I write to you with only one day left of the Flat Turf season, and what a year it's been. It's been a year which has resulted in change, with the high profile separation of Frankie Dettori from Godolphin, one of very few names that non-racing people find synonymous with not just Flat racing, but the whole of British racing. Next season, he will ride freelance and quite early on, we will see whether he is capable of going for a jockeys title bid again.
In terms of the horses themselves, only one horse has shone brightest of all. Do I really need to say his name? I will, Frankel, who again swept all before him in 2012, taking the challenge of ten furlongs at York and heavy ground at Ascot in his last race, in his very long stride. I think all the different ways of describing his achievments have been taken, but this equine superstar has lit up the flat game over the last three seasons, with his destructive burst of speed. He's become an icon, a focal point, especially to people lucky enough to have watched him on course. I am lucky enough to say I saw him twice this season, will cherish these memories for a long while to come.
Camelot looked at one stage like he could compete with Frankel, with the Triple Crown still a possibility when he went to Doncaster, but after a hard race in defeat on Town Moor, he ran flat in the Arc. Hopefully that doesn't ruin him and he can carry on showing his true class in 2013.
As for sprinters, there was so much hype about Black Caviar appearing at Ascot. In a race full of drama in which she only just scrambled home, with a fellow Aussie mare Ortensia overshadowing her by scoring in both the Audi Stakes at Goodwood and Nunthorpe at York. There isn't a stand out though in the homegrown sprinters, so 2013 could be a interesting year.
The stayers were a close knit bunch of five or six horses, Colour Vision, Saddlers Rock, Opinion Poll, Aiken and Rite Of Passage, who probably gave Dermot Weld his greatest training performance when scoring on Champions Day under Pat Smullen. I think Mount Athos may challenge those next season after a luckless effort in the Melbourne Cup.
Back to jockeys, Richard Hughes has finally and deservedly got his name on the Flat racing roll of honour. In a season where he had to play catch up after his ridiculous ban in India over the winter, he blitzed his rivals with his exploits, mainly at Windsor on Monday evenings, where if a Hannon two year old didn't win, you'd be very suprised, and it was fitting that only a few weeks ago, 'Hughesy' completed a seven timer, from eight rides at the track that for so long, has given him so many winners. With the prospect of Classic bound horses such as Olympic Glory and Toronado to come in 2013, plus the canny eye of Richard Hannon looking over another set of two year olds, you wouldn't bet against him doing it again.
But as they say, the show must go on, and with the All Weather, for flat fans, it never stops! I am a fan of the All weather, and that has grown over recent years as my knowledge has grown. Southwell, which is my nearest artificial track, is for me anyway, the easiest to work out as it is good for certain sires and course specialists, the famous La Estrella being the most high profile, now unbeaten in a world record 13 starts on the Fibresand.
I am going to list '5 to watch' this winter, one jockey, one trainer, a sire and a couple of horses.
1) David Simmonsen (Jockey) - I have been impressed this season with David's judge of pace, and I think he is only getting better. He has ridden six all weather winners so far, and all at Wolverhampton. He rides mainly for Mick Easterby, who is having a good spell at Wolverhampton lately. He is improving all the time and should stay among the winners over the winter months if he stays fit.
2) Jason Ward (Trainer) - Jason is a trainer who trains in Middleham, and has had good success with his select string at Southwell, and I think he can do so again. He has had a couple of winners at Wolverhampton too, but with horses such as stable star Sweetnessandlight using Southwell as a step to better things, I'm sure they'll be more this winter.
3) Dubawi (Sire) - This sire applies only for Southwell really, and the stats of 25% on the Fibresand, compares to a rate of between 10 and 15% on turf. To add to that, any US bred horses also have an advantage at Southwell, as most the US dirt tracks are Fibresand.
4) Hoonose (Horse) - Hoonose is trained by Pat Eddery. I've followed him this season in very low grade races, and I think that Southwell is the venue for him. Was a shade unlucky not to be closer at Nottingham last time. Another to consider only at Southwell is Greatest Dancer (J Osborne).
5) If So (Horse) - Trained by James Fanshawe, If So is an improving three year old who is unexposed, only having 2 starts on the synthetic surfaces to date. He runs off a mark of 64 and I think he can get into the eighties before the return of the turf next March.
Hope you have enjoyed this and if you have any feedback, feel free to fill in the comments box below, or tweet me @willbowler2k12.
Thanks for reading
Will
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