Goldikova: Lost a step or as good as ever?

[brockguy]

Originally Posted by PatCummings

I don't think I'm doing a disservice to Dream Ahead...a very quality animal. A great value in that race, and a horse who is one to look forward to when back next year.

I think you have to question the balance of her competition.

hmm I dont know.

First time out - beats the most underrated horse in the world Cirrus Des Aigles by a cosy neck, everyone said it was a disappointing performance but this fella has been insane since (he is a personal fav of mine!)

Royal Ascot - Peslier puts up 2 pounds overweight (simply unforgivable) and goes down by a length to Canford Cliffs, a top miler (well 2nd to Frankel!)

Prix Rothschild - this is the race she always seems to win, won cosily from Sahpresa, she is never impressive in this race but beat a decent filly.

Prix Jacques le Marois - beaten by Immortal Verse who was impressive on that day, readily took care of Goldi. OK this run wasnt great, but she lost in much more devesating fashion to Makfi in that same race last year.

Foret - beaten by the champion sprinter on her prep for this race. Smashing run.

I know you're only giving your opinion on it but I dont think she's lost a step and the runs this year wouldnt put me off.

and I think Dream Ahead has been retired which is such a shame...

[PatCummings]

Originally Posted by brockguy

hmm I dont know.

First time out - beats the most underrated horse in the world Cirrus Des Aigles by a cosy neck, everyone said it was a disappointing performance but this fella has been insane since (he is a personal fav of mine!)

Royal Ascot - Peslier puts up 2 pounds overweight (simply unforgivable) and goes down by a length to Canford Cliffs, a top miler (well 2nd to Frankel!)

Prix Rothschild - this is the race she always seems to win, won cosily from Sahpresa, she is never impressive in this race but beat a decent filly.

Prix Jacques le Marois - beaten by Immortal Verse who was impressive on that day, readily took care of Goldi. OK this run wasnt great, but she lost in much more devesating fashion to Makfi in that same race last year.

Foret - beaten by the champion sprinter on her prep for this race. Smashing run.

I know you're only giving your opinion on it but I dont think she's lost a step and the runs this year wouldnt put me off.

and I think Dream Ahead has been retired which is such a shame...

My friend, you're missing the point. She faces one or two decent horses per race in France...this year's BC Mile will be unlike any other race in terms of overall quality, mostly because the Euros coming are way better.

Byword showed he is back with the Longchamp win, subsequently franked, and unlike Paco Boy last year, Strong Suit has been pointed to this since the Ascot win. The others from last year, Beethoven and Delegator weren't legit contenders. Gio Ponti, Turallure, a 2011 Courageous Cat...all realistic threats.

[my miss storm cat]

Originally Posted by PatCummings

I'm absolutely, 100% confident in stating that from top to bottom (that includes Compliance Officer), the collection of horses in the BC Mile are better than any of the individual fields she faced this year...all of them.

One example of why I disagree...

Ascot Result
14 Jun 2011
2:30 » Queen Anne Stakes (British Champions' Series) (Group 1)

« 1 6 Canford Cliffs (IRE) 11/8 4 9-0 Richard Hannon 127 * * »
b c Tagula (IRE) - Mrs Marsh (Marju) Richard Hughes
Steadied after start, took keen hold early, held up in last trio, headway to track leaders entering final 2f, ridden to challenge entering final furlong, led final 100yds, ran on well (tchd 6-5 and 6-4 in places)


« 2 1 1 Goldikova (IRE) 5/4F 6 8-132 F Head 125 * * »
b m Anabaa (USA) - Born Gold (USA) (Blushing Groom) Olivier Peslier
Tracked leaders, headway to press leader going well over 2f out, ridden to lead over 1f out, hard pressed entering final furlong, driven and battled on gamely until headed and no extra final 100yds, eased near finish (op 6-4 tchd 13-8 in places)


« 3 3 1¾ Cityscape 14/1 5 9-0 Roger Charlton 119 * * »
ch h Selkirk (USA) - Tantina (USA) (Distant View) Ryan Moore
Held up in touch in rear, ridden and effort to chase leaders well over 1f out, driven and pressed leading pair 1f out, no extra and outpaced final 100yds (op 12-1 tchd 16-1 in places)


« 4 7 2¼ Rio De La Plata (USA) 25/1 6 9-0 Saeed Bin Suroor 120 * * »
ch h Rahy (USA) - Express Way (ARG) (Ahmad) Frankie Dettori
Steadied start, took keen hold early, held up in last trio, smooth headway to lead over 2f out, ridden and headed over 1f out, driven entering final furlong, weakened final 150yds (op 20-1)


« 5 5 6 Ransom Note 50/1 4 9-0 B W Hills 114 * * »
b c Red Ransom (USA) - Zacheta (Polish Precedent) Michael Hills
Chased leaders, niggled along after 2f, ridden and struggling entering final 2f, weakened over 1f out (op 66-1 tchd 80-1 in a place)


« 6 4 5 Cape Blanco (IRE) 8/1 4 9-0 A P O'Brien 122 * * »
ch c Galileo (IRE) - Laurel Delight (Presidium) Jamie Spencer
Led until driven and headed entering final 3f, soon dropped out under pressure, well behind over 1f out (tchd 9-1 and 10-1 in places)


« 7 2 6 Flash Dance (IRE) 100/1 5 8-11 F Head 104 * * »
ch m Zamindar (USA) - Resquilleuse (USA) (Dehere) Mickael Barzalona
Chased leader until led entering

[NTamm1215]

Originally Posted by my miss storm cat

One example of why I disagree...

Ascot Result
14 Jun 2011
2:30 » Queen Anne Stakes (British Champions' Series) (Group 1)

« 1 6 Canford Cliffs (IRE) 11/8 4 9-0 Richard Hannon 127 * * »
b c Tagula (IRE) - Mrs Marsh (Marju) Richard Hughes
Steadied after start, took keen hold early, held up in last trio, headway to track leaders entering final 2f, ridden to challenge entering final furlong, led final 100yds, ran on well (tchd 6-5 and 6-4 in places)


« 2 1 1 Goldikova (IRE) 5/4F 6 8-132 F Head 125 * * »
b m Anabaa (USA) - Born Gold (USA) (Blushing Groom) Olivier Peslier
Tracked leaders, headway to press leader going well over 2f out, ridden to lead over 1f out, hard pressed entering final furlong, driven and battled on gamely until headed and no extra final 100yds, eased near finish (op 6-4 tchd 13-8 in places)


« 3 3 1¾ Cityscape 14/1 5 9-0 Roger Charlton 119 * * »
ch h Selkirk (USA) - Tantina (USA) (Distant View) Ryan Moore
Held up in touch in rear, ridden and effort to chase leaders well over 1f out, driven and pressed leading pair 1f out, no extra and outpaced final 100yds (op 12-1 tchd 16-1 in places)


« 4 7 2¼ Rio De La Plata (USA) 25/1 6 9-0 Saeed Bin Suroor 120 * * »
ch h Rahy (USA) - Express Way (ARG) (Ahmad) Frankie Dettori
Steadied start, took keen hold early, held up in last trio, smooth headway to lead over 2f out, ridden and headed over 1f out, driven entering final furlong, weakened final 150yds (op 20-1)


« 5 5 6 Ransom Note 50/1 4 9-0 B W Hills 114 * * »
b c Red Ransom (USA) - Zacheta (Polish Precedent) Michael Hills
Chased leaders, niggled along after 2f, ridden and struggling entering final 2f, weakened over 1f out (op 66-1 tchd 80-1 in a place)


« 6 4 5 Cape Blanco (IRE) 8/1 4 9-0 A P O'Brien 122 * * »
ch c Galileo (IRE) - Laurel Delight (Presidium) Jamie Spencer
Led until driven and headed entering final 3f, soon dropped out under pressure, well behind over 1f out (tchd 9-1 and 10-1 in places)


« 7 2 6 Flash Dance (IRE) 100/1 5 8-11 F Head 104 * * »
ch m Zamindar (USA) - Resquilleuse (USA) (Dehere) Mickael Barzalona
Chased leader until led entering

You don't think this year's BC Mile field is better? Sure, there might not be a better horse than Canford Cliffs but the rest of that field was hardly stellar when you consider Cape Blanco was going 2-3 furlongs short of his best and needed Lasix.

[my miss storm cat]

Originally Posted by NTamm1215

You don't think this year's BC Mile field is better? Sure, there might not be a better horse than Canford Cliffs but the rest of that field was hardly stellar when you consider Cape Blanco was going 2-3 furlongs short of his best and needed Lasix.

Respectfully I think the MIle looks pretty damned dreadful this year, sorry to say.

[Thunder Gulch]

Originally Posted by NTamm1215

You don't think this year's BC Mile field is better? Sure, there might not be a better horse than Canford Cliffs but the rest of that field was hardly stellar when you consider Cape Blanco was going 2-3 furlongs short of his best and needed Lasix.

I don't care about the depth of the field, because she's not going to lose to the "field". I think it takes one special horse that gets the jump on her next week, or she wins again. I don't see a Canford Cliffs or even Paco Boy here. Sorry, but she's already easily bested Courageous Cat and Gio Ponti at their best. There's some Grade 1 cred here, but who among the field has won an open Grade 1 race in 2011 at a mile? That would be the 3 who previously tried the BC Mile and weren't in the same ballpark.

[NTamm1215]

Originally Posted by Thunder Gulch

I don't care about the depth of the field, because she's not going to lose to the "field". I think it takes one special horse that gets the jump on her next week, or she wins again. I don't see a Canford Cliffs or even Paco Boy here. Sorry, but she's already easily bested Courageous Cat and Gio Ponti at their best. There's some Grade 1 cred here, but who among the field has won an open Grade 1 race in 2011 at a mile? That would be the 3 who previously tried the BC Mile and weren't in the same ballpark.

Turallure has won an open GI race at a mile this year.

To say that Courageous Cat wasn't in her ballpark 2 years ago is a bit rash. He is also a much better horse now than he was then.

[my miss storm cat]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

To my untrained eye, it looks like she's lost a step or two this year. It isn't just that she's lost a couple but how she's lost them. But you also have to look at who she's lost to and there is nobody of that caliber in here so her lost step or two or even three should still be more than enough to overwhelm this group. As long as she has a good trip and runs her race, I don't see her losing and if she is to lose, it won't be because someone was better than her.

Originally Posted by Thunder Gulch

She may have lost a step, but this may be the weakest field she has faced.

She doesn't need her absolute best to win it.

Agree with both of you...