Count on me
Robin Oakley
When Nasa first sent astronauts into space, the story goes, they discovered that ballpoint pens would not work in zero gravity. So they spent millions over a decade developing a pen that would write in zero gravity, upside down, under water and even on glass. The Russians, faced by the same problem, issued their astronauts with pencils.
There is something to be said for simplicity in racehorse selection, too. Sometimes in the past I have spent hours with the form book to irritatingly little avail. This year, having whittled down the possibles for my Ten To Follow to 20 or so, I left the rest to instinct in selecting Russian Rhythm, Airwave, Midsummer, Alamshar, Kalaman, Where or When, Sulamani, Double Obsession and Dubaian Gift. So far they have done us proud. Between them they have contested 24 races, many at the highest level, and the current score is nine victories, five seconds, one third, three fourths and just six unplaced runs. Ten pounds invested on each at level stakes would have brought you a return of £420 for the £240 outlay. Even Mrs Oakley is mildly impressed, despite the bundle of losing tickets she found in my pocket after Eclipse Day at Sandown. It really is time they put litter bins on stations again.
This year's Ten, of course, had a bonus when Russian Rhythm's poor form on the gallops resulted in her starting at 12-1 for her victory in the 1.000 Guineas. The 4-7 when she won the Coronation Stakes took us back to the bookmakers' miserly reality. But I had determined to list her despite those home gallops reports because she simply oozed star quality when I watched her as a two-year-old. So did Airwave, who has shown her consistency by winning the Temple Stakes at 5-2, running second to the exceptional Choisir at Ascot and then making the frame again behind him when the two were beaten by Oasis Dream in the July Cup. Stick with her. She is a genuinely fast filly who will have things go her way one day and at least last time she came out of the stalls on terms with the others.
Herny Cecil's Midsummer, second in the Lingfield Oaks Trial, has yet to win. She looks to need further than the lm if she tackled when fourth last time out at Goodwood. Alamshar, who had earlier won the Irish Derby Trial at Leopardstown and run third in the Epsom event won the Irish Derby at 4-1 and Kalaman, who won the Pacemaker Heron Stakes at Kempton in his
prep race, was perhaps the unluckiest loser at Royal Ascot. He was caught in a scrummage two furlongs out in a very rough St James's Palace Stakes and by the time Johnny Murtagh had extricated him the winner Zafeen was too far gone to catch, valiantly though he tried. I will happily support Kalaman to beat him if they meet again.
Mark Johnston's horses have been sweeping all before them this season so it was a disappointment that Double Obsession clocked up three fifths and a sixth place. But he came good last time out at Ascot with a 3-1 victory and looks set to continue that form provided he gets a strong pace in his races. As for Dubaian Gift, a nifty sprinter in the hands of first season trainer Andrew Balding, he has more than paid his way for us with victories at 5-1 and 5-2. I would be more inclined to back him in smaller fields as he likes to dominate from early on.
Where or When, who was second to Hawk Wing on his extraordinary run in the Lockinge at Newbury, disappointed when fourth in the Queen Anne Stakes at Ascot. There was nothing there when his jockey pressed the pedal two out. He remains a class act, I believe, but all Terry's horses have been snuffling under a cloud, with the stable partially closed down after Ascot. Wait until the Mills runners are back to their usual high strike rate before supporting him again. Godolphin's Sulamani too disappointed at St Cloud. We will have to hope that something was amiss that day because on the form he showed in Dubai earlier this year he is a horse of extraordinary acceleration. Perhaps we will see the real Sulamani in this weekend's King George, which looks like being the race of the season with a brace of Derby winners and perhaps, as I write, a return match between the Eclipse one and two Falbrav and Nayef. Do not discount the South African entrant Victory Moon as a good each way chance. He was a close up fifth in the Eclipse after being knocked about in running and Ascot could be more his cup of tea.
I shall not be taking the back double I tried to avoid heavy traffic on the way to Ascot last time. After it had become a grim-faced ten-mile detour Mrs Oakley reminded me with a touch less than her usual sweetness that it was no surprise that the Israelites, too, were 40 years wandering in the wilderness because Moses too, being a man, would have refused to ask the way.
As for the Oakley Ten, I shall stick with them, with apologies for giving short measure. Sharp-eyed readers might have noted that the intended ten, in fact, are only nine. Tipping, I can try. My counting, it seems, is not to be relied upon.
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