Scotia on great horses-update..

Dont really consider at this stage, plus a sprinter?

Tipster,

I have no doubt Overdose is a cracking racehorse, but he has done nothing to prove that he is world class. Now if he had not missed the European season and beaten all the worlds sprinters on his coconut then we have room to compare.

Lets wait and see if he re appears and what he is made of.

Scotia, I believe we should allow consideration of sprinters....Look at Tommy Hotspur!!!

ha ha hah haha

Here's a benchmark to measure Sea The Stars against.



Or how about this one.

Yes Mark great stuff

Back to the current crop.

Stars odds-on not to line up for Irish Champion


SEA THE STARS is 4-7 with Paddy Power not to run in Saturday's Tattersalls Millions Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown.

The Investec Derby hero is 5-4 with the same firm to line up against Fame And Glory and, possibly, Mastercraftsman.


Paddy Power spokesman Paddy Power said: "It's the question on everyone's lips, will he or won't he turn up on Saturday.

"We know as much only as the next man but judging by the weather I'd say we're more likely to lay the 4-7 than the 5-4.

"It'll be a real shame if the betting is right, as we all want to see him run and we all want to see him win."

Sea The Stars's trainer John Oxx has indicated he will not run the colt in the event of rain making conditions unsuitably testing.

Should he run, Paddy Power make Sea The Stars 4-6 in a match bet with Fame And Glory (11-10).

Oxx: Sea The Stars can shine in Irish Champion


JOHN OXX believes that Sea The Stars can continue to shine through this season's tough schedule that may see him land Group 1 number five at Leopardstown in Saturday's Tattersalls Millions Irish Champion Stakes.

In a bid to further embellish a season that has yielded landmark wins in the Stanjames.com 2,000 Guineas, Investec Derby, Coral-Eclipse and Juddmonte International, Sea The Stars could face old foes Fame And Glory and Mastercraftsman, the latter beaten by the dual Classic winner at York last time.

That race offered the first real sign of Sea The Stars looking in trouble, if only momentarily, and on Monday Oxx was asked if he was concerned in any way about Sea The Stars being able to continue his streak of high-level victories.

"We certainly haven't being making life easy for him and he has had a tough schedule," he said. "But he is an exceptional horse and he has lived with all so far.


"More than that, he has bounced out of all his races. You wouldn't ask every horse what we have asked of him but he has a tremendous constitution and nothing seems to phase him."

The participation of Sea The Stars remained in the balance withOxx warning that if Leopardstown "gets even half the rain that is forecast" then the likelihood would be that the race would be sidestepped.

"Once the word good is in the going description then I wouldn't rule out running him even if it is just on the slow side of good (good to yielding)," said Oxx.

Aidan O'Brien, who trains Fame And Glory and Mastercraftsman, is responsible for six of the 11 contenders.

He said: "Saturday's race has been the plan for Fame And Glory for some time. He seems to be in good form following his break since the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby and is ready to start back."

Rain been hammering down in Ireland,not sure Sea the Stars will run,Fame and Glory 1/2 atm for the race..

Looks like you are right Hibby

Stars Irish Champion bid in balance, says Oxx


THE chances of Sea The Stars lining up for the Group 1 Tattersalls Millions Irish Champion Stakes on Saturday could be decided as early as Wednesday, trainer John Oxx has revealed.


Oxx is waiting to see how much of the heavy forecast rain falls at Leopardstown on Wednesday after the going at the track was changed from "good, good to firm in places" to "good to yielding, good in places" on Tuesday morning following six millimetres of rain on Monday afternoon.

Oxx said: "Things are very much in the balance and it could be all down to what happens with the weather tomorrow."

According to Met Eireann, Ireland's meteorological online service, showers were forecast for the Dublin area on Tuesday night with the likelihood of persistent and heavy rain on Wednesday.

Leopardstown track manager Tom Burke said: "We had only one heavy shower today and it didn't last long, but tomorrow will tell the tale as plenty of rain is forecast.

"Our only ray of hope is that we will get lucky as we did last week. All the rain is forecast for the south and east, not the northern half of the country, and just might stop short of reaching us.

"Once we get tomorrow out of the way Thursday and Friday are forecast to mainly dry with maybe some showers while Saturday is expected to be dry.

Summer Bird boosts Rachel Alexandra form


WORLD CLASS: An analysis of the best performances of lastweek according to Racing Post Ratings

TOP OF THE CLASS: Summer Bird 127+

Trainer: Tim Ice (USA)

Travers Stakes, Saratoga, 1m2f, August 29

SEA THE STARS may be top of the tree, but this is fast becoming the year of the filly.

First, Goldikova annihilated the colts with the distaff performance of the decade in the Prix Jacques le Marois.

And now Rachel Alexandra looks untouchable in the dirt/all-weather division after her latest win was boosted in no uncertain terms by Saturday's Travers Stakes winner, Summer Bird.

It was a top-quality renewal of the Travers and few will doubt Summer Bird's status as the leading three-year-old colt in America after his dominant display, which earned him an RPR of 127+.

He thundered up the straight to score by three-and-a-half lengths from a field which included the winners of the Peter Pan, the Lane's End, the Florida Derby, and the first and second from the Jim Dandy.

It was quite a line-up. But if Summer Bird is the best three-year-old colt in America, then what does that make Rachel Alexandra?

The She-Freak whooped Summer Bird six lengths in the Haskell Invitational and, even with the allowances factored in, she comes out 6lb better than the best dirt colt of her generation.

Taking a straight line through the form she would be one of the best fillies of all-time, but, alas, it's never quite as simple as that.

Summer Bird's jockey, Kent Desormeaux, thinks the son of Birdstone may not have handled the track at Monmouth and, as a Belmont Stakes winner, he was always likely to give a slightly better showing over 1m2f than 1m1f.

That said, there is no denying that Rachel Alexandra's Haskell performance now stands out as the best piece of dirt/all-weather form in the book.

In light of this, the race has been raised 2lb, which puts the winner on 129+ and Summer Bird on 123+.

Until Munnings, Papa Clem and Duke Of Mischief prove otherwise, the Haskell can't go any higher than this, but a mark of 129+ already ranks the filly as the best dirt horse in the business.

Her record of seven from seven this term is quite an achievement and connections should be commended for keeping her going this far into the season, as well as for racing her against the boys so often.

They are putting a valuable commodity on the line every time she hits the track and they don't need to keep risking her. She's already achieved everything she can - she is the best horse on the dirt.

The three-year-old is set to chase her eighth win of the campaign in the Woodward on Saturday and, on the figures, it would be hard to forecast anything other than Saratoga sunshine for the Iron Lady.

But that's for next week's column.

Since the Mother Goose Stakes is inoperable as a collateral-form race and is bound only by Rachel Alexandra's ability, that race has also been raised to a mark of 129+.

Saturday's winner, Summer Bird, has had his odds clipped across the board for the Breeders' Cup Classic, but even after posting a career-best RPR of 127, he remains just shy of the normal standard required to land the Classic.

The odds for that race are roughly in line with RPR pecking order and he now ranks fourth best behind Sea The Stars, Rip Van Winkle and Zenyatta, who would carry a mares' allowance.

Travers favourite Quality Road was also fancied as a Breeders' Cup horse before Saturday, but he could finish only third at Saratoga with an RPR of 118, 6lb below his best.

Johnny Velazquez never looked really happy with the son of Elusive Quality and had to keep niggling away.

Perhaps he bounced or maybe he didn't handle the sloppy track?

Whatever the excuse, he showed so much promise in his previous starts that he should be worth another chance at this level.

New entries to the dirt/all-weather list this week include Vineyard Haven (123) and Capt. Candyman Can (123), who finished first and second in the Kings Bishop Stakes, before having their positions reversed in the stewards' room.

Icon Project also crept onto the bottom of the list after posting a 122 for her wide-margin success in the Personal Ensign on Sunday.
TOP DIRT/AW PERFORMERS

1. Rachel Alexandra (US)
Haskell/Mother Goose 129
2. Well Armed (US)
Dubai World Cup
128
3. Summer Bird (US)
Travers S 127
4. Rail Trip (US)
Hollywood Gold Cup 125
5. Big City Man (KSA)
Golden Shaheen 124
Quality Road (US) Amsterdam S
124
Zenyatta (US)
Vanity Handicap 124
8. Capt. Candyman Can (US)
Kings Bishop S
123
Vineyard Haven (US)
Kings Bishop S 123
10. Fabulous Strike (US)
Carter Handicap 122
Game Face (US)
Princess Rooney 122
Icon Project (US)
Personal Ensign 122
Music Note (US) Ballerina S 122
Two Step Salsa (UAE) Wasel Trophy
122
Zensational (US)
Bing Crosby 122


TOP TURF PERFORMERS

1. Sea The Stars (IRE)
Eclipse 134
2. Rip Van Winkle (IRE)
Eclipse 132
3. Goldikova (FR)
Jacques le Marois 130
4. Gladiatorus (UAE)
Dubai Duty Free 129
Mastercraftsman (IRE)
International S 129
6. Conduit (GB)
King George VI
127
Scenic Blast (AUS) King's Stand 127
8. Fame And Glory (IRE) Irish Derby 126
Paco Boy (GB)
Queen Anne/Sussex 126
10. Sacred Kingdom (HK) KrisFlyer Sprint 125
Tartan Bearer (GB)
King George VI
125
Yeats (IRE) Ascot Gold Cup 125

Hopes for Sea The Stars Irish Champion run fade


OFFICIALS at Leopardstown were on Wednesday putting a brave face on the fact that the chances of Sea The Starstaking part in Saturday's Tattersalls Millions Irish Champion Stakes appeared to be being washed away by heavy rain.

Trainer John Oxx will walk the course before declarations are made for the Group 1 showpiece on Thursdy morning but has long warned that the world's highest rated horse would miss the race and head for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe if ground conditions became too soft.

The four-time Group 1 winner was 1-4 (from 2-5) not to run with Paddy Power on Wednesday, while on Betfair Sea The Stars was pushed out as far as 15-2 third favourite for the race before settling back to 6-1 at 6.30pm.

The official going at Leopardstown remained good to yielding, good in places but had not been reassessed since rain started at Wednesday lunchtime.

Course manager Tom Burke reported at 7.40pm that the rain, which had begun shortly after 1pm, had finally stopped, saying: “We had 15 millimetres of rain but it has stopped now thankfully. Tomorrow and Friday are reasonably good days as well as Saturday, and Dublin will fare out much betterthan the rest of the country with just a few showers about.”

Burke had said at 5.15pm: "John [Oxx] is going to walk the course in the morning I believe.

"The rain eased for a while between 3pm and 3.30pm but it has been quite heavy again in the last hour or so, so one would be very concerned at this stage whether we'll have Sea The Stars here on Saturday but no problems are anticipated for the meeting itself.

"We haven't been out on the track, but the going will certainly change before declaration time.

What has happened with Overdose?

The budapest bullet is still injured I think..