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The Hardcourt
Grade II
A mile and one quarter
Firm Turf
$250,000
all horses, 4 years old and up

Race ID: 3903.3514

This is the sim version of the Prix d’Harcourt. This is an old race used as a prep for some of the early season top class races in France notably the Prix Ganay. It has been won by some excellent horses over the years Djebel won twice during Nazi rule during the war. Many of the top Jewish owners have had winners since including in 2008. Other important winners include Caro (top sire), Allez France (Arc winner), Three Troikas (Arc Winner), Strawberry Road (top class racehorse all over the world), Village Star (sire of outstanding national hunt race horse Kauto Star), Urban Sea (Arc winner dam of Galileo) and Manduro world champion racehorse.

The race suffers today from being run at the same time as the Dubai World Cup meeting but is still an important race. It is usually run on soft ground as well. Village Star was the first of a three of wins in the race for Cash Asmussen.

The sim version of the race looks dire. I have to say this is the worst field I have ever seen for a sim graded race by a long way. This must be the sim version of the Dubai World Cup (which looks a horrid race). That being said someone has to win it. So good luck to whoever does, someone has found a good spot.

MAVERICK (GONE WEST x FORTY NINER x A.P. INDY)

This is a decent horse. He has though had 39 races in his lifetime. He was in good form last year and won a graded race with an excellent speed figure. He appears though to be a 9.5f specialist though. The horse ahs one other big problem his sole 2009 start. The speed figure looks decent but he was unplaced. There is a massive trend that graded runners from 2008 have fallen off cliffs like lemmings in 2009. It would be no surprise if this race was not his Beechy Head even though this race is on the wrong side of the Channel.

CLASSICAL FROLIC (KY) (SUPER FROLIC x REGAL CLASSIC x AWESOME AGAIN)

This horse ahs won 4 out of 5 on turf. His loss came in a 50,000 claim. His dirt form indicates that his best trip is below 10f as well. Winning starter allowances is nothing like running in graded races. In truth there is little hope of this horse winning this race. In fact I think the chances of Sebastian Chabal winning the most handsome man competition 2009 are far greater.

ACCEPTANCE (IRE) (THEATRICAL (IRE) x ROBERTO x RIVERMAN)

This horse is running for the breeding points. It has no chance. It does have a nice pedigree and would be a decent prospect to use as a he mare hopefully the BP’s gained get a decent sire when this event takes place. This horse’s sire was bred by Nureyev when he stood in France. Riverman also stood and raced in France before moving to the USA. Times have changed considerably in the breeding industry since those days.

ALL RIGHT (KY) (MINGUN x SUMMER SQUALL x SEATTLE SLEW)

This horse’s sire is the best son of A P Indy to run in Europe. As a sire he has been pathetic and I doubt he will be at Lanes End very much longer. In truth I would be amazed to see a horse with this breeding in a race of this class, maybe in a claimer in Lyon or Strasburg is more the level to expect. That being said this is a good horse. The horse’s recent form decent with a couple of wins and a graded place last time as well. In the context of this race that reads very well indeed. The only negative is the trip. He seems better at a shorter trip but with the poor quality of this field can still make the frame.

PACIFIC REBELLION (KY) (RAHY x WAR CHANT x PERSIAN BOLD (IRE))

This horse is lightly raced. The positive factors are he likes turf and both of his wins have come over 10f. His speed figures are not great but those wins were easy so he can run faster than shown so far. In the normal scheme of things this would be seen as a somewhat ambitious run. The fact is this is a dire race for the class. He has less negative factors than most and at 40-1 is not the worst bet in this race by far Win place show.

OUR LITTLE SECRET (BERTRANDO x SECRETO x MR. PROSPECTOR)

This is a very good horse indeed. His speed figures are top class. He has also been running well and gaining places I graded races. He stays the trip and was fifth in the Eclipse Stakes last year which is light years above the class required to win a race like this. This horse would be a worthy and deserving winner of this race.

NO MORE NO MORE (ENG) (GREEN DESERT x SEATTLE SLEW x SEEKING THE GOLD)

This fellow has been running over all sorts of trips and well at them. He has only run once beyond 9.5f and did not stay. He ran well in a bid graded 4yo race last year over 9f. The form of that is somewhat suspect but at least shows he can handle 9f on the turf. His chances in this race revolve around his ability to stay the trip my gut instinct is that he will not do so.

FLAMANT (TAPIT x SPINNING WORLD x SEATTLE SLEW)

This is one of the better horses in the race. He is lightly raced as well for a 6yo. His breeding does not lend itself to European turf racing and may well come from a different sim era. That being said the facts are this horse handle the trip can run a decent speed figure and has half decent form. There is no evidence he is on the downgrade. A win looks unlikely but a place seems a reasonable prospect.

As for my selections in what looks a poor race:-

1 Our Little Secret – the obvious class horse in form and like the trip too.
2 Flamant – runs well most times and stays the trip can sneak a place.
3 Pacific Rebellion – Can step up and maybe sneak into the frame is the only horse with any scope for improvement.