July, 2021 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Wednesday UK Evening Fixtures Moved Up

Bath and Kempton have both had their Wednesday evening cards moved to earlier in the day to avoid a timing clash with England's Euro 2020 semi-final against Denmark, the British Horseracing Authority announced on Sunday. Bath was due to end at 8:35 p.m. and Kempton's final race was slated for 8:50 p.m. The semi-final match begins at 8 p.m.

“Having received applications from both The Jockey Club and Arena Racing Company, the BHA has approved the alternation of race times at both Kempton Park and Bath on Wednesday evening to avoid a clash with England's Euro 2020 semi-final match against Denmark,” the British Horseracing Authority said in a statement. “We wish Gareth Southgate and the England team the best of luck.”

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Photo Finish Images Shows Two Different Results, Sparking Controversy At Sandown

Before the advent of the photo finish camera, close finishes like the one in the ironically-named 'Beaten By a Length' Handicap at Sandown Saturday would have been called by three judges standing by the finish line, a practice understandably fraught with opportunities for the human eye to get it wrong. In the late 1930s, reliable photos finish technology became part of a racetrack's set-up, the solution to the proverbial question of just who got a bare whisker or flared nostril in front. Nevertheless, however, the human element of the photo finish still remains a potential point of controversy, according to The Racing Post.

At Sandown Park in Surrey, U.K., Hurricane Ivor and Phoenix Star dueled through the final yards of the five-furlong handicap, flashing by that photo finish camera at the wire in what appears to be perfect synchronicity. The replay shows the two horses so close that a winner is difficult to discern. From the resulting photo, Sandown judge Jane Green declared Phoenix Star, the horse on the outside, the winner over Hurricane Ivor on the rail. The mirror image of the same photo showed a different result. Upon examination of both photos, the Sandown stewards nullified Green's ruling and declared the race a dead heat.

How is it possible that the photo finish camera could have captured what appears to be two different images in literally the same instant? The answer lies in the mirror.

“The issue is the mirror image, which is out of alignment. That's something that happens very rarely. You can see from the picture that the third and fourth don't line up on the line on the mirror image, either” Shawn Parker, head of the British Horseracing Authority's stewards, told the Racing Post. “We had to discard the mirror image and we couldn't separate the two horses on the normal image, the actual photo, so it's a dead-heat. We now need to hold an inquiry to determine why it happened.”

While RaceTech, the company responsible for photo finishes, attests to the proper alignment of the mirror and camera after an earlier inspection, it is possible that the mirror may have been knocked out of alignment afterwards. Bookmakers and bettors were frustrated with the miscalled photo finish, citing other issues with photo finishes at Sandown and other courses.

Snow Lantern “Fresh as a Daisy” For Falmouth

Group 1-placed Snow Lantern (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who was second by 1 1/2 lengths in the G1 Coronation S. at Royal Ascot on June 18, is “fresh as a daisy” according to trainer Richard Hannon in advance of the July 9 G1 Tattersalls Falmouth S. at Newmarket during the Moet & Chandon July Festival.

Hannon said of the daughter of 2013 G1 1000 Guineas winner and Falmouth runner-up Sky Lantern (Ire) (Red Clubs {Ire}), “She hasn't won a 1000 Guineas like her mum but she is going there hopefully to win where her mother didn't but should have and it would be nice if she did just that. She is as fresh as a daisy. She is in good nick and is good enough to win a race like this. There is a score to be settled there and it would give us some sort of closure.”

Second when unveiled at Ascot in late July of 2020, the grey earned her 'TDN Rising Star' badge with a tally at Newbury in a maiden stakes on Apr. 18. Kept out of the G1 QIPCO 1000 Guineas, she picked up some black-type when third in the Listed Michael Seely Memorial S. at York on May 14 prior to her Coronation effort. Coronation S. heroine Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never is likely to turn up in the Falmouth.

“She was back to her best at Ascot,” Hannon continued. “She came with a lovely run, she just got tight for room for a little bit but she ran a lovely race and it showed you could put a line through the York effort. She hasn't been thrown in the deep end every time this year or last year but we are there now and she is able to compete at that level, she just needs to get a bit of luck.”

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Auctav Show Sale Topped By Ivanhowe Colt

Auctav's July 3 Show Sale saw a weanling colt by Ivanhowe (Ger) take highest honours when selling for €33,000 to Nicolas Bertran de Balanda's NBB Racing on Sunday. The chestnut (lot 10), a son of Changing Times (Fr) (Martaline {GB}) herself a full-sister to G1 EBF Mares Champion Hurdle third Karalee (Fr) (Martaline {GB}), was offered by breeder Jean-Marie Callier.

NBB Racing was also in action for the second dearest lot on the day, lot 14, another weanling colt bred and presented by Callier. The son of Bande (Ire) and La Pampalina (Fr) (Maresca Sorrento {Fr}) brought €28,000. La Pampalina is a half-sister to G3 Welsh National Chase winner Le Beau Bai (Fr) (Cadoudal {Fr}).

“This sale was a first,” Callier said. “I am rarely a foal seller, but I liked this very innovative and less stressful possibility than a regular sale. I was able to follow the sales while cooking dinner and in the end, I got prices that were good for the market. I am delighted with the service and the format offered by Auctav. I think this is a good visibility offered to the horses of the Chaser Day and I look forward to the 2022 edition.”

Rounding out the top three lots was Nicolas Ferrand Elevage's lot 9, a bay son of Nirvana du Berlais (Fr). Jean-Marie Callier, acting in his capacity as a bloodstock agent, purchased the son of Areej du Val (Fr) (Enrique {Ger}). His dam is a half-sister to listed-winning jumper Zandalee (Fr) (Trempolino), subsequently the dam of G1 Prix Cambaceres winner Beaumec de Houelle (Fr) (Martaline {GB}).

Of the 15 horses offered during the online sale, eight sold for a gross of €119,550.

Jean-Charles Pallot, President of Chaser Day said, “The prices for the foals were good. For a first sale, it is a satisfying sale. We want to put this event and this process in the long term.”

Arnaud Angeliaume, Managing Director Auctav added, “The Chaser Day is a great event and we are happy to have been able to highlight it. We would like to thank Jean-Charles Pallot, Nathalie Callier and all the members of the Saone et Loire Galop Association for their trust. Auctav saw the great interest taken by the lots in France and also in Ireland and UK.”

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