The clock rarely lies.

fk me that was a shocking run from estidhkaar....was thinking bounce but looking at the 1m 4 race the front runners got badly done in that too....makes you wonder.

my take on ivawood is the horse was very forward last season and more powerfully built, so had a good advantage
over the other horses. form and pedigree just didnt stack up as a potential guineas winner, to the horses credit it made the place money. did run well.

No matter how long I have been punting I never learn not to complicate things.
Gleneagles had the best 2-y-o form, settles well and has a great turn of foot. Probably more importantly, being so early in the season, it was heavily backed a few weeks ago, obviously once the proper work had begun at Ballydoyle. Fair enough it drifted in the last week or so but that is as much due to punters, like me, looking away from the favourite, desperately trying to seek a bit of inspiration.

Well done buckets.

Best horses finished 1st and 2nd but a high draw was a big advantage so the new layout didn't have the desired effect.

think it was a massive advantage to be held up in this with cover.

the whole front rank capitulated....

The time indicated a fairly strong headwind.

The winner was fairly impressive and I have him around a stone better than I'd previously rated him, which is embarrassingly wide of the mark. However, I still couldn't rate his past form any higher, so I don't regret taking him on, I've stood against such runners in the past with overall success and would do so again. In hindsight it's true that he'd been just doing enough last year.

Having said Gleneagles won well, I rate it no better than ordinary Guineas form. It was no surprise to me to see Bossy Guest finish quite close, as I had previously put him up amongst my higher rated in the race, but it does hold the form down somewhat, along with some other fairly close finishers. The time also points to just okay Guineas form, having accounted for conditions.

I've been very wrong about Gleneagles before and maybe I am again, maybe he just did enough again today, but even though he's better than I previously thought I don't rate him a great miler. I can't see me opposing him in the very near future as it's difficult to see any obvious threats. I certainly wouldn't bet against him when running against other 3yos. Unless he improves, however, I don't see him going through the season like a Kingman and I'll be looking to oppose him again further down the line.

Think people have been a tad unkind to the winner. He had this race shot to pieces from halfway and if challenged would have seen him in an even better light. If he has only just done enough today god help anything else that tries to take him on later on in the year.

day or to in ^^^^^^^^^^^^

Just catching up....

Sacred Kingdom - Can we agree that Gleneagles has trained on?   Thanks.

Just to clarify, I'm not saying he's a poor winner. The worst two winning performances I've seen in recent years were Island Sands and Refuse To Bend and he's certainly better than them. I also rate him slightly above some other winners, including a few from the O'Brien yard like King of Kings, Footstepsinthesand and Camelot. I rate him about average which definitely doesn't mean poor. I just reckon like most big race winners from that yard the hype will take over, especially as the win was reasonably stylish, and he'll be priced up like a superstar in future races, for me he still hasn't proved that yet.

excuse me , I do mean the 1000 Guineas( just thinking a proper Oaks filly needed)

Gleneagles, National Stakes, The Curragh, 14/09/14

geoff m , cheers.

From a form point angle, the result was pleasing, with 2yo group 1 form being proven correct.

But, I have a worry that the form may not hold up. It would seem that the stands side had a clear advantage, even though the best horse run.

I'd be concerned about Gleneagles going around a bend at Ascot. Territories looks tailor made for the French derby. Ivawood still says 6/7f to me. Of the others, Dutch Connection looks the most promising and a step up in trip to 10f would be ideal. Maybe the Dante.

Estidkhaar one to back in the SJP. Clearly the edge taken off him in the Greenham.

Estidhkaar might not get a mile. I calculated him suited to 6.5 furlongs.
I put him up as a place lay further up the thread.