Curragh erupts for Pinatubo

Not many flat horses get a standing ovation as they hit the furlong pole in a race. Mind you not many two year olds do what Pinatubo did last week in the National Stakes.

He was nine lengths too good for his rivals (and he was not all out in my view) which included the Coventry winner Arizona. He was just electric.

Joshua Stacey had the temerity to say he is the best two year old he has ever seen and was immediately besieged by Frankel fans.

Valid

If people calmed down, and read the Twitter post properly, they would see that his opinion is valid. Yes Frankel was one of the best ever, but he was not at this level at this stage of his career.

I also think that the fact Josh is only nineteen made him a target, and some thought his opinion irrelevant. So he is young.

But he is a fan and friend of racing. And we need the likes of Josh to be interested because we old fogies won’t be here forever.

We all have opinions on this game and if I asked a hundred people to name the best ten horses ever it would be difficult to get two lists exactly the same let alone all one hundred.

But back to Pinatubo. He is obviously a precocious sort but I am sure we are all hoping he trains on because if he improves over the winter we are looking at a possible legend.

It was some weekend wasn’t it?

I will stay in Ireland for now. Magical won the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown with her stablemates finishing second and third.

Some will say that Deidre was unlucky in fourth and the way she finished tells us she has some gears. But the winner is such a lovely filly.

Consistent

Magical is so consistent. In her last six Group One races she has run between 120 and 123.
She reminds me a bit of Triptych in that she wins at the top level and when she doesn’t she still runs to her level.

Triptych would get beat by the likes of Dancing Brave and Mtoto while Magical has had to contend with Enable and Crystal Ocean. She would be a champion filly had the dual Arc winner not been around no?

While on the subject of fillies two of the distaff side had me looking for a cat to kick.

Victorious

Fairyland won the Flying Five while Iridessa was victorious in the Matron Stakes. I have only recently stopped following both horses so the 142/1 double was like a dagger to my bank manager’s heart.

But I think Fairyland deserved to win a big one. She has been running well against top opposition.

The St Leger looked a less than vintage renewal but we were hoping for a good performance from Logician. And he duly obliged.

He still looks a bit immature to me, and he is a huge horse so another winter on his back should help him develop further. The fact he is grey (actually he is a roan) could help him get a public following.

I’m sure connections are targeting the top middle distance races next term. He is something to look forward to.

All three favourites won the Arc trials in Paris but Enable remains odds-on with Japan next best. Sottsass remains of interest but his style of racing means he needs things to drop right for him.

While on the Arc I have a little quiz question for you. Some may get it straight away. Others will think “What the hell is he going on about”

What will happen in this years Arc that has not happened in the race since 1979?