Well, after a few years in the US, living the BC from Europe is quite different. Back on the site to purchase the advances and hope that all the shrewd comments on the board will help me get back in touch with US racing. I am biased now but it looks like the Euros will take home some prizes:
a poor Turf field - high chapparal can bounce slightly from his arc return outing and still win (though falcon flight seems an interesting outsider).
I guess you could question if banks hill is as good as last year but who can forget that win. kazzia won\'t like the ground and I can\'t believe irrestible jewel can be good enough, given the way bright sky destroyed her last time.
if the rock does not go in the mile, I would still take a euro in domedriver - his last to first finish last time was even more impressive if you consider nothing (and I mean nothing) came from behind that day. that was the kind of acceleration that you need in the mile. if landseer can win in america, domedriver can too, hopefully at a nice price. gossamer needs it soft.
some big figures from the home front in the classic but the giant and sakhee showed that it is possible. hawk wing must be a big danger - not a real fighter though, but what class (last time below par after returning quickly 2nd off layoff). the rock should not go here, but he might because of coolmore stud ambitions - how he takes to dirt who can tell.
the juvenile, well o\'brien will send 2 or 3, they wiill probably get too much respect after jo\'burg - but hold that tiger looked great last time
Fastspeed,
Looks like dry, cool weather all week. The turf might not have all that much give to it. Still, the Euros look awful tough. I think this is the weakest bunch of U.S. turf horses I have seen in a while (only six entered in the turf? that must be the all time low). Do you really think the Tabor two yr olds will get too much respect? Both Hold That Tiger and Van Nistelrooy look like they have great late kicks. The race is wide open, and the Baffert horses and Whywhywhy are going to take a lot of money. I think anything could happen there...... If I can think of any good angles involving the American turf horses, I will post them here. As of now, however, it looks like the best are on your side of the pond.
Michael,
re O\'brien\'s 2 year olds - here they have been getting too much respect all year. with the mid-summer virus and all that he has not had good 2-year old results. van nistelrooy has been hype galore from the word go - any self respecting bookie has been wanting to lay him. he has been beaten favorite last two starts (admittedly poor ride in last one)- he\'s good, not great. jo\'burg was unbeaten last year remember. As I said hold that tiger looked great in winning and for me he would be the best one on that. however in the post race interview tabor talked about next year\'s 2000 guineas and the fact that he was not sure he would stay a mile (\"we will try and drop him back if he does not stay\"). you get a colt that is stepping up 2 furlongs and trying dirt for the first time. I don\'t know the US bunch so I\'m flying blind, but I would need a nice price to back them - maybe they will be a price, but last year may skew people\'s thinking too much.