The Longdale Cup
On the undercard of numerous graded stakes races this Saturday will be The Longdale Cup (G2) at two miles over the turf. The Group II race is offering a purse of $375,000 in total and is open to three-year-olds and up, though all horses going to the gate this weekend will be four or older. We will see a short field for this weekend’s race, including a filly that will be taking on the boys. Let’s take a look through the contenders.
- Stalking Specter (IRE) – blinkers2 – A. Craig – 4/1
Drawing the inside rail, this five-year-old gelding is a local champion and former claimer. Last started in Newmarket during The Greatwood Cup (G2) over two miles, he was sent into fourth position out of the gate, keeping pace just behind the front runners. While the gelding would cross the wire twenty lengths back, he would still be fourth at the wire and set a speed figure of one hundred one. He saw his last win in his prior start this past June during a listed stakes in Ireland over the same distance. Once again being held just off the front runners, the gelding would take the lead midway through the race to go on to win by three and three-quarter lengths.
2. Pool Rock (IRE) – trembling – M. Zeus – 5/1
Returning to graded company in his first graded start of this racing season, the five-year-old Irish bred most recently started in Turkey during a listed stakes over two miles. He was neck and neck with another runner early out of the gate but would be worn down by the early duel. He would cross the wire in fourth, setting a speed figure of ninety-one. His last win was in his prior start during an allowance race in France over eleven furlongs. The bay horse would conquer this race in wire-to-wire fashion, winning by two and a half lengths and setting a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred and sixteen. The only other graded start the horse has made was last year in The Clubhouse Stakes (G2) over twelve furlongs, where he finished fourth.
3. I Am Sweeper Cotc (AUS) – cotclaim – GD Mate – 3/1
With lifetime earnings just surpassing the million-dollar mark, this Australian-bred colt is one of the younger horses in the field at the age of four. An accomplished graded runner, the bay colt made his most recent start in Berkshire during The Gold Glass (G1) at two miles. The colt would come out of the starting gate and settle towards the middle of the field out of the gate and steadily start picking off the horses strewn out in the field in front of him. He would cross the wire in second, setting a speed figure of one hundred eleven for the race. His most recent win was this past April during The San Juan Invitational (G2) at fourteen furlongs in the United States. He would run in a similar fashion in this race, picking off other contenders after being sent out towards the middle of the pack.
4. Mix Of Emotions (JPN) – resting – K. Ledwith – 2/1
Bred in Japan, this six-year-old horse will go to the gate as the oldest entry for this weekend’s field. At twenty-three lifetime starts, the horse has won over five million in lifetime earnings and is the only contender in the field to have won at the Group I level. The most recent start for the bay horse came in The Irish Cup (G3) at fourteen furlongs. The horse was sent out of the starting gate towards the rear of the field in eleventh out of the gate. He was held towards the rear of the field for much of the race but made an impressive run down the stretch when asked, getting up to cross the wire in third and set a speed figure of one hundred eight. He would win his prior start, which was in The Second Henry (G2) over two miles. The horse was fifth out of the gate of the small field and started to make his move midway through the race, going on to win by two and a quarter lengths.
5. Outback Ellipse (GB) – yozgeld03 – M. Scott – 6/1
Making his graded stakes debut in this race, the five-year-old bay gelding is a local champion and by top sire Dubawi (IRE). Lightly raced with thirteen lifetime starts, the most recent start for the gelding was in a listed stakes race over two miles in Berkshire. The gelding jumped out of the gate and settled into fourth in the six-horse field. Maintaining this position, the gelding was asked to start taking on the front runners midway through the race. He would ultimately cross the wire in front by three and three-quarter lengths while setting a speed figure of one hundred. Prior to this win, the gelding had been racing in allowance caliber races, improving significantly after he was gelded as a four-year-old, never achieving less than a triple digit speed figure in any of his starts.
6. Brewarrina (IRE) – plano3 – F. Gossett – 4/1
The last contender in our field for Saturday, and the only filly to go to the post in this race, is a Group III winner on her first attempt. By the sire Australia, this Irish-bred filly most recent started in the United States over two miles in the Strength in the Alley (G3). Rushing out of the starting gate and settling into third of the nine-horse field, the filly started advancing on the other runners midway through the race and would ultimately win impressively with a daylight margin of five and a quarter lengths after setting a speed figure of one hundred eight. She would also win her prior start, a listed stakes race in Italy with what would be a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred thirteen to date. This will be the fillies first time taking on the boys.
Flrancho’s Picks:
Win: Mix Of Emotions (JPN)
Place: I Am Sweeper Cotc (AUS)
Show: Brewarrina (IRE)