who was 2nd and 3rd to CC in Ireland?

Sorry, who??

imagine if he veers left round the bend

Canford has more going for him than some of the other recent so-called 'good things' but the next four in the market are all possible winners and he's 0-3 this season against two of them.

So he's a lay at the prices - again, one you don't mind getting wrong because the logic is sound.

I reserve the right to revise my opinion if he hoses up obviously!

It helps that the stable keep talking him up at the expense of his stable mate who keeps beating him!

The quote about old Penis suffering because he's in CC's shadow is a bit rich given it's the connections who've put him there!

Gooooo Penis!

Potential change of target from a few weeks ago

Richard Hannon has raised the possibility of **** Turpin missing a third clash with stablemate Canford Cliffs in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.

**** Turpin has finished in front of the more fashionable Canford Cliffs on two occasions this season, causing something of an upset in the Greenham at Newbury, and again when the pair were second and third to Makfi in the StanJames.com 2000 Guineas.

While Canford Cliffs then triumphed in the Irish Guineas, **** Turpin finished second in the French version, half a length behind subsequent French Derby winner Lope De Vega.

Hannon said: "Canford Cliffs definitely runs, but **** Turpin might switch to the Jersey.

"I will leave him in both the St James's Palace and the Jersey Stakes and make a decision nearer the time.

"It is up in the air really but if it turns up on the easy side I will probably run both in the St James's.

"Canford has learned to settle now and is a very good horse in my book."

Canford Cliffs   
Makfi   
Steinbeck   
Penis Turpin   
Siyouni   
Noble's Promise   
Arcano   
Free Judgement   
Viscount Nelson   
Fencing Master   
Hearts Of Fire   
Shakespearean   
Poets Voice   
Beethoven   
Encompassing

As far as Rosanara goes, she will be running in the Dianne. Despite her trainer saying she's likely to go to Ascot, someone will still happy to lay 19s. Therefore i'm not getting my hopes up with regards to Siyouni just yet.

Peslier to ride Makfi at Ascot
(UKPA) – 1 hour ago
Olivier Peslier is set to pick up an incredible spare ride aboard Makfi in next week's St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, with his usual jockey Christophe Lemaire retained for Siyouni.
Lemaire has an agreement with the Aga Khan, owner of the Alain de Royer-Dupre-trained Siyouni, who finished down the field when sent off the favourite for the French 2000 Guineas.
"Christophe will be riding the Aga Khan's horse so Olivier will ride Makfi. He might come and sit on him before the race but everything is fine with the horse," said trainer Mikel Delzangles.
Lemaire has been aboard Makfi on his two outings this season, firstly in the Prix Djebel at Maisons-Laffitte, after which he partnered the colt to his famous success in the StanJames.com 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.

Beethoven 50/1  ??

What does everybody think? 
1st in the dewhurst. Beat **** turpin.. xtenstion..fencing master etcc ...   Am i missing a trick ??

peslier being confirmed for makfi surely means there is no debate about siyounis participation now and with lemairre having a massive point to prove on him after his ride in the 2000 allied to his terrific record when riding in england im thinking he is the bet of the meeting

fallon on nobles promise

Beethoven 50/1  ??

What does everybody think?

Coolmore blindfolded throwing darts at a board (again)

Beethoven is overpriced at 50s.

Group 1 winner, sire improved greatly as a 3yo, stable usually target Royal Ascot and would not be that price if J.Murtagh was on it instead of the hype horse Steinbeck.

Godolphin usually come into form at Royal Ascot but I cant see either Shakespearean or Poets Voice hitting the crossbar.

75 on here now

worth a dabble?

on beethoven 100+

could easily cause an upset

is he a def runner though?

Canford Cliffs   
Makfi   
Steinbeck   
Penis Turpin   
Siyouni   
Noble's Promise           
Hearts Of Fire           
Beethoven   
Encompassing

On Beethoven @ 80

Interesting runner

Can't see Beethoven beating horses of this calibre on his re-appearance.