Juliette's Weekly Frolic
The amount of adverse — masculine — comment being levelled at lady jockeys now that their first season has closed contrasts sharply with the lavish applause their equine sisters are currently earning. Whether you channel-hopped to Longchamp or took in an idyllic Indian summer Saturday at Ascot, the all-conquering charms of the female thoroughbred were much in evidence last weekend. The ' Arc ' heroines hit the headlines, but fillies also fought out the finish in the Berkshire course's big sprint besides occupying fourteen of the twenty-one placings during the afternoon. The old saying that ladies thrive in the sunshine can seldom have rung more true and all that remains is a clean — and historic — sweep of the Cesarewitch prizes.
At lunchtime on Saturday the big race sponsors, Skefco Ball Bearing, are due to feast the famous, in the shape of Lord Hill, Sir Jules Thorn and the Mayor of the company's home town, Luton. But after their race is over I hope they will be entertaining a peer of more ancient lineage, the Duke of Roxburghe. He, as you might have guessed in view of my opening remarks, has the great good fortune to own a highly attractive chestnut filly .whose inauspicious seasonal debut at 14-1 in a midweek maiden race, belied the four effortless long distance victories that were to follow. The lady's name is Tudor Story, and although a disappointing fourth to Sardara last month, she was not quite herself that day and in any case is 131b better off with her conqueress. Nevertheless, having selected the second last year, I'm not over-confident of going one better and will hedge my bets with a saver on 25-1 shot Palestis. Discounting his fine run to take sixth place in the Ebor, he has never been out of the first two this season, and is known to be indifferent to the state of the going.
After umpteen rainless weeks the prospect of a big meeting at Newmarket was enough to summon up the storm clouds and should this development herald Brigadier Gerard's departure from Saturday's Champion Stakes, I could fancy Ireland's mud-loving 2000 Guineas winner, Ballymore, to end his three-year-old career on the high note he began it. Joe Mercer and a fair number of ' experts ' considered Sharp Edge to be the moral victor of Ascot's Royal Lodge Stakes. He will have an opportunity to prove their claims in Friday's Dewhurst, where hotpots Lunchtime and Sky Messenger, 'Champagne' winner Otha and ' Gimcrack ' second Prince Chad will ensure a real trial of strength.
Assets: £128.08. Outlay: El e.w. Tudor Story & Palestis (Ladbrokes 20-1 & 25-1), E3 to win Sharp Edge & Ballymore (in Brigadier's absence).
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