24.8.21. It’s been a busy week at Monmore Green with the finals of the Gold Cup and Summer Stayers Classic and also in the Noduff Racing kennel with lots of race and trial activity. In alphabetical order (Odin aside):
Supreme Odin isn’t running quite at the top of his game at the moment having taken his losing run to nine since his purple patch in June. You’d never guess it from his starting prices though having been returned 2/1, 7/4, 13/8, 9/4 and 5/2 consecutively! He’s led and been picked up the last three times in A4 but still managed to return 28.94 last time out in finishing third. Back to form soon please Luigi!
Noduff Aria has run two consecutive 630m S3 races so now we know he does stay the trip (just about) although he didn’t win either contest. Fred recorded 39.35 last time and was somewhat unlucky finishing second in that the winner, who is habitually very slow away, led from the traps! Fred is also popular with the punters and has been returned 2/1 on each of his last three starts. He’s back to A5 company this week and we’ll be looking out to see how well he finishes.
Noduff Bellagio isn’t quite so popular with favourite backers and has been a big price on her last eight outings with the exception of when she won her second A4 when she was backed into jolly to do so. Bonnie’s last outing saw her participate in a very tough A3 contest which, on paper at least, looked harder than one of the A1s on the card and was duly won in 28.74! Bonnie ran well to finish third and would have run into second place but for indecision as to whether to under or overtake. She has another chance to take an A3 scalp this week but it looks like another tough grade within a grade contest.
Noduff Caesar continues to make great strides following his nasty injury. The pin has been removed from his leg and the vet’s instructions are four weeks of hard walking coupled with Tvati before he can be released in the large paddock to charge about as he feels able. Ian took him for a walk on Sunday, which both enjoyed, and apart from the occasional hop, Bertie was certainly in good form. It remains the case that we expect the worst but hope for the best in terms of his racing career. One of his brothers this week made the final of the Arc Puppy Classic at Nottingham to run against a sister of Noduff Bellagio so that underlines the promise he held.
Noduff Dunes is now about one month into her seasonal rest. Mia was full of beans when walked on Sunday and we look forward to her return to the track in due course.
Noduff Excalibur was really pitched into the deep end running in two high quality open sprints by way of his debut in the UK. He missed the break the first time which was not surprising on his debut under lights at the end of a long kennel but the second time he was much better away contesting the lead with the eventual winner before being squeezed, baulked and shuffled back to the rear. Jock should make his graded debut in a D1 contest shortly and will hopefully be drawn nearer the rails than trap 4 which doesn’t seem to suit him that well. Depending on how he goes he may well be kept to sprints for now pending an outing in a maiden open at the track in September.
Noduff Flamingo has now run two graded trials recording middle-running times of 29.60 and 29.47. Raspberry (thanks a lot Jooles and the kennel naming committee) missed the break on the second occasion so there is more to come from this tiny February 2020 bitch who is undoubtedly one of the liveliest when it comes to Sunday walks!
Noduff Grand was also pitched into the deep end in a puppy open supporting the Gold Cup. Running from trap 3 he needed to finish in the first three to qualify for the competition final but was a very unlucky fourth being baulked at the start and first bend and then showing his inexperience when running on, darting inside then out and losing his chance of third place. The final ended up being a four dog affair and, based on times, he may well have finished in the first three. He was rewarded with a graded race debut in A3 in which he would have had a chance but for being put in trap 5 when he likes to run a middle to rails course. He was duly impeded at the start, on the way to and at the bend which took away any chance of victory. Better fortune awaits. Wallace has breached the 29 second barrier three times now out of five attempts.
Finally, Noduff Hacienda has also completed two grading trials. By far the tightest railer in the Noduff kennel, Ridley has recorded times of 29.04 and 28.94 showing good trapping and staying on well.