PP July backers / Gold Challenge Views

Pocket Power was beaten 0.05 in last years' Gold Challenge, and 0.35 in the July. Hardly a failure, even for out of the Cape. And he destroyed those infront of him on subsequent meetings.

No excuses in the Drill Hall and a pity that a dual Queen's Plate winner can't crack the Challange like Flaming Rock, Free My Heart and Winter Solstice, as non of them could win a Met.

But he deserves his chance at immortality imho, why sacrifice the July for the Champions Cup?

The last Met was the PP benefit race.All and sundry knew that they were racing for second.Great respect for the stable and PP but I call it as i see it.I for one will always like to see PP do well but in KZN he just cannot put his nose in front.

He was beaten for speed today,plain and simple.The time of todays race was 1.2 seconds outside last years race time.To put it into perspective El Padrinos win over the same course and distance(being the same age as Imbongi and carrying the same weight)in the last race would put him 3rd in the Gold Challenge based on time,right next to Imbongi!PP simply did not have the speed to quicken off a slow pace against quality horses such as DD and Imbongi.This is a champion race horse who cannot possibly be written off on 1 run,and you dismiss him in the July @ your peril as stated by others.Having said all of that,he will have to go some to give DD 5 kgs in the July if she stays.

DD can't pick up a penalty for yesterdays run,the weights for the July were already declared,the exact reason the Snaith's took the route they did in this fillies prep.

Watching another race?

No,I am just not following what you mean,that's why I asked 'Watching another race?'.

imo Pocket Power is a good horse,not a great horse.He is one of my favourite as I have made plenty $ backing him,but he certainly doesn't go down in the history books as one of the best ever in my book.He is up against a generation a mediocre horses,but imo was beaten fair and square yesterday despite the slow pace.However,he may have reached the point in his career where 1600m in a race without real pace is starting to find him out for speed.He made up ground in the straight yesterday,but not with the same electrifying burst he has displayed previously.I am still trying to get my head around it at this stage.

Ok, I am sticking my neck out; after yesterday's disappointing effort in a race he was meant to win (even the trainer said he would prefer winning the Challenge to the July) I can't see PP feature in the July with top weight.

600m extra will make a world of difference come the 'July'.

I only hope that the bookies disagree and he drifts out to 5/1 - ouzo!

My concern was that he was in fact beaten for speed. Pocket Power has proven quite a few times he's not far off some very decent sprinters. So not making up the ground was still worrying. I wouldnt be surprised if he didnt pull up that sound.
I disagree that these horses are mediocre, althought the test will be on the international stage. Remember PP has proven that at his peak he's better than Jay Peg and Sun Classique, who have gone on and beaten virtually the best the world has to offer, so he's got a very strong form line behind him.

What I have often questioned is the riding tactics on PP. He always drops out many lengths off the lead and its often a lottery as to whether he can get the run of the race. How many times has he been defeated cause he was too far back in running and never made up the ground in time? Obviously with a crap draw then he has to drop out but with a decent draw I wouldnt drop him out so much.

I think they should have tried to race him handier at some stage, unless he has no gate speed. Sun Classique is a prime example. When riding for Bass she was always dropped out to the back of the field. When Shea gets on board for De Kock the tactics change and she races handy. We know what the results were of that!

I still think the July is a tough ask at those weights. If PP does in fact win the the July, he will prove to the doubters he's one of the best this country has ever produced.

4-1 is still not reflective of his chances though. He should be at least 7-1 and for that reason is a shit bet...

If the pace is fast, PP takes a while to build up to top speed and then is frightening when he comes. He has come at them in the merchants, the Qp, The Challenge last year and the July, and the Drill Hall over 1400 2 weeks ago.

What does 'beaten for speed' mean, especially in a slow run race?

Any winning chances can be diminished by a false pace...be it too slow or too fast. It is the judgement of the jockey engaged that ensures that a false pace does not significantly affect his mounts chances by adjusting the riding tactics accordingly. P.P's chances were affected by the early pace on Sunday, but given the extra distance of the July, I do believe this charismatic horse will surprise all and sundry.

Pocket Power for President!...At least a horse is better than any ass!

Available prices on the Interbet book as at time of this post:

Pocket Power 5.0
Dancers Daughter 8.0
Russian Sage 7.5
Buy and Sell 14.0
Galant Gagnant 15.0
Tan Can 16.0
River Jetz 18.0
She's on Fire 18.0
Catmandi 21.0

26 Bar - there is a significant difference between whats available (i.e. above prices) and what is on request in many cases so worth bartering.

Watching the race again PP's run was full of merit. He finished best of all in a crawl/sprint, and the three who beat him all raced handy.
Was never going to be easy in the July with top weight, but he can do it.