I think this race should be renamed The Oregon Trail

Race ID: 3805.1206

Grade I
A mile and three sixteenths
Firm Turf
$1,500,000
All horses, 3 years old and up

The race has drawn a full field of runners. Even if one is a total joke, there are a lot of good horses in here as well. It would appear several are trying to go out in a blaze of glory before becoming a he parent early next year. The worrying fact is the overall lack of fresh talent in this race. This appears to be a race for one of those fresh talents to take, though it would be nice to see an older top class horse bag one more big win.

GALIESIS (IRE) – GALILEO (IRE) x DIESIS (GB) x COZZENE

This is one of the younger horses. He did not really take off until faced with 11f furlongs earlier in the year and then won two races straight. He then won two 3yo only grade 1 races over 12f and looked very impressive. EH has come up short though racing against open competition over this trip and in grade 1 races since. The questions are being asked here will the drop back in trip suit? My personal view is no and the form evidence supports this. His last run in the Breeders Bowl looks like that poor run after several high class runs many sim horse have. My gut instinct is the horse should be having a couple of soft ungraded 12f races before hitting Dubai come March. I doubt he will be in the shake up today.

SPARTIATE (ENG) – PIVOTAL (GB) x DUBAI MILLENNIUM (GB) x CAERLEON

This horse was a very good 2yo top class in fact. He won 3 graded races. This year he has failed to win a race. He has though been running in most of the top races and has run well in them gaining places on most starts. He has never run over this trip but on breeding and his 2yo record the trip looks likely to suit him. As with many top class 2yo’s other have caught him up and over taken him in terms of ability. Although he should run well I very much doubt he will win but a top three run would not be a massive surprise.

RJ’S DANA (KY) – ALDEBARAN x CLEVER TRICK x SEATTLE SLEW

There are rules for drawing into races. This horse has some points for a dirt sprint run in the last year. Why should that allow him to run in a 9.5f turf race? I see no reason if this was real life I am sure that the authorities would be look at some way of stopping this. They have done so in the UK by only giving appearance bonuses to horse who are rated with a specific rating of the top horse in the race. Something like this should be done in the sim for graded bonuses to stop the abuse of the system. The system for the most part though is good as it encourage people to run horse in graded races instead of taking an easy ungraded win. It was not designed for useless muppets like this to run in the race.

MAKE ME BLUSH (KY) – BELONG TO ME x GONE WEST x BLUSHING GROOM (FR)

This horse always runs well. I cannot believe it is so high in the ratings for turf horses though number 11. It would appear that connections have therefore done a very good job in placing this animal so should be given a lot of credit for their hard work. He is again in what overall looks like a not to great a race. He has not won a graded race beyond 9f but has run well over further. It would be a surprise if he was good enough to win but then also a surprise if he was far off the top 4. His breeding in real life stamina indices suggest he would be a 7.5f horse.

ROCKIN’ PNEUMONIA (IRE) – ROCK OF GIBRALTAR (IRE) x IRISH RIVER (FR) x SADLER’S WELLS

This horse has been an excellent servant to his owner. His placement over what now will be a 55 race carrier has been very good indeed. It is worth looking at how this horse has been trained to see how to get a long life span out of your horse. His current form is a worry it appears that on his 50th lifetime start he decided that was enough. His last 5 runs have been poor. We all know about wear and tear and this horse seems to have hit the wall. I just hope that for connections that his offspring can give them as much fun in the future. Has no realistic chance in this race.

BENDIGO – GONE WEST x SPINNING WORLD x RED RANSOM

This horse has done well this year. He has also been very consistent over the last 12 months as well. He has won bad run when beaten a distance. 9-9.5f would also on the face of it appear to be his best trip. He has a lot of things in his favour. He could not live with the pace in his last race but again put up a decent speed figure. The fact he is lightly raced and a graded winner are also positive factors to be taken into consideration. The overall view of this horse is that he will run well again today. I do though think he will struggle to win but like several has a good chance of a place that may well be boosted by the fact wear and tear is not an issue yet.

CREEPSHOW (IRE) – ROCK OF GIBRALTAR (IRE) x DEPUTY MINISTER x SEEKING THE GOLD

This is the number 2 rated 8-10f turf horse. A horse does not get to a rating like that by accident. He has been a top class horse for the best part of 2 ½ years. This year he has won some of the sims best 10f races and was in seriously good form in the summer. He was forth in this race last year so is trying to go three better this year. He is not coming into the race in such good form. He looks slightly on the down grade as if the sands of time are getting to him. That being said it would bi nice to see him win. This is not an outstanding field by any stretch of the imagination and he is the true class of the race. It would be nice to see him go out with one last big bang.

ORDER IN THE COURT (KY) – DONERAILE COURT x HONOUR AND GLORY x IN REALITY

This horse has been a slow developer. He was also an excellent claim by current connections. They have placed him very well indeed. He is a multiple stakes winner and graded placed. His best distance appears to be around this 9-9.5f mark as well. His last two runs have been slightly disappointing after some sterling efforts in the summer. This does happen though from time to time. Looking at his form overall you have to ask is he good enough to win. The answer is no, does he deserve a shot at a race like this yes and on a good day could get placed. This is the horse or type of horse that the bp bonus was aimed at. I hope he runs well for connections but he is not on my short list.

NEW NORSICA (KY) – DYNAFORMER x WOODMAN x IRISH RIVER (FR)

This is the only new exciting horse in this race. He could well be the “Creepshow” for 2009 if he continues his current form. He has only run 10 times in his life. He has picked up a grade 2 3yo only win and was 4th in his only try against open older company. He beat Creepshow in that race. Will he do it again? I think that there are no reasons why he cannot or at least finish very close to him. If the old guy cannot win then in all honesty it would be nice for the new exciting face to taek the victory before going onto a top class season in 2009. I would be surprised of he does not make the top 3.

SHOULDN’T MATTER (IRE) – NORTH LIGHT (IRE) x KINGMAMBO x AFFIRMED

The betting suggests this horse has a very good chance. His form suggests otherwise. His last 6 graded runs have form off 085665 it almost looks like a mobile phone number. To be totally honest another 5th or 6th place run looks on the cards. This though is a good horse he usually runs well. He was a graded winner at 2 and with so many 2yo graded winners has found it hard since. In ungraded races he wins stepped up he comes up short. He is still though running impressive speed figures.

WEST OF THE RED – GONE WEST x RED RANSOM x MR. PROSPECTOR

I must be missing the point with Gone West for a sire who is not in the top 120 turf sires in Europe over the last 3 years he seems to have a really unbelievable record in the sim in terms of a turf sire. That is not this horses fault or connections. Looking at the horses form he has been extremely well managed over his lifetime. He dips in and out of graded company and when he does run usually hits the board. His placement has been awesome no question. Once again he has been put into a graded race and would appear to have another outstanding chance of a top three run. It would be no surprise to see him win either.

DANCING MASTER (IRE) – PEINTRE CELEBRE (IRE) x SHIRLEY HEIGHTS (GB) x VICE REGENT

This horse is one of the few good horses by the grossly underrated Pientre Celebre maybe his code got mixed up with Gone West. This is another horse who has been well managed and placed. He is a real 9-9.5f expert as well which again is an added bonus given the race distance. His chances of winning though appear slim. He is just below top class and there are three or four in this race who may well be to good if on song. An argument for a place could be made so I expect that is what his owner is hoping for.

MAVERICK – GONE WEST x FORTY NINER x A.P. INDY

This is totally stupid now, yet another son of Gone West. I could never imagine even if I took 387 LSD tablets seeing this many let’s be honest any sons of Gone West in a top class international 9.5f grade 1 turf race. I would strongly recommend that nobody does try that at home – firstly the police would never believe you that 387 LSD tablets are for personal usage it would seriously damage your health and more importantly spending the money on sim credits and breeding to Gone West would be far more rewarding.
This though is a serious horse once again. He loves the trip. He has some outstanding speed (no pun) figures of late to back it up. The thing he has missing though is a grade 1 win. I guess connections hope this is put right in this race there is no reason on paper why that should not happen. To me there are four top class in this race and one is likely to miss out on the frame. Looking through all the form my personal view is that it will be this horse (that means he wins by 6 lengths).

BIG DAY – DAYJUR x AWESOME AGAIN x DAMASCUS

This horse was claimed for 25,000. He was then switched to turf by current connections. He has rewarded that switch greatly. He has shown good speed figures the 115 on an off track over this trip is impressive. If it had rained he would have been a very interesting runner in this race. Although well managed by connections and worthy of a shot in a race like this it is hard to see him being in the first three though.

In review this should be an interesting race with four horses looking like they have a real chance of winning. As for my selections they are as follows:-

1 West Of The Red – This horse has been extremely well managed and deserves to win a top class race. It would be nice to see his trainer’s skill reward by a win in this race.

2 New Norsica – This is the only horse in the race with a profile of I can be a superstar. It would be nice to see him run a big race today to prove that he can fulfill that potential in 2009.

3 Creepshow – He is the star turn in this field. It would be nice to see him win but he appears vulnerable at both the trip and form wise. He is still hard to leave out of the frame.