THE BARGAIN BOWL : The CHARLIES TIGER Juvenile for all 2 yo`s over seven furlongs fast dirt Connecticut

For most people who play our great game, the enjoyment of watching your horses compete against other peoples horses on a Saturday, willing that charge to one last effort up the home straight to get to the line first is the greatest time of the week. To get so used to that adenalin rush that you cant do without it. In order that the masses can get their weekly enjoyment there are a few people that work behind the scenes, working not for self adulation but for the good of the sim. Knightmare is one of these unsung heroes and Saturday is the big finale of his popular series for bargain breds, the Bargain Bowl. We from the BTB wish him a great meeting with a huge crowd and performances to do the great man justice.

So its to Connecticut and race 8 on Saturdays card, The CHARLIES TIGER Juvenile, named in honour of a horse that wrote her own little bit of history. She started life as an idea by a rookie trainer who was practically new to the breeding game. Nickesyd had only been going for a matter of months, and seeing a horse that had done well in that particular week, decided to clone its lines as an introduction to the world of breeding. So a 2yo filly with the rather obscure lines Lord Tiger x Proclaim x Bold Dash was born, and costing under 25bps. In a 5 run 2 yo career Charlies Tiger performed far above expectations. winning 2 races including a stakes race and was second in a grade 2, posting her 2yo best speed figure of 94, and third in a grade 3. Fine form but even that didnt give her trainer a clue as to what was to come next.

So on to Charlies Tiger 3 yo career. First up was an ungraded stakes race, chosen by her trainer as a scouting brief to see if she had trained on from her heady days as a decent 2yo. It was a poor performance and her trainer, Nickesyd was quoted at the time as being “deeply disappointed” . However fate has a funny way of turning things around, and fate was just about to smile on our unsuspecting trainer.

In his own residence, Nickesyd knew that Charlies Tiger was not going to be deemed good enough to gain a ticket to the Equinics and started looking elsewhere for another plan for action for his 3 yo filly. Then a stroke of luck. A rumour. Someone else outwith a residence was trying to enter a team for the Equinics and needed nominations. Nickesyd wasted no time in putting Charlies Tiger name forward, but after viewing the other nominations felt Charlies Tiger was going to miss out again. so he was gobsmacked when the news came through, Charlies Tiger will go to the show and will be entered in Winning Colours Challenge.

This little mare who cost so little lit up the track and went trap to wire to write her name into the history books. Her astonished rookie trainer had only just started out in his training career and here he was, at the top of the tree.

Although Charlies Tiger would never again scale the heights of her Equinics success, her career is summed up perfectly by the person who owned trained and bred her, Nickesyd,

“After her win in the Equinics she only won one more stakes race and one more allowance race, but she really had her best day when I wanted her to.”

Didnt she just!

So its The CHARLIES TIGER Juvenile, to be run over seven furlongs on the firm turf for all 2yo`s who have won through to this final round by way of the BBR Series. We have a field of thirteen competing for the $125000 prize fund. The bookmakers have clearly expessed their opinion of the outcome of this race by their prices, indeed they are of the opinion that it is a two horse race and both of these two market leaders are fillies. Can a filly beat the boys and take the prize home to EAAA or will Foxon be celebrating yet another stakes victory with his filly? Here are the runners and riders in race card order.

2 yo colt

Araafa x Rhodes x High Tribute

5 runs 1 win 1 second $29000

Slowly getting the hang of racing after 3 pretty poor efforts, although it has to be said that his first two runs were on turf and he is not a turf horse and his third run was on sloppy dirt, which he did not appreciate at all. Started to show what he could do in his fourth run when springing somewhat of a surprise at Longchamp when winning a mile MSW at a big price, coming from off the pace to win by a couple of lengths. His winning speed figure of 75 was by far his best effort yet. Lto dropped down to seven furlongs to compete in the BBRS Juvy Day Colt Dirt. Although not good enough to get within 2 1/2 lengths of the winner he still put up a respectable performance and stayed on all the way to the line to grab second. He was rewarded with a lifetime best speed figure of 76. Interesting here, he needs to improve a little and may well do so, but I am of the opinion that he may be a better horse at the mile.

2 yo colt

One Tuff Oop x Great Deal x Shamgo

3 runs 2 thirds $160

Tough task ahead for this son of a most obscure sire. Dont get me wrong he isn`t the worse of the worse and is getting slightly better with each race, but with a pb of 64 set last time out in a small $2000 maiden claimer over six and a half furlongs in Malaysia, where he finished seventh, it would need a supreme optimist to see him improve the twenty odd speed points that will be likely needed to win this. Too much to ask.

3) RENDEZVOUS RATE foxon6 1422 J Ingram 5/2

2yo filly

Diamond Green x Stutz Blackhawk x Dashing Blade

4 runs 1 win 1 second $38085

From a powerful sim stable that boasts impressive career stats, its no surprise to see this filly up near the head of the market. She has gotten progressively faster with distance and she put up her best performance to date, albeit just improving her speed figure by one point to eighty, when tackling seven furlongs for the first time last time out in a BBRS Juvy Day fillies race. She finished second, beaten two and a half lengths staying on in the final furlong. Previous to this she was a fine second in a six and a half furlongs $59000 nw2l allowance in Dubai, once again staying on in the final furlong to go down by two and a quarter lengths with a speed of 79. As she is one of the few here to have broken eighty and from a top yard, she must be respected and maybe even feared here.

2 yo filly

Action this Day x Success Express x Novel Nashua

4 runs 1 second 1 third $5027

Hard enough task for this one on all known form, although with improvement this maiden could have been given a slight squeak. But as she steps up an extra half a furlong to this seven furlongs, it surely must work against this filly as she has looked weak in a finish at both six and six and a half furlongs. She set her pb lto in a six and a half furlongs $36400 MSW at North Florida, leading until the final furlong where she faded a little, finishing third beaten two and a half lengths but posting a speed figure of 70. Surely too much ground for her to cover here.

2 yo colt

Great Pyramid x Gold Market x Octagonal

1 run $0

Tried on turf over seven furlongs on his debut which resulted in a miserable run, beaten nineteen lengths with a miserable speed of 45. How will he do on dirt. Your guess is as good as mine but I would be shocked if he had the kind of ability it will take to bother the market leaders.

2 yo filly

Cahill Road x Halo`s Image x Bold Laddie

3 runs 1 third $1288

This one has a very similar profile to Get Some Action in that she has looked weak in a finish over six furlongs and you have to fear for her over this seven. Her only place to date came on the turf lto, fading to third in a six furlongs MSW in Tennessee. Previous to that she ran in a six furlong MSW in Arkansas where she held a decent early position before fading into oblivion, beaten nine and a half lengths into sixth with a speed of 59, which is her lifetime best. As much as I wish Liddleski luck I cant see him picking up this prize

2 yo filly

Xaar x Success Express x Unusual Heat

3 runs 1 win 1 third $31612

Made her debut on turf, which was not to her liking before trying her hand on the dirt, firstly over five and a half furlongs in which she put up a fine all the way win in a $45200 MSW at Ascot, running a decent 70. Next up she was moved up in trip to six and a half furlongs in a female allowance race in South Africa. Despite distinctly not getting the trip, fading in the latter part of the race she still produced her best speed figure to date of 71. Its the trip that is gonna get her here as well. A decent enough horse but she looks a sprinter and this trip will surely find her out.

2 yo filly

Lion Hearted x Iron x Slick Slew

2 runs 1 third $4000

With a pb of fifty five set lto in a six and a half furlongs MSW in Massachusetts, where he didnt seem to stay the trip, this looks an impossible task. She might have to find thirty speed points over a trip that is in all probability too long. No chance.

2 yo filly

Massive x Trajectory x Tagish

4 runs 3 wins 1 third $51740

Stabled in the res that has been the major mover and shaker in the res list over this past twelve months, EAAA and from a trainer that breeds more two year olds than anyone I know, if anyone can ready a two year old for a big race it has to be Whisper. He has got a deserved favorite here who has done everything right in her short career, getting progressively better with distance/experience. After winning her maiden in her second start, over five and a half furlongs with a speed figure of 75, she was moved up a furlong and up in class to take part in a mixed sex stakes at Indiana. Here she performed with real credit, running third but running over eighty for the first time with an eighty one. Encouraged by this, she was then sent over seven furlongs lto in the BBRS fillies dirt in which she was always up with the pace before running on and running out an easy two and a half lengths winner with an impressive new pb speed figure of 84. As she sets the standards in this race she is a worthy favorite and is sure to take all the beating.

2 yo filly

Diamond Green x Sumayr x Royal Roberto

2 runs 1 third $6500

2 runs on turf have yielded a debut third in the BBRS Fillies turf MSW over 6 furlongs where she stayed on to be beaten one and three quarters lengths with a speed of fifty three and a fourth over seven furlongs in the BBRS Juve Day Fillies turf where she finished fourth with a fifty five. Very same comment for her as Khan El Khalili in that she might be anything on dirt but she would have to be a very good one to trouble the market leaders here. Most unlikely.

2 yo filly

Numerous x Oh Say x Native born

3 runs 0 wins or places $2500

Three runs for this one, first up on turf which was proven not to be his surface before two tries on dirt. She has shown a modicum of talent in these two races despite fading badly both times, the first run on dirt over a mile in a restricted Del Penn MSW. She took up a good early pitch but began fading just after halfway, finishing eleven and a half lengths off the winner with a 61. Lto dropped down to seven furlongs, once again getting the away from the gates well but fading just after halfway to be beaten nine and three quarters lengths with a 64. She will improve but I doubt it will be over this trip. Looks like she is screaming out for shorter to me.

2 yo colt

Tara`s Hall x Bold Fact x Song of Tara

1 run 1 second $11300

Fine debut in a decent class MSW in Germany over this trip. Broke third before gaining second by halfway. Stayed there for the rest of the race losing out by one and three quarters lengths with a 74 but not disgraced behind a more than useful horse who went on to run eighty eight next time out. Sure to improve here the big question is can he improve enough to shake up the two horses at the head of the betting. Interesting proposition.

2 yo colt

Blazonary x Robyn Dancer x Take me Out

2 runs 1 win 1 third $34000

Although this one boasts nice form figures having won a MSW BBRS colt dirt race over six furlongs on his debut and ran third in the BBRS Juvy Day colts dirt race over seven furlongs, where he faded in the latter part of the race to be beaten eleven and three quarters lengths, his speed figures of sixty and sixty two leave this one with a mountain to climb. When you add to this the doubts about him over this trip, he is quite simply not a betting proposition. Another that may well have his stamina stretched to the max.

With so many of the runners non stayers, its made my job in trying to find the first three easier than usual. Whispers Big T has the best form in the race and can once again enter the winners enclosure. Anything sent from the Foxon group of stables, with their impressive stable stats must be respected and Rendezvous Rate can make the favorite fight all the way to the line. Never Say reckless put in a fine debut effort and can improve greatly to keep things close with the front two and run into third.