With the rain falling and the markets equally turbulent the only sensible advice is take a pull and sit and watch the action unfold.
The Haggas team must be pretty certain that heavy rain will arrive as they have withdrawn Treasure Time from the Golden Mile on Friday but declared the 4yo for the finale on Saturday in case it is not too bad and dries out over the next 48 hours with a dry forecast after racing on Thursday.
There has been money this morning for High Degree in the opener at 1.20 and Sea Force in the finale at 5.30. As anticipated the bookies are looking to lay the favourite Best Secret in the first after slashing the price into 2/1 overnight. 3/1 is now on offer and it may still get bigger. High Degree has been backed from 9/1 into 6/1 on the basis the ground could still be ok for the first few races.
Even on good ground from that stall position in 18 the inexperienced High Degree would have been a high risk bet but i would not be at all surprised to see him go close.
On the balance of how late developing Haggas 3yo’s are campaigned it is rare that they win in such a high grade without a previous handicap run. Raafedd in the Brittania, Realign in the Palace of Holyrood failed to win in that grade.
Normally they will go into a Class 3 or lower , Archivist, Crown Of Oaks, Yabher and Supermodel. The exception was Almeraq but no one believes High Degree is that class despite being rated 3lb higher than Almeraq’s opening mark.
1.30 No Bet Recommended
In the 2.30 Merchant has remained solid at a best price of 6/4. I did think he might be the subject of the Super Boosts but instead Whirl in the Nassau is the dangled carrot.
Merchant is without doubt the most strongly fancied runner from the yard this week and he can win for us for the 3rd time this season
The 360,000 Guineas Yearling Proposal makes her debut in the 4.55. Whether they cost 3 million, 300,000 or 3,000 the rule is the same never back a Haggas debutant first time out.
A finally to be the biggest dilemma Sea Force in the 5.30. If the rain has arrived in shed loads i would leave him alone, if the ground is only being reported as good to soft i will be very tempted to have a small bet at odds of 6/1 or bigger.
This is a horse that is better than its mark of 88 and should have won at Ascot last time out but was caught wide behind a slow pace.
Because of the doubt I won’t include it in the Diary of a Season as a recorded bet.
Chrysalis Consortium 
Leave a comment