The Alex Hammond Blog

Alex Hammond looks back on the recent action and ahead to some fantastic racing in Ireland and France this weekend.

I am skipping through May with a spring in my step. We may be enduring one of the wettest May’s for donkeys years, which is making many of the horses I’m backing run like donkeys, but I’m looking on the bright side as (hopefully) life is returning to some kind of normality.

It’s usually safer to err on the side of caution nowadays, so hopefully from mid-June we can start to take tentative steps back into the known. It’s alarming how we soon become used to new ways of existing and it felt strange (in a good way) to have a crowd back at Windsor on Monday.

It feels like forever since I’ve been asked for my tip of the day or daily double by racegoers on arriving at the racecourse and also had to ponder if there’s a back exit for the way out if they didn’t run to expectations! Joking aside, it was refreshing to have some interaction with eager racegoers and to welcome some new racing fans to the course.

What wasn’t so welcome was the torrential storm which did its best to ruin the night, but in true British spirit we didn’t let something like unseasonal weather rain on our parade.

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The heavens opened just as Dream Of Dreams stormed to victory in the feature listed race and staked his claim to win the Diamond Jubilee for the first time. He’s finished runner-up in the last two renewals of the Royal Ascot group 1 sprint and is now Sky Bet’s 9/2 second favourite behind impressive York winner Starman who is a 3/1 shot.

One blot on my marvellous May came at the beginning of the month when my ante-post betting took a knock thanks to the result of the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial at Leopardstown. I backed Mac Swiney at 10/1 for the Epsom classic beforehand, feeling quite smug about my selection, but he’s now 20/1 with Sky Bet after his below par effort behind jet aeroplane Bolshoi Ballet.

I haven’t given up hope on Mac Swiney though. His trainer Jim Bolger is a genius and if Epsom continues to get plenty of rain, he could easily bounce back. Bar the aforementioned Bolshoi Ballet (15/8 fav with Sky Bet), the colt’s classic looks incredibly open, so I still have hope.

Ante-post vouchers aside, there aren’t many racing enthusiasts that would be disappointed to see John Leeper win at Epsom. He is named after the late, great trainer John Dunlop, trained by his son Ed and the horse is a son of the outstanding racemare Snow Fairy, who was trained by John Leeper’s handler Ed Dunlop. A romantic tale indeed.

Speaking of classics, it’s the Irish 1000 and 2000 Guineas at the Curragh this weekend. The first of those is the 2000 on Saturday where Jessica Harrington’s Lucky Vega is Sky Bet’s 2/1 favourite.

There are a few entered in this that are on a retrieval mission after disappointing in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, but Lucky Vega doesn’t fall into that category having finished a very respectable third on the Rowley Mile. A return to the Curragh will suit him better and he’s a worthy favourite.

Jim Bolger has a couple of throws of the dice if he decides to run 2000 Guineas winner Poetic Flare again quickly following his defeat in the French equivalent on Sunday. Mac Swiney is also amongst the entries for the trainer.

Aidan O’Brien is mob handed too with Wembley, Battleground, Van Gogh and San Martino. The first three named ran at Newmarket and will need to progress from their efforts three weeks ago. It will be no shock if they do. Joseph O’Brien’s Thunder Moon was also well beaten at Newmarket, but I still stand by my opinion that he will be better when/if he drops to sprint trips.

There’s a case to be made for La Barossa for Charlie Appleby. He was second in the Craven Stakes at Newmarket in April and comes here fresher than most. His conqueror that day was just touched off in the Guineas and at 6/1 might offer a bit of value in the big race on Saturday.

The Irish 1000 Guineas takes place at the Curragh on Sunday. I’d be inclined to side with a victory for Britain here as I was impressed with Fev Rover in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket. The vibes were strong about Richard Fahey’s filly before that contest, and she ran superbly to finished 1 ¼ lengths third behind Mother Earth and Saffron Beach. The easy ground in Ireland will suit her, in fact the more rain that falls the better. She’s 5/1 with Sky Bet.

I can’t wait to see Love return to action and that could come in Sunday’s Tattersalls Gold Cup. The abundance of riches in the Aidan O’Brien yard is highlighted here as he has the top 7 in the betting! Obviously, we don’t know which of his horses will be declared, but I hope we get a glimpse of Love on Sunday.

The Irish have been pretty invincible opponents recently on both sides of the Irish Sea and Irish trainer Michael Smith will be hoping for more of the same when he sends Ronald Pump over to France to Auteuil this weekend for the French Champion Hurdle (Grande Course de Haies d’Auteuil to give it its full title).

This horse was a €1,000 purchase as an unraced 3-year-old and his trainer has enjoyed some wonderful days with his bargain buy since. If he can go over to France and beat the likes of Paul’s Saga and L’Autonomie and snag the first prize of over €157,000 there will be huge celebrations in County Meath.

On Sunday it’s the French Gold Cup (Grand Steeple Chase de Paris) and speaking of invincible, Rachael Blackmore has her first ride in the grade 1 contest on board the David Cottin trained Ajas. It looks like Ajas could be a superb ride for his record-breaking jockey.

He jumps incredibly well, so much so his trainer was keen to come over to Aintree for the Grand National. Well, Cottin will get some fabulous feedback from his rider as she knows exactly what it takes to win the most famous horse race in the world. How will she get on in France’s most famous steeplechase? You will find out with us on Sky Sports Racing on Saturday and Sunday. Good luck to them all.

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