On a day of upsets in leading British races, the unheralded Mammas Girl won her stakes debut and first start of 2023 in Wednesday’s Group 3 Nell Gwyn Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse.
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DRF Past Performances
With 400 meters left to race Sunday at Nakayama Racecourse in the Satsuki Sho, the Group 1 Japanese 2000 Guineas, Sol Oriens was 17th of 18 runners and more than 10 paths off the fence. A quarter-mile later, he had swooped past 16 rivals and won the $3.1 million Satsuki Sho by 1 1/4 lengths while going away.
AINTREE, England - He did not start in any kind of race until he was 5, and even then his first five appearances were in point-to-point, or amateur, races in Ireland. He was pulled up in the first two of those races, and finally won his fifth start as a 6-year-old in September 2020.
Along the way, the Irish-bred gelding Corach Rambler steadily showed improvement, particularly over distances and never more so than this spring.
“Okiku hiraku” means “wide open” in Japanese, and the Group 1, $1.68 million Satsuki Sho on Sunday at Nakayama Racecourse looks okiku hiraku indeed.
Japan’s version of the 2000 Guineas is contested over 2,000 meters on Nakayama’s right-handed course, which, given a rainy weekend forecast, figures to be good to soft if not outright soft. That throws another variable into a race already lacking any sort of standout that, frankly, looks “magirawashi” – confusing.
AINTREE, England – The $1.24 million Grand National had a new favorite on Friday afternoon, a day before the famous steeplechase is run at Aintree Racecourse north of Liverpool.
Ain’t That a Shame, a 9-year-old gelding, who won a $12,100 prep race at 2 1/2 miles at Gowran Park in Ireland last month, was bet down from 14-1 earlier in the week to 8-1 with bookmakers on Friday, a slight choice over Corach Rambler and Delta Work at 9-1 in the 40-runner field.
Corach Rambler was as low as 7-1 on Thursday.
AINTREE, England – Unchallenged, the British gelding Constitution Hill was an easy winner of Thursday’s Grade 1 Aintree Hurdle at Aintree Racecourse north of Liverpool, extending his unbeaten record to seven races in his first start at 2 1/2 miles.
The $312,000 Aintree Hurdle was likely Constitution Hill’s final start over the smaller obstacles. Trainer Nicky Henderson said in the winner’s circle that Constitution Hill may have his debut over fences when the jump racing season resumes in the fall.
AINTREE, England – Finding the winner of the Grand National, the world’s most famous horse race not run in Kentucky, requires creative handicapping, ample homework, and a hefty dose of good luck.
A field of 40 will assemble, without a starting gate, at 12:15 p.m. Eastern at Aintree Racecourse north of Liverpool on Saturday for a start always hectic and sometimes chaotic.
Once underway, the massive herd of 7-year-olds and up will set off on two circuits of the famous race that covers 4 5/16 miles and 30 stamina-testing obstacles.