Air Force Blue - The resurrection

To my eye the horse has sadly gone at the game. Not trained on, mind looks to have gone wrong. Having viewed the Ire 2000gns a few times now, he looks like a horse needing gelding, got ward pre race, pulled hard first 2f, shied in behind the horse in front of him when pulled out to make a challenge, & looked very much to resent the only tap he got from Moore with the whip. Cracking 2yo - went the wrong way @ 3 :-(

Like many USA horses he was an early maturing type.  He was much bigger that other 2yos.  They caught up.

It's not a case of others catching up with him. The horse has completely lost its form and has quite clearly regressed for whatever unknown reason.

wouldnt win a 4 furlong race. he will be retired in next few weeks.

If Lumiere can do it today so can Air Force Blue on sat in the July Cup - here's hoping.

Stravinsky & Mozart - same senario, same race, both won impressively.

Mozart ran in the Irish 2000 Guineas.  He showed great speed, going 5 lengths clear "no extra final furlong, headed close home".
Headed close home and beaten two lengths.  I was there and backed him at 20/1.  I died with him in the last 100 yards.
He had the speed to feature at 6f.

Air Force Blue hasn't shown speed this year.  He was in the rear in his two races.

TBF Stravinsky showed a bit more dash in the Jersey than AFB has in two dismal runs this season. Good luck if you back him.

Part of me doesnt want him reinvented as a sprinter but aiden started talking before the guineas about him having too much speed may have to be stepped back for commonwealth july cup etc'

His earlier sentiments were 'no problem getting 1m 2f later on in the year'

If he somehow wins this im calling it a conspiracy.

Conspiracy, maybe not...a mockery of his trainer, yes!

Would never have beaten the winner but he never got a run and finished on the bridle - wouldn't give up on him yet.

Ran a nice race not getting a clear run and may be finding his form again. I'd like to see him back over a mile on fast ground.

unclepuncle/Jack Bauer

Oh no! You cannot be serious despite Moore had another injudicious ride. But no more AFB for me, enough is enough.

I don't think he's a sprinter and will be better over a mile. As long as there is nothing physically wrong with him there is no reason why he can't find his 2yo form again. This was a step in the right direction.

mr magnier pulled stumps on one kool kats career, think he would seen enough here to

horse got no run........he travelled very well........nunthorpe should be next

Maybe the US for this one? Although the Boys are desperate for War Front to make his mark in Europe

5 day entry in Lennox Stakes at Glorious Goodwood next Tuesday

Is he a definite? If so, 14/1 here is tempting, again.

Sorry, it's 10/1 now. But I shall wait for race day just in case, and if connections do a Highland Reel ie back him as if defeat is out of the question, I shall go with the flow.

dunno impossible ,just reviewing entries - my preference would be for Lumiere who looked back to her best last time but will wait for 48 hour decs tomorrow now.

Lumiere is going to France a week on sunday, according to trainer today.

nice one, thanks

Air Force Blue and Lumiere are non-runners in the Lennox.

Maybe as a last resort they might send hin over to France to see if he can pick up off a less frantic pace. If not it's au revoir.

I'd say the horse is doing practically no training - and his respectable run in the July Cup was probably just off his natural ability (which we know is outstanding).

The Irish Guineas is a race that has no significance whatsoever as it was just a shot-in-the-dark on terrible ground, but just to give them another look.

The real race is obv the Eng 2000, and the vibes were he could be 'over-cooked' - well that was certainly true, and the combo of not coming on physically combined with a very attrtitional 2yo campaign meant he was a horse in need of rest + recuperation instead of the hard training he had to undergo to be competitive in the Eng 2k , so ... I very much like him to come back.

How he develops again physically is going to be v important but he seems to be freshened up at least and I'd say whatever he's aimed at (as long as it's not more Group 1 5/6f races) he'll be v competitive.

Anyone on here think this Horse was clearly overrated at 2.
And unfortunately NOW has some physical problems,Which the ballydoyle LADS will never disclose to us mere mortals.Breathing Problem.....IMO
Move on Chaps as youll continue to do your Dough.....

well ... with TG proving himself in the Sussex, slim chances we'll see AFB 'The Ressurection' at 1m, guess he'll be kept to 6f now.

Might be one for next year

AFB could have run in the Lennox Stakes yesterday but did not which made think connections would keep him to 5f/6f eg Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh next sunday or the Nunthorpe at York.

question is guys...........did he beat anything at two?

Runs in the Phoenix sprint (G3) at the Curragh Sunday.

The ground is good to firm, price is 7/4 and a 'proper' jockey to boot as well, one last chance perhaps. Surely, even connections would be tempted to 'get' their money back on this 'donkey' tomorrow? If disappoints again, curtains for sure, and retirement beckons, I'd reckon.

Backed Eastern Impact each way.

AFB is treading a similar path to Coolmore's One Cool Cat. They aimed OCC at this same target in the hope of getting his career back on track, he won quite nicely but it proved a false dawn as he was beaten when well fancied on his next two starts. Some people saw AFB's last run as more encouraging as he travelled okay but couldn't get a run and could've done better, but it's just as possible if he had got in the clear he'd have gone out like a light as in his previous runs this year.

For AFB's form to deteriorate so severely in such a short space of time there must be a physical problem that has gone undetected. It probably only affects the horse when under pressure and with today's weak opposition he might just have enough natural speed to see them off without much pressure but the price looks no value. Even if he does win comfortably I think he'll still go the same way as OCC.

Think we won't see him again.

Refer to earlier post chaps..Serious breathing problem,NOT divulged by THE LADS for obvious reasons.NO avalanche of money today youll have noticed!!
CROOKS.......

Only one possible outcome if no physical/well being reason has surfaced post horrendous run at the weekend - RETIREMENT, no two ways about it!

Outstanding juvenile Air Force Blue retired

RP By Mark Scully 4:03PM 28 SEP 2016

AIR FORCE BLUE has been retired from racing after a three-year-old campaign that failed to live up to the spectacular promise of his juvenile season. The son of War Front was sent off the 4-5 favourite for April's Qipco 2,000 Guineas after losing only once in five starts as a two-year-old, his victories including three Group 1s; the Phoenix Stakes, National Stakes and Dewhurst Stakes.

Those performances led trainer Aidan O'Brien to wax lyrical about Air Force Blue, saying after his season-concluding Newmarket romp: "He is something that we haven't had before. "I'd say there's no doubt he's the best two-year-old we've had. The size of him, the scope, the way he travels, and when you let him go he delivers."

After beating only one home in the 2,000 Guineas and the Irish equivalent, he was then given the chance to return to form over shorter trips but finished 12th in the July Cup and last of seven in the Phoenix Sprint Stakes, both over six furlongs.

Air Force Blue will stand at Coolmore America's Ashford Stud, whose manager Dermot Ryan said: "With the exception of Frankel, who has made such a brilliant start to his stud career, Air Force Blue is Timeform's highest-rated juvenile in nearly 20 years. In fact, he's the highest-rated juvenile ever from the Danzig line. "He proved himself to be a brilliant two-year-old... and we're absolutely thrilled War Front's best two-year-old son is coming to Ashford."

Not a single placed horse in any of his Group 1 wins has won a Group race since, in fact almost all have never won a race at all.

I liked him.