The Vertem Futurity Stakes, Gr-1.
Hi guys, fasten your seat belts as tomorrow we’ll fly very high. Last Saturday, at Ascot, I didn’t throw myself out of the top of the King Edward Stand, because of the results, so now I’m full of running for the last Group 1 of the season in UK and in Ireland, the Vertem Futurity Trophy Stakes, for 2yo entire colts & fillies, 1m, with a total of £ 231,000: the ground should be good to soft.
This race was established in 1961 and it was originally called the Timeform Gold Cup. It was the idea of Phil Bull, the founder of the Timeform and was backed by this organisation until 1964. Then the Sunday newspaper Observer started to sponsor the event in 1965. In 1971 the Observer Gold Cup became a Group 1. The bookmaker William Hill took over the sponsorship in 1976 and from this point the race was known as the Futurity Stakes. From 1989 to 2017 this event was supported by the Racing Post: the Racing Post Trophy. This Group 1 was given its current title in 2018, when Vertem Asset Management became the new sponsor.
Notable winners of this race were: Saxon Warrior (JPN) (Deep Impact), who this year won the QIPCO 2,000 Guineas, in the year 2013 Kingston Hill (GB) (Mastercraftsman), ridden by Andrea Atzeni, who at 3 won the Ladbrokes St. Leger, Gr-1, once again with the Italian born jockey in the irons, in the year 2011 Camelot (GB) (Montjeu), who at 3 won both the QIPCO 2,000 Guineas and the Investec Derby as well as the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby, in the year 2006 Authorized (IRE) (Montjeu), who at 3 won the Vodafone Epsom Derby, in the year 2004 Motivator (GB) (Montjeu), who won the Vodafone Epsom Derby, in the year 2001, High Chaparral (IRE) (Sadler’s Wells) who then won both the English and Irish Derby and twice the Breeders’ Cup Turf.
They will be off and running on Saturday October 27th 2018 at 4.05PM GMT and there will be 11 runners.
Magna Grecia (IRE) (Invincible Spirit), was bought as a foal for Guineas 340,000, at the Tattersalls December Sales, in the year 2016, by the Coolmore Group together with the Mayfair Speculators; when Mr. Marcus Jooste (Mayfair Speculators) started to have problems in South Africa, his share was bought by Flaxman Stables, the racing organisation of the Niarchos family. His Rating of the Timeform, adjusted for the race, is the top one, 126p. He won a Maiden in Ireland and then finished second to Persian King (IRE) (Kingman), at Newmarket, on October 13th, in the Autumn Stakes, Gr-3. At the moment his price is between 6/4 and 13/8, very skinny, but he was heavily backed in the last few days.
He is followed in the market by Turgenev (GB) (Dubawi), offered between 7/2 and 9/2: his Timeform rating is 118p. He hasn’t won any Stake so far.
Between 5/1 and 6/1 in this market we can find Phoenix Of Spain (IRE) (Lope De Vega). He won a good race at York, in August, a Stake, then he was beaten, in the Champagne Stakes, Gr-2, at Doncaster, by Too Darn Hot (GB) (Dubawi), who subsequently won the Darley Dewhurst Stakes, Gr-1, at Newmarket The Timeform rating of Phoenix Of Spain is 125.
Now we are getting serious because I’ll back, each way, one horse which at the moment is between 12/1 and 16/1. I’m talking of Raakib Alhawa, which in Arabic means wind rider and its the figurative meaning is somebody very fast, speeding like a storm. He ran first time out on a left – handed track, on a straight course, on good to soft ground, at Newbury and tomorrow all the conditions will be exactly the same. The name of that race is Haynes, Hanson & Clark, very well – known wine merchants, Conditions Stakes, 38th edition (September 21st). After this performance the Racing Post gave him a Top Speed figure of 98 and a Racing Post Rating of 105.
All the runners, but one, were holding an entry in this race. Pedigree: by the sensational Kingman (GB) (Invincible Spirit), whose first crop are 2-Y-O, out of a dam, who was a 1m4f winner, (RPR 83), closely related to 1m winner Treasure The Cross, out of Listed – placed 7f 2yo winning half-sister to 1m – 1m4f Group 1 winner High Chaparral (IRE) (Sadler’s Wells) (for his performances see above).
Raakib Alhawa has a Timeform Rating of 112p and was bought for € 140,000, on September 26th 2017 at Goffs Orby Sales by Blandford Bloodstock.
Dream Ahead (USA) (Diktat), 2008, same ownership and same trainer, David Simcock, at Newmarket, Suffolk, in the year 2010, won a Maiden at Nottingham and was declared to run in the Darley Prix Morny, Gr-1, 6f, at Deauville, which he won quite well, at 8/1.
After the Maiden, the Racing Post gave him a Top Speed figure of 78 and a Racing Post Rating of 95. Dream Ahead, who also won the Darley July Cup, Gr-1, is quite a decent stallion, at the moment standing in France, at the Haras de Grandcamp, Le Vignon, Trun, Orne, Normandy, at a fee of € 12,000. The connections are following the same route with Raakib Alhawa.
Tomorrow the pace will be strong and this is what Raakib Alhawa needs, coming from behind.
Raakib Alhawa will be ridden, once again, by Andrea Atzeni, who is a specialist on the Town Moor, the name of the course at Doncaster. The owner of both these horses is a businessman from Dubai, Mr. Khalifa bin Abdullah bin Dasmal, who in the year 1996 won the Vodafone Derby, at Epsom, with Shaamit (IRE) (Mtoto), a horse he bred.
At 1.45PM GMT Doncaster Stakes, Listed, 6f2y, for 2y0, with a total prize money of £ 30.000.
San Donato (IRE) (Lope De Vega), paid Guineas 500,000 as a yearling at the Tattersalls Sales, Book 2, by his trainer, the in form Roger Varian, is owned by HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Obaid bin Thani Al Maktoum: his Timeform, adjusted for the race, is 114p (the top one) and his price is between 2/1 and 11/4. He is well drawn, the pace should be strong, so he will be take a lot of beating. Good luck!
Carlo Zuccoli
