Two Down, Three To Go

If you thought John McCririck looked like he’d forgotten to change his clothes between days 1 and 2 of Royal Ascot, then he probably did forget.

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Someone wise me up: what’s the story behind the expression “early doors” that’s creeping into commentaries everywhere like an infectious disease? I’ve heard it used repeatedly in Australia this year, particularly by some Queensland callers, and it cropped up again during Royal Ascot this morning. I’m not so silly that I don’t know what it means but why all of a sudden has it gained such currency? I swear I never heard it more than twice in the previous couple of decades. Next thing you know we’ll be saying “close home” like the Poms.

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Aqlaam, winner of the Gr 3 Jersey Stakes, is by the pure sprinter Oasis Dream (Green Desert) but out of a half-sister to the pure stayer and an old favourite of the Melbourne crowds, Persian Punch. Persian Punch’s shortest win was over 2000m and his longest over 3600m. He won 20 of his 66 starts between the ages of three and 11, 13 of them Group wins – but never a Gr 1 – and three listed races. His seven Gr 1 placings included twice third in the Melbourne Cup which he should have won on at least one occasion. Sadly, he collapsed and died on the racecourse and there is now a lifesize bronze statue in his honour at Newmarket.

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Notice how often horses fighting out the finish lose their compass at the end of their races at Ascot, particularly if they’ve competed on the straight track. It’s a slight uphill climb to the post and clearly the horses are tired but there doesn’t seem to be much emphasis on finding the rail over there (except Haradasun and Equiano!), which usually keeps horses on the straight and narrow. Fields tend to clump rather than string out. One seldom sees horses wandering up the middle of Flemington or swerving home like drunken sailors, uphill, at Sandown. Riding style might have something to do with it?

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Once again Coolmore used a pacemaker to make the play for their heavily-favoured Duke Of Marmalade in the Gr 1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes over 10 furlongs. Poor Red Rock Canyon, winless in 12 starts but twice Irish Gr 1 placed, just a pacemaker but maybe the best-bred pacemaker in history – by Rock Of Gibraltar out of the Sadler’s Wells Oaks and Guineas winner Imagine, dam earlier of the ill-fated Gr 1 hero Horatio Nelson, and a daughter of Generous’s blue hen dam Doff The Derby. Don’t think we’ll see Red Rock Canyon on the shuttle. But put the ring around Duke Of Marmalade, now a triple Gr 1 winner over a middle distance and not dissimilar to current shuttler Oratorio (Ire) though he lacks that one’s two-year-old record. By Danehill from a Kingmambo mare (those names again), The Duke is from one of the world’s premier families, his third dam being Lassie Dear from whom descend the likes of Weekend Surprise, A.P. Indy, Summer Squall, Wolfhound, Lemon Drop Kid and the good South African stallion Al Mufti. Duke Of Marmalade is named after a peerage created in Haiti in 1804 after the colonial powers were overthrown by a slave insurrection, Haiti then becoming the world’s first independent black state. He was not related to the Prince Of Orange or the Viscount Vegemite. I knew you were dying to know that.

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Where are the boys in Blue? I suppose the week’s young yet.

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Most valuable information gleaned from day two's TV coverage: the size of the weather girl's derriere, as divulged by style guru John McCririck. Just doing his form study.