Sea the Stars
 

... needs his own thread instead of the continual posting of updates on the Conduit thread, odds and ends, etc. :D

The latest...

http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse...ge/608492/top/

I think that's a good move on Oxx's part. The King George would have been a great race to win, but I'm not sure if that would have suited him all that well. I'm still less than convinced that a fairly stiff twelve furlongs would show him in his best light, and others have that opinion, too. Meaning that they would go an almighty gallop to hopefully see him tiring.

Over ten furlongs I feel he'd be unbeatable.

I understand the view, and missing the King George makes sense more than anything, a lesser race than it once was, but to swerve the Arc would be a great shame. They would spout the line that a soft-ground 12f wouldn't suit, whereas only 3 of the last 10 Arcs have come up on ground softer than good, and none in the last 5. In addition, Sea The Stars has proven himself over a stiff 12f already, admittedly not a well-run one, but his stamina for such a test can't, as yet, be questioned. He's already one of the best horses of recent times, still hasn't peaked, and an Arc win - the most important of races - would cap things off.

I think the issue there is the ground description, would you think? When it is called "good" at Lonchamp, it's oftn more like what us Brits would call "good to soft" and sticky. I suppose it's a big risk. If they prepare him for that and discount the other big autumn races, and it were to come up very soft, then that would be about it for his season.

I get the impression they don't want to over race him this year, with a view of keeping him in training as a four year old, when we will probably see lots more of him before he is retired at the end of next year. That's what I'm hoping anyway.

I'd love to see him go to the Breeders' Cup this year, but I just can't see it. Oxx is too much of traditionalist, one of the 'old school' and I just don't think America appeals to him.

after Rips fantastic win yesterday, it only pours more praise on Sea The Stars. He could possibly become the best flast horse I have ever seen..

http://www.sportinglife.com/story_ge...al_101533.html

Wow!

A 136!

He really is a once in a blue moon type :)

Arletta??

yeah, he is defo one to savour... I just love his whole demeanor, nothing seems to bother him before, during or after races. He is almost the perfect racehorse..

Tuesday August 18 2009
York 15:25

Juddmonte International Stakes (Group 1)
£600000.00 added, 3yo plus, 1m 2f 88y, Class 1
8 runners
Going: Good to Firm

Form Horse Age Wt Trainer Jockey OR NagMe Bet
132-213 Casual Conquest (IRE) 26 4 9-5 D K Weld 122 SP SP SP
440-101 Doctor Fremantle 40 4 9-5 Sir Michael Stoute 113 SP SP SP
1/11144 Forgotten Voice (IRE) 20 4 9-5 J Noseda 112 SP SP SP
030233 Georgebernardshaw (IRE) 15 4 9-5 A P O'Brien 105 SP SP SP
123-122 Tartan Bearer (IRE) 24 4 9-5 Sir Michael Stoute 122 SP SP SP
114-511 Mastercraftsman (IRE) 63 3 8-11 A P O'Brien 120 SP SP SP
411-111 Sea The Stars (IRE) 45 3 8-11 J M Oxx 124 SP SP SP
4-40002 Set Sail (IRE) 30 3 8-11 A P O'Brien 103 SP SP SP

http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse...ce/620370/top/

A Tuesday??????? Can anyone convert this to CST for me?

Ummm, I think it's a 9;25 in the morning your time.

Would be a massive shock if he were to be beaten here.

Tartan Bearer out...

http://www.racingpost.com/horses/home.sd

Should be an interesting 4 runner race! Sea The Stars is such an easy horse to race that he should cope with whatever way the race pans out! I was just thinking this morning if Coolmore owned Sea The Stars, would we have a walkover?

Sea the Stars keeps rolling along. Ran down Mastercraftsman to win by about a length. He's just about locked up the title of world's best horse for 2009.

It now looks like Stacelita is the value bet for the Arc if she is indeed pointed that way, you have to respect Sea the Stars anywhere he races and it will take 'the performance' to beat him if he runs to his potential in the Arc.

Here is video of her in the Prix de Diane:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilwQfVG-X5A

I don't think Sea The Stars would go to the Arc now, there is little point now that 10 furlongs has been confirmed as his optimum trick. He's been at a mile and won, he's been at 12 furlongs and won, but he looks much more comfortable at 10.

Even if he was to go to the Arc, none of the fillies would concern me at all. As I've mentioned just lately, it looks like a very weak division this year. All much of a muchness with the odd couple just being that little bit better.

Sariska is nothing out of the ordinary (in my opinion) but look how easily she won the Irish Oaks...... but what did she beat?? Same with Stacelita.

Moving back to STS, I heard he smashed the track record yesterday, and yet both Mick (Kinane) and John Oxx commented after the race that the pacemakers for Ballydoyle didn't go quick enough for him. He appears to be a freak, an absolute superstar. Which brings me onto the question...... is there anything in the world that can beat him this year?

I think it would be very hard for Sea The Stars to resist an effort in Europe's most prestigous race. Don't forget he's also out of Urban Sea a former Arc winner, pedigree should not be an issue. From what I have seen of him and that's only from whatever I can dig up on the net, he's certainly in the class of High Chapparal and maybe even better. Time will tell, undefeated Stacelita is an exciting prospect and would it really be a surprise if she can reproduce what Zarkava did? It wouldn't surprise me.

But he requires fast ground to be at his best. The last couple of years' the ground on Arc day haven't been too bad, but the norm is softish ground. There is no point prepping him for that race (ruling out any of the other top autumn races) and then the ground comes up soft.

Cape Cross throws a lot of speed into the pedigree, and judging from his Guineas win, he does have a lot of pace. Connections even said that his class probably won him the Derby, not his staying credentials.

He will also be a much better stallion if he sticks to ten furlongs. These twelve furlong horses are now deemed too slow in this modern day.

My viewpoint is I would just love to see the best horses run in the best races, I think too much emphasis is made on surfaces, type of ground, protecting one's record these days that the 'sport' of it all has somehow become lost.

These statements confuse me. What difference does it make who his sire and dam are once he's already shown he can do it? What difference does it make whether he won the race on class or credentials or even on good luck? He got it done and that's what matters. How will sticking to 10f make him any better of a stallion? If they ran him exclusivley at 12f or more for the rest of his career, would that lessen what he did at 8f and 10f? Would people forget those accomplisments? It wouldn't be a situation like Jazil, a horse that was nothing but a distance horse here and showed no speed at all. He's shown he can win a grade one at 8f so we know the speed is there if called upon.