Tag Archive for: DAVID LOUGHNANE

Breeders’ Cup very much on the radar for Anshoda

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Anshoda could head straight to Del Mar for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf following her impressive Prestige Stakes success at Goodwood.

A taking winner at Lingfield on debut, David Loughnane’s daughter of Inns Of Court was proving her 66-1 second in Sandown’s Star Stakes was no fluke when scoring in the hands of Billy Loughnane on the Sussex Downs.

That was her first run for new owners Team Valor LLC and Gary Barber who are relishing the prospect of seeing their new recruit compete Stateside in early November.

However, before making the trip to California, Anshoda is likely to undertake a racecourse gallop, with the timing of her two entries in Britain falling at awkward dates on the calendar.

“It was a very nice performance, no doubt about it, we’re going to bring her to the Breeders’ Cup that’s for sure then after that we will send her back to England,” said Barry Irwin, CEO of Team Valor International.

“We promised the trainer we would leave things to him and we will follow through on that. I have talked to him a little bit and he doesn’t know if she will run before the Breeders’ Cup or not.

“There are two possible races for her, one is the Rockfel Stakes (September 27) and the other is the Fillies’ Mile (October 11).

“David thinks the Rockfel is too soon after Goodwood, while the Fillies’ Mile is too close to the Breeders’ Cup. So he might just pick a racecourse and do an afternoon gallop there and head to California like that.”

Anshoda is the first horse the owners have had trained by Shropshire-based Loughnane, and Irwin revealed how he gave up long-held family plans to ensure the exciting prospect carried the respective colours of Team Valor and Barber after watching her fine effort in defeat to Celestial Orbit at Sandown.

Irwin explained: “My wife and I had planned a trip to England, it was going to be a two-and-a-half-week trip and I was going to visit my daughter and my wife has written a play that takes place in Knightsbridge and she was going to do some research. We were going to see some horses and it was going to be a great vacation.

Anshoda (red cap) running at Sandown in the colours of her old owners
Anshoda (red cap) running at Sandown in the colours of her old owners (Andrew Matthews/PA)

“On the morning of the trip we were having pancakes in a restaurant waiting for our driver to take us to the airport and I was offered this filly. I was shown the Star Stakes and her debut and I liked her.

“As I started dealing with it, I could see that if I wanted this filly I was not going to make this trip as I was going to have to work that weekend to get the job done. I cancelled my trip, spent the whole day on the phone and the trainer and a long-time agent of mine worked together to get the deal done.

“It was a pain and hard work to get the deal done, but it was worth it in the end. Goodwood ended up being a wonderful day for us and we hope to have some more.”



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Ice Max swoops late to spark Goodwood Celebration

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Clifford Lee was a cool customer aboard Ice Max as he pounced late to take the William Hill Celebration Mile Stakes at Goodwood.

Karl Burke’s gelded son of Dark Angel looked a progressive operator earlier in the season but has had his momentum checked in deep waters the last twice.

However, he regained the winning thread in great style on the Sussex Downs, relishing testing conditions as he denied Simon and Ed Crisford’s Poker Face who ultimately showed his hand too early as he tried to make all.

Sent off at odds of 5-1, Burke was always confident about Ice Max’s chance once the rain arrived and was thrilled to see his charge scoop Group Two honours.

“The more rain that fell, the more confident we were,” said Burke.

“He is a progressive, talented horse and when he learns to settle better will stay further. We are delighted with his performance.”

Anshoda booked her ticket to the Breeders’ Cup by claiming the William Hill Prestige Fillies’ Stakes for David Loughnane.

An impressive winner on debut at Lingfield, she outran huge odds to finish second in the Listed Star Stakes at Sandown and proved she is a filly on the rise after scoring at 4-1 in the hands of Billy Loughnane.

She was cut to 16-1 for Newmarket’s Rockfel Stakes and 20-1 for the bet365 Fillies’ Mile by Paddy Power following the Group Three success, but a trip to Del Mar in November is uppermost in connections’ thoughts.

Loughnane said: “I’m delighted and it’s our first runner for Gary Barber and Team Valor, who bought the filly after she won at Sandown, so it’s a huge result in that respect and a great start to the relationship.

“I bought her in the Guineas breeze-up from Diamond Bloodstock and Rodrigo Goncalves recommended her. She was a cheap buy but Rodrigo did a great job with her and told us to mind her until the seven-furlong races start and then she will win first time.

“She’s tough and hardy and they all had to go on that ground, but we were hopeful that with her attitude she would get through it fine. She crept through it beautifully, hit the line strong and I’m over the moon.

“She’s American-owned now and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies’ Turf will very much be her target and we will work our way back from there. She has a few entries between the Rockfel and the Fillies’ Mile and I always felt getting her up to a mile is when you would see her true ability – she’s tough and she grinds it out and over a mile, hopefully she will be even more impressive.”



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David Loughnane ‘over the moon’ to have Go Bears Go back

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Go Bears Go is eyeing another tilt at the Curragh’s Phoenix Sprint Stakes after returning to the yard of trainer David Loughnane.

The five-year-old began his career in Loughnane’s yard, becoming an instant success when winning on debut and then embarking on a prosperous juvenile career.

Second in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Del Mar, the colt was also the winner of the Railway Stakes and third when beaten just a length in the Phoenix Stakes.

As a three-year-old he won the Pavilion Stakes at Ascot, was second in the Hackwood at Newbury and then returned to the Curragh to take top spot in the Phoenix Sprint Stakes.

At the end of 2022 he left Loughnane’s care to join Wesley Ward in Keeneland, America, but after that sojourn and a brief spell with Adrian Murray the Amo Racing-owned son of Kodi Bear has now returned to a more familiar environment.

Go Bears Go winning on debut in 2021
Go Bears Go winning on debut in 2021 (Alan Crowhurst/PA)

Loughnane is thrilled to have his former stable star back and has been bringing the horse along at home since his return, with another bid for the Phoenix Sprint Stakes on the agenda should all go well between now and next month.

“Go Bears Go is back with us, I’m over the moon to have him back,” the trainer said.

“He looks great, I’m just ticking away with him. Fingers crossed the first port of call will be the Phoenix Sprint Stakes on the Curragh, the race he won two years ago.

“It’s lovely to have him back in the yard, he was part of the furniture here so to have him back again is great.”



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Anglesey outing to determine Cowardofthecounty’s future plans

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Joseph O’Brien will wait on Cowardofthecounty’s run in the Jebel Ali Racecourse And Stables Anglesey Stakes at the Curragh before deciding whether it is time to step him up in trip.

The son of Kodi Bear impressed when he broke his maiden at the first time of asking beating evens favourite Whistlejacket, who went on to win the July Stakes at Newmarket by two and a half lengths.

That impressive debut run earned Cowardofthecounty a shot in the Group Two Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, where he ran gamely to finish seventh, one and three-quarter lengths behind 80-1 winner Rashabar after being held up.

The drop in class could be to his liking and will give O’Brien further clues as to what his optimal trip might be.

“It’s a good spot for him and it was a good run at Ascot,” said O’Brien.

“This is a kind of logical stepping stone after the Coventry and after this we will be deciding whether he goes up to seven furlongs.

“He’s been training very well since Ascot and we’re still confident we have a smart horse.”

Gregarina and Dylan Browne McMonagle on their way to winning the Irish EBF Athasi Stakes
Gregarina and Dylan Browne McMonagle on their way to winning the Irish EBF Athasi Stakes (Niall Carson/PA)

O’Brien believes a return to the Curragh in the Romanised Minstrel Stakes can bring out the best in Gregarina after a disappointing run at Royal Ascot.

The five-year-old mare switched into the care of O’Brien from Fabrice Chappet before the 2024 season kicked off and made a winning start for her new stable when edging out You Send Me by a head in the Athasi Stakes.

But at the Royal meeting she trailed home last of the 14 runners in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes after racing keenly throughout.

O’Brien is expecting an improved run on a more favourable track and said: “It was a very messy race in the Duke of Cambridge at Ascot, but going back to the Curragh will suit her well.

“It looks a competitive race as you would expect for a Group Two, but we’re hoping for a big run from her.”

Shane Foley and Norwalk Havoc
Norwalk Havoc will step up in class (PA)

Alan Cooper, racing manager for the Niarchos family, thinks Norwalk Havoc can handle a step up in class at the Curragh.

The Showcasing gelding finished a four-length fourth last time out over a mile and a drop back to seven furlongs – where he won on his only attempt at the distance – will suit.

Cooper said: “We’re dropping back in distance and going up in grade to Group Two, but (trainer) Jessie (Harrington) is very happy with him and thinks we should take our chance.

“It could be a bit ground dependent. His best form is on softer ground.”

David Loughnane during the Boodles May Festival Trials Day
David Loughnane has struggled to find a race of Spark’s Fly (Mike Egerotn/PA)

David Loughnane is hoping for rain ahead of Sparks Fly’s run in the Al Shira’aa Racing Meadow Court Stakes.

It has been a frustrating season for the four-year old, who has not been seen since April with Loughnane struggling to find the right race for her.

Soft ground will get the best out of her and Loughnane believes he has the filly in prime condition.

Loughnane said: “She’ll run providing they get the rain they’re promised. It’s been a tough year for her, she’s been ready to go since March and we haven’t managed to find a race for her with the right conditions.

“It’s been a bit of a tough season but fingers crossed, it’s promised to rain. Hopefully we get the conditions we need.

“She’s in super order, we’re really happy with her, she’s been in great form all year and we’d really like to get a run into her.”



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Sparks Fly pencilled in for Lincoln return

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Sparks Fly is likely to kick off her year in the Pertemps Network Lincoln after a remarkable season that saw her notch up eight victories.

Bred and owned by Dave Lowe, the four-year-old was a revelation when stepping away from the all-weather in spring last year.

She started out on the turf with a rating of 59 and shot through the rankings when winning six times consecutively under Rossa Ryan and latterly Laura Pearson.

She may have been beaten over an extended mile and a quarter in the Lyric Stakes at York, but she bounced right back to form next time out at Haydock.

That run led her to the Listed Prix Isola Bella at Saint-Cloud in October, where she soared to a 12-length success when never seeing another rival from start to finish.

A return to the same track for the Prix Tantieme did not bring about the same result, as the filly finished sixth in a run connections consider to have been one too many in an otherwise superb campaign.

“She was a real flagbearer for us, she was the winning-most horse in Britain and she started off with a rating of 59 and finished off on 107 – that was exceptional,” said trainer David Loughnane.

“Saint-Cloud was just one run too many, she was well in herself at home but we knew on the day. Even going to post, Laura said she just wasn’t the same horse and she had just gone a little bit over the top.

“Hindsight is a great thing, we got greedy trying to win nine but she owes us nothing and she was a superstar, we’d like to think we could get a bit more black type on her page.”

Sparks Fly has now returned from her winter break and is being prepared for the Lincoln at Doncaster on what is officially the opening day of the Flat season in Britain.

The mile handicap is often run on more testing ground, which the filly relishes, and it is likely that she will be campaigned in two stages, with a break in the middle to avoid quick ground at the height of the summer.

“She’s wintered really nicely, she enjoyed her holiday but she gets bored pretty quickly, so we were quite keen to get her back into work,” said Loughnane.

“She’s not one that likes to be out of work for long but she’s done well for a break.

“At the moment, our first port of call will be the Lincoln if all goes to plan, she gets there on time and the ground is right for her.

“We’ll probably look to campaign her in the first half of the season, give her a little break in the middle part and then bring her back again for the second half.

“This is England after all, so you never know what’s going on with the weather and what we’ll end up with.”



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Incredible Sparks Fly may not be done quite yet

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Sparks Fly may not have won for the final time this year as the unstoppable filly takes aim at a Saint-Cloud return.

Trained by David Loughnane and owned and bred by Dave Lowe, the three-year-old has soared through the ranks this season since making her debut on the all-weather in January.

Synthetic surfaces clearly were not to her liking, but since switching to the turf she has been expertly guided by Loughnane to a superb run of eight victories – and she may not be done just yet.

Her one and only blip was a beaten effort in the Listed Lyric Stakes at York over a mile and two and a half furlongs, but connections still gained something from the experience as it highlighted that her ideal trip was a mile.

With that in mind she journeyed to France for the Prix Isola Bella, a Listed contest at Saint-Cloud in late October, and astonished all involved when bolting to totally unchallenged 12-length success under regular rider Laura Pearson.

The filly barely saw a rival as she cruised up the inside rail and gained black type in emphatic style, potentially booking herself in for a return to the same track for the Prix Tantieme later this month.

“It was an unbelievable moment actually, David was over in France and I was at home watching it,” said Lowe.

“It’s sort of disbelief, we couldn’t even get emotional, normally you’d be cheering your horse on but we were just flabbergasted. Where did that come from? Unbelievable.

“The commentator was joking that they’re going to nickname that rail the Sparks Fly rail.

“Laura gets on so well with her, it was a masterstroke from the start as she just came from that mid-draw and just went over to that rail. She knew she was going to angle that way but that wasn’t the intention, she thought she’d go down the middle of the track and if they hung that way, fair enough, but there’s no point fighting her – she likes getting her own way!”

Lowe and Loughnane make a successful partnership and the owner-breeder is quick to credit the trainer with producing her from a 59-rated maiden to a 102-rated Listed winner.

“He has brought her through really, really well,” said Lowe.

“That race in France was perfect for her, we found out more about her from the York race when she was disappointing.

“We always thought she would get more than a mile but it turns out a mile is the perfect distance for her and the perfect ground is basically bottomless. She will run on good, it’s not out of the question, but that’s the recipe for success by the look of it.

“She’s been on the go since January but she’s come out of the race really well, I dare say she’s never looked better. We’re looking at another run in Saint-Cloud again on the 17th of this month, we’ll enter up for that and if she’s telling us she wants to run again then she’ll run again and if she’s telling us she’s had enough then we’ll put her away.”

A winter break then beckons, after which Sparks Fly will return to training to for 2024 and may set her sights higher as a four-year-old.

Lowe said: “Dave has said to me that he thinks she’ll make an even better four-year-old, which is quite scary. He thinks we can definitely get a Group race with her next year with everything going our way.”

Lowe bred Sparks Fly from the mare Stepping Out, a three-time winner he owned in a partnership and took on when an injury ended her career, a shrewd move that has provided him with three winning offspring; Sparks Fly, Queen Mary third Caroline Dale and four-time winner Baby Steps.

“I only ended up with her by accident, she was a horse I was involved in with three other people and she got injured and the intention was to sell her,” the owner said of Stepping Out.

“I thought, ‘well I can’t just sell her if she’s injured. I don’t want anybody racing her again and causing more problems’, so I took her under my wing and sort of just fell into breeding but now she’s had three very successful foals.

“We thought we’d reached a peak with Caroline Dale coming third in the Queen Mary, but then this one comes along and just blows her away!”



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Stat of the Day, 14th September 2020

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Saturday's pick was...

4.35 Musselburgh : Amazing Alba @ 3/1 BOG 8th at 3/1 (Towards rear, headway 2f out, not clear run over 1f out, soon no impression)

Monday's pick runs in the...

6.20 Wolverhampton :

Before I post the daily selection, just a quick reminder of how I operate the service. Normally, I'll identify and share the selection between 8.00am and 8.30am and I then add a more detailed write-up later within an hour or so of going "live".

Those happy to take the early price on trust can do so, whilst some might prefer to wait for my reasoning. As I fit the early service in around my family life, I can't give an exact timing on the posts, so I suggest you follow us on Twitter and/or Facebook for instant notifications of a published pick.

Who?

Critical Thinking @ 15/2 BOG

...in a 9-runner, Class 6, A/W Handicap for 3yo+ over 1m½f on Tapeta worth £2,782 to the winner... 

Why?...

We start with the racecard...

...which shows a 6yr old former course and distance winner dropping in class today, set to be ridden by a 5lb claimer. He's also in the top three of our own ratings and his trainer is one of my group to look out for here at Wolverhampton.

Closer analysis of those facts show that this runner has won five times at this track and is now 3lbs better off than his last win here back in January, whilst all five course wins have come under the following broad criteria that are in place today...2018-20 / handicaps / 7f-8.5f / OR of 54-74 and sent off in the 3/1 to 14/1 range. When those have combined, he is...

Jockey Ray Dawson might be a 5lb claimer, but with over 540 rides under his belt, he's no stranger to the saddle and has been in good nick of late winning 9 of 54 (16.7% SR) over the past month returning Betfair SP profits of 41.15pts at an ROI of some 76.2% and since 2018 in Wolverhampton handicaps over 6f to 1m4f at odds of 14/1 and shorter, he is...

And finally to trainer David Loughnane's record here at Wolverhampton. He's actually one of a dozen trainers I keep an eye out for at this venue and in David's case, the runners that interest me the most are those handicappers sent off at odds of 3/1 and bigger over trips of 7f to 1m4f, because since the start of 2018, they are...

...with a near 1 in 6 strike rate generating profits beyond 76p in the pound, including of note today...

  • 18/95 (19%) for 86.3pts (+90.8%) at odds of 5/1 to 16/1
  • 16/102 (15.7%) for 104.2pts (+102.2%) were unplaced LTO
  • 14/78 (18%) for 70.7pts (+90.6%) during August to December
  • 7/39 (18%) for 30.7pts (+78.6%) over this course and distance
  • 6/28 (21.4%) for 78.3pts (+279.7%) with a jockey claiming 5/7 lbs

...whilst horses unplaced LTO sent off at 5/1 to 16/1 during August to December are 11/38 (29% SR) for 81.9pts (+215.6% ROI) with 5lb claimers riding 3 winners from 8 (37.5%) for 25.1pts (+314.3%)...

...giving us... a 1pt win bet on Critical Thinking @ 15/2 BOG as was widely available at 8.05am Monday (up to 9/1 in places!), but as always please check your own BOG status (*some firms are not BOG until later in the morning). To see a small sample of odds offered on this race...

...click here for the betting on the 6.20 Wolverhampton

Don't forget, we offer a full interactive racecard service every day!

REMINDER: THERE IS NO STAT OF THE DAY ON SUNDAYS

Here is today's racecard

P.S. all P/L returns quoted in the stats above are to Betfair SP, as I NEVER bet to ISP and neither should you. I always use BOG bookies for SotD, wherever possible, but I use BFSP for the stats as it is the nearest approximation I can give, so I actually expect to beat the returns I use to support my picks. If that's unclear, please ask!



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