SPECIAL DUTY........IS SHE AS GOOD AS SHE LOOKS?

If you watched that trial and though she looked special, you need help.

Probably much better on better ground, 2yr old form top notch, but looks a non stayer to me. Might get away with it.

These French horses have been beaten in very early season soft ground trials plenty of times before, and it often precedes a much imporved run on Guineas day - even Zafonic got turned over in his trial before his Classic victory.

This trainer knows only too well how to produce a filly to win the 1000 Guineas, and if you are not already on and you fancy Special Duty then I reckon you should get stuck in to the better price now available - the defeat the other day means next to nothing, imo...

WIN ONLY.....I have been betting horses for all of 40 years and know a good un when I see it.I didnt know of the horse until I saw the race on Saturday.Granted she got beat but she looks a "star" and left the impression that those that finished infront of her will NEVER beat her again.I will be very disappointed if she forgoes the Guineas ....to my mind its hers for the taking

You didnt know of the winter ante post favourite for the 1000 gunieas, who won the Chevely Park confortably as a 2yr old?

Were you in a coma perchance?

Didn't look anything out of the ordinary the other day but her 2yo run at Newmarket was very impressive. I'm not really impressed by people who say they've been watching horse racing for 40 years - this doesn't mean anything. I'm sure after a few formites have racked up them number of years watching the sport, they will be non the wiser for the experience.

the jockey on special duty looked as ordinary as the horse,if it comes to a driving finish i wouldnt want him on my side

How is it that when someone writes about his positive thoughts about almost any subject on this forum all it attracts is cynicism, negativity and ridicule."WIN ONLY" ofcourse I knew about SPECIAL DUTY winning the Cheveley last year.....I am not brain dead believe me.What I meant was that it simply hadnt grabbed my intention until I saw it on Saturday.I am not forcing you to back it for the guineas..in fact spend days on end sifting through all the data and get your money down on something else......ensuring a terrific price about the WINNER

You asked for opinions and you got them.

You've been watching racing 40 years and know a good one when you see one, yet in your own words she didn't grab your attention on her Newmarket performance. Very strange.

Sorry that should have been intention and not attention.

in light of your most recent post, it was an understandable conclusion drawn after your strange use of the phrase "I didnt know of the horse until I saw the race on Saturday"

PANDORA.......believe me,YOU could get the ride on SPECIAL DUTY and WIN.And dont worry it will not be a tight finish.

tell me how special duty will imrpove bundles and find the 10 lengths he needs to to beat a load of unexposed high class animals

A conclusion thousands of punters across the land many months ago. Catch up your years are showing.

To put it simply Im sure you'll remember HOW YOU FELT when Sea the Stars powered home in the Guineas.Watching Special Duty on Saturday gave me the same feeling....potentially she is "top drawer"

the day before the race on atr ...the trainer suggested that she would need the race...and she didn't sound bothered in the slightest at the prospect of her horse getting turned over in the prep race.

anyone got the youtube link to this race? whats it called ?

I don't think Special Duty gave you the same feeling that I had about Sea The Stars winning the Guineas. Not even close.

Exactly DUFFY.Connections are fully aware of how good she is. I believe they instructed the jockey to give her a good gallop without in any way a hard race.Provided she goes for the guineas we shall see a completely different horse....winning on the bridle

ACASSIDY....believe me she did...dare I say even more

winner full stop...trainer knows how to send one over and win...decent prep...will be fit and ready and once she gets the rail it is is bye bye field...well maybe by a neck lol

Schickelgruber 14 Apr 01:42
ACASSIDY....believe me she did...dare I say even more


I wish you would say more. For starters you can tell me what feelings I had about Sea The Stars winning the Guineas.

brodie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osqNtAFsNDI

great stuff thx david!

the only way you couild fancy the 3rd there is if you are sure she wasn't fit that day.beaten too comfortably to be exceptional.
of course some years you can win a guineas and not be brilliant.

BRODIE,,,horse racing has been classed as a riddle within an enigma.What I saw in that race was a horse infinetely superior to the rest of the field.As stated in an earlier thread the two horses who finished in front of Special Duty will never do so again...if you cannot see that its because you arent looking

7 runner race ,beat 4 home ,had easy lead and the front 2 went past and were going clear.
You may be right but on what are you basing the look that takes your breath away?
Travelled well for a way and then was beaten.
If you can tell me its weeks short of training then i'll agree, the improvement is massive but you are not.You are saying looking at that race and no other its the best horse in the race.
Just don't see how you can come to that conclusion.

is that the same track btw where it finished in front of canford cliffs last year which has a slow nearside strip?

I remember thinking there is no way those two will be in front of her again when Special Duty and Misheer beat Lady Of The Desert at Newmarket.

Blimey sd is 7/2 for the guineas. Obviously some shrewder people that me aren't put off
what are the 2 that beat it?

just an opinion but every look at that race makes it seem worse. gl the op, hope she does turn out to be as good as sea the stars as you think.
can never get TOO many superstars in this game. be lucky ;)

Joanna - won one out of two Italian Listed races and was bought by Sheikh Hamdan after winning last year's Prix du Calvados (Gp3) at Deauville. Stayed with Italian trainer Bruno Grizzetti and finished third in the Pix Marcel Boussac (Gp1) on Arc day. Was making her first start for Rouget when winning last week.

cheers , a big price for the guineas so obviously going elsewhere

Evading Tempete (2nd) - already had the benefit of a previous run this year, having won the Prix Ronde de Nuit (Listed) over 6 1/2 furlongs on Deauville's all-weather track last month. Last week's race was her 7th start.

This horse may well hack up in the 1000 but IMO did not look anything special in that race. Sure it looked pretty good at Newmarket last year but it wouldn't be the first filly that didn't train on as a three year old.

There could be any number of horses that have improved in leaps and bounds over the winter and from what I could see from that race Special Duty wasn't one of them.

Some strange comments on here again.
Special Duty was bar far the best 2 year old filly last year and bolted up in the Cheiveley Park. Her first run this year was a 'prep' run after, according to trainer, she has been taught to settle over the winter to help her stay the mile. She wasn't fully fit and she wasn't given a hard race. In fact the perfect prep.
There is no doubt she is the best filly in the Gns on known form BUT she may not stay the mile, especially if the ground is on the soft side. Hence the price.
The jockey is top class, the trainer is top class and the filly will be out to win this race. Others in the field will be using this as a prep for other races.
IF you think she will stay she looks a certainty. IF you think she will not stay wait until the day when I think she will be a lot shorter and lay her then.

And you accuse others of strange comments

Viagra I thought the comparison with Sea the Stars, that Pandora could ride Special Duty and win and that Walk in the Park would beat Special Duty and Misheer if they met again were strange comments. Now, kindly, tell me what was strange in my post.

I completely agree with brigust1. Special Duty does not need to improve on her Cheveley Park Stakes performance to win an average Guineas. She had been held up in her preparation for the Prix Imprudence by the bad weather and had had only one serious gallop beforehand. The ground was completely unsuitable and she badly needed the race, yet she was only beaten a length after being given an easy time in the last 100 yards. She has reportedly come out of that race really well and the trainer retains enormous faith in the filly, whom she compares favourably with her previous Guineas winners (Ma Biche, Ravinella, Hatoof). She is bred to get the mile without any problems and will be suited by quicker ground. She's the one they all have to beat on 2 May.

lets hope she aint to free and they can settle her in behind others,else she is a million to get the mile.

She is a much more relaxed filly this year. They have managed to get her to switch off in her work and follow in behind other horses (whereas last year they couldn't find any fillies fast enough to go with her).

WALOS by sheetburgler !

james

although i agree with you she looked like she needed the run and the going was against her,to me (been wrong many times.lol) she did not look like she settled very well last time out.

sj, I must say, I was surprised that Stephane Pasquier decided to make the running in the Imprudence. I hope he will be able to hold her up just off the pace in the Guineas. On the other hand, a lot of people reckoned Natagora wouldn't get the mile in the Guineas two years ago - she too liked to make the running.

yep point taken james,also maybe being drawn widest of the seven didn't help her?

there is no doubts about her staying the mile on her pedigree.

the trainer announced before the prep race that she wasn't ready and that she wouldn't mind if the horse lost.

she has now confirmed that the horse definitely goes to newmarket and that she has come on a ton for her prep race.

could well be evens or shorter on the day.

could well be evens or shorter on the day.

Outpost you cant be serious?

special duty has nothing to beat IMO

sj 14 Apr 09:26

could well be evens or shorter on the day.

Outpost you cant be serious?



SJ it depends what her potential opposition do this week at newmarket.

if stoute's horse and the rest run really well then SD could well stay about 3/1.
if they don't perform too well then SD will shorten quite quickly.

bookmakers aren't renowned for being generous to punters with their ante post odds.

I can also see her being a lot shorter on the day. More like 7/4 or 2/1. Firstly, if Seta doesn't run before the gns and Luca makes the wrong noises then, Safina and Music Show run today, this only leaves Pollenator who I think, at this stage is SD's main danger.
Of course the trials may throw up something special. And the only one I think with the potential to be anything is Tabassum. Hamdan's filly has looked top class but was inexplicably beaten, possibly on the rails was the wrong place, last time. With Hamdan beating Special Duty in France with Joanna, a filly with top class form who he is NOT sending over for the Guineas, this could be the reason.
My bets so far are Special Duty, Pollenator (ew) and Tabassum (ew).

Not a prayer of being even money outpost. irrespective what happens in the trials .

this horse won't be anywhere near evens come guineas day

Come the day of the Guineas when hopefully the opposition will have melted away believe me SPECIAL DUTY will start ODDS ON

i'm hoping music show bolts up today as have some on at 19.5 and 17 for guineas

rockfel been a decent race for the guineas in the last decade and the nell gwyn on top would be great!

They have just worked Tabassum at Newmarket and I still think she is Hamdan's No1 and a real danger to Special Duty.