I like Masterminded's paddock comments - Ill will watch out for Moohajim to see if he will stay. As Masterminded notes he is certainly bred to get a mile and probably 10 furlongs so it would be a major shock if he turned out not to get the trip. Of course there are exceptions, but if they are bred to stay they usually (but not always) do.

Looking forward to this weekend's races.

DA clearly the form pick for the Dewhurst, but I think the race could be a lot closer than anticipated. 8/1 is a cracking price for the Gosden horse in that.

Hoping there is no real significant rain before Saturday so ground doesn't become an issue for Moohaajim and so he can confirm the impression he made in the Mill Reef.

Olympic Glory also ran a very solid race in France on Sunday - at the moment the 2000 is looking a much better race than the 1000

Think Dawn Approach has to be the most likely winner by a fair way at this stage. Every bit of top class 2yo form this season points to the Coventry and the winner. He's overpriced at 5/1 for me as I think we have seen any likely dangers to him. It's not like he's bred to be a 2yo either I only think he will improve when stepped up to a mile or 10f. Who knows maybe he could even line up in the Derby. The horse who's got closest to him Olympic Glory is likely to head to France for their Guineas according to the trainer after his last win. Cristoforo Columbo looked outpaced from the gate in todays Middle Park but I'm doubtful he will make up any ground on Dawn Approach. The winner & the 2nd look like sprinters to me.

I was very pleased with Montiridge a horse I put up earlier in the thread who came 2nd to Trading Leather. He was too keen but traveled like the best horse, got a pretty hefty knock and was unbalanced in the final stages. The winner Trading Leather battled and stayed on very well and was a good winner of the race. I thought some of the horses in the line up for the Autumn stakes wouldn't have been out of place in the Dewhurst and the race probably benefited from Dawn Approach scaring them off.

Toronado seems to be out of the picture a bit as he's been withdrawn from the RP Trophy which was surprising. I'm guessing he's either been put away for the season or possibly picked up a little injury.

Worth noting I guess that Morpheus a half brother to Frankel will be making his debut soon likely to be this week at Nottingham. Bred to do the job by Oasis Dream. Great name as well which links nicely to his sire.

Amazed 5/1 is still available - 5/2 looks much more realistic.

I agree Roo. DA is class, we saw that at Ascot, but his last two wins have been Group 1's in name only. If anything, the Coventry Stakes, officially a Group 2, was more like a Group 1.

Anyway, 5/1 looks right to me. No meat on the bone there.

Worth noting that DA's sire New Approach was beaten in TWO Guineas of officially Good to Firm ground. I remember Jim Bolger moaning explicitly after Newmarket about how quick the ground was. All of DA's wins have been on going with juice in it. I'm not sure he wants it rattling quick,just like his sire, and his sire's sire!!

Reckless Abandon is very high class sprinter though Uncle. Had it been GF ground yesterday Moohajim may have won? Being by Cape Cross a mile should be fine for him next season imo.

If you could guarantee GF ground next may then i'd have a decent wedge on Moohajim tbh. At least he is a Group 2 winner and now has Group 1 form next to a high class sprinter. The new owners paid a lot for Reckless Abandon. Marco Botti is a very good young trainer. He knows when he has a good horse.

The Mill Reef Stakes winner almost clinched Group One glory on Future Champions Day at Newmarket, going down by just a neck to Reckless Abandon.

Although he has yet to race beyond six furlongs, Botti is confident a mile is within Moohaajim's range and he could return in next April's Greenham Stakes at Newbury before his tilt at Classic glory in May.

    Profiles

    M Botti
    Moohaajim (IRE)

Botti said: "He has come out of the race in good order and we are happy with him this morning.

"Of course when you are beaten a neck you wish it was the other way round, but he ran a very good race, so we can't be too disappointed.

"We were worried about the ground before the race. It was very testing and holding ground and he is a horse with a low action, so I'm sure he would prefer faster ground.

"We discussed things with the owner after the race and we decided we'll give him a break and next year, we'll see what happens.

"The way he ran suggested he is ready to step up to seven furlongs and I'm sure he will get the mile.

"We will train him for the Guineas and as he doesn't have a penalty, he could have a run beforehand. Something like the Greenham Stakes at Newbury might be a possible race to run him in."

Agreed sint, he'll know how good he is having had Excelebration.

The Coventry was the single best piece of 2yo form but no 2yo has made a bigger visual impression on me than the Mooj ( going to fed up doing his full name each time). We are all different and see things differently but you have to follow your own instinct.

OK so he might be a bit too ground dependent, he may end up a sprinter, but I am surprised you can still back him at 25s. I'd much sooner have that than 5s DA and a once raced Dundalk maiden winner is best priced 16s ffs. Surely this is a case of the trainer being underestimated. Perhaps he was being disloyal, but Kirby got off RA for a reason

uncle please don't tear up your ticket.....I'll look after it for you if you don't want it

I was disappointed with his run intially but as someone has mentioned already he was badly outpaced early on yesterday and then stayed on to be 4th. Step up to a mile looks suitable and he still has not had quick ground yet. His Coventry form would give him a big shout.

Christoforo Columbo would interest me after his eye catching run on Sunday - but his necessity for fast ground makes him a no net from an ante post point of view.
Plus, being a half brother to Crusade would worry me about stamina if the ground wasn't on the quick side. But his form stands up with the best of them, was doing all his best work up the hill in the Middle Park and is one to keep in mind with a mild Spring

n6 of course he could be. I have no doubt that RA is a top class colt, you cannot argue against what he has achieved. The only point I was making is that Mooj must have given him a very good feeling to get off a dual Group 1 winner. Maybe RA will be one that always finds when it matters.

I'd agree that his price is also great value if you think he'll stay. Its all about opinions. Mine is that on quicker ground Mooj would have one, but it wasn't and RA won fair and square.

i think MJH is a bit long at 25's. Of course he may not stay but he is just about bred for it and the trainer says he will.

The Guineas is definitely open to a big improver at 3. Dawn Approach is very good but no superstar.
Olympic Glory - ditto.

Cristoforo has a case to be up there with the other 2 on Coventry form and his other (relative) flops may be about the soft ground he has had to run on. He may be a bit of value at current odds, especially if anything happened to Dawn Approach or Olympic Glory, both of whom seemed just a bit better in the Coventry. There is a slight doubt about CC getting a mile especially well though.

I agree with what others have said about Moohaajim and I certainly wouldn't be writing him off. Of this year's 2yos I actually have him joint top rated with Dawn Approach, albeit, his rating is obviously based on the shorter distance and his stamina is less certain than with DA. I thought his Mill Reef victory was as good as any of DA's wins and I'm sure he was a bit below his best in the Middle Park. Maybe, as has been suggested, it was due to the ground, although personally I didn't rate the ground much worse than good for the earlier races on the card, even allowing for the tail wind. I think he probably just peaked in the Mill Reef, it was run in a good time and he hadn't entirely recovered from the effort.

While neither he or DA look like world beaters, any of them need only to improve a few pounds to take an average Guineas (of course Moojaahim still has to prove his stamina) and they look some way ahead of the others at this stage.

Pleasing.

I read on the Richard Hannon website that Toronado is their big Derby hope.
Does anyone know if they are still going for the 2,000 Guineas en route?

Thanks roe
Hannon has an excellent in the Guineas while I dont remember too many Dante runners.

R Hannon Website 28.2.13

Hannon also revealed that the high-profile three-year-olds are all progressing well – "Toronado, Olympic Glory, Havana Gold,  Wentworth, Van de Neer and co; the weather held us up a bit, but they are where we want them at this time of the year" – so it is a case of "so far so good".

Thought you might - but horses are where they want them, no issue this year

Looks like decent money for Cristoforo Colombo today, anyone know if a tipping line has put it up or if it's stable money?

He ran in the right races last year for an AOB guineas horse (although would have preferred Dewhurst) and Ladbrokes ducking it is always a positive. Coventry form with DA doesn't leave him with much to find , do have invested a little. Reminds me a little of HenrytheSatNav.