That's an astonishing fact - it had passed me by.

Pressure on Aidan O'Brien to win 2,000 Guineas with favourite Camelot

It's funny - I can't disagree with the sense of the article but this bit stands out as a contradiction:

There's a lot of hype/expectation around Camelot.

RTE News referred earlier to Camelot being possible the next Nijinsky no less!

Like St Nicholas Abbey was 2 seasons ago.

Any O'Brien horse than hacks up in the Racing Post or the Dewhurst is then the next Nijinsky. Horse will go well, but wont be losing my life on it
Am going to back either Power (an O'Brien horse) or Born to Sea. They are 8/1 and 10/1 respectivley.

There is always a load of hype around Ballydoyle's next greatest (I still can't forget El Gran Senor) - I posted the link because I think we sometimes forget how good O'Brien is. If we had any other sportsman half as dominant as he they would be canonised by now. (On the other hand all that Magnier cares about is winning the Epsom Derby - that has a disproportionate impact upon stallion fees.)

Going at Newmarket will be heavier than usual due to the volume of rain.
It could throw up an unexpected winner.

Tony McCoy. Champion Jockey since 1996.

I agree about O'Brien.

Given the dominance of his horses in the early to mid 2000's, his scorecard has been relatively light in recent years.
High Chaparral, Mozart, Galileo, Johannesburg, Rock Of Gibraltar, Istabraq.....................phenomenal production line of great horses.

Loved in a way that Aidan can't even imagine - certainly around my way. (Helped by the fact that we love NH so much more than flat - we admire Mick/Jamie etc, we love Ruby/Barry et al).

No one admires Jamie for a long period of time...dirty holding the horse until final 100 yards....breaking my heart jockey.

Admire Murtagh/Kinnane/Smullen/Berry/Heffernan/O'Donoghue/Hughes.
Love Walsh/Geraghty/Fehily/Fitzgerald/Swan/O'Dwyer/Carberry/Maquire etc

Henry the Navigator was his last really quality miler. Mastercraftsman to a degree. Rip Van Winkle had his moments, and Yeats was obviously a gem, but his early 2000s crop was out of this world

My mate in work as he's leaving is saying Power, Power., "wha sez I ?" For the weekend he sez.
I say, "What Paddy Power ?", nah the horse he sez, guineas,

Oh, I says "But what about sea that I told you about during the week ?, Oxx ?"
Oh Born To See... well we shall see

10/1, guaranteed e/w

How could I forget Yeats and Mastercraftsman?

I agree with you and Lily, I prefer NH racing too.
NH seems to be honest and heartwarming racing to watch than flitty cossetted thoroughbred racing!

I have to admit that I really love Paul Carberry for all of the wrong reasons. When I was a child my father used to talk about Tommy as the 'go-to' man for any owner who wanted to stop a horse without making it look deliberate (fao lawyers - of course this was all hearsay & not true whatsoever) but at the same time he was so talented. Paul inherited all of his talent & none of his coldness - he is a great horseman & is just ever so slightly mad.

For the 3rd time I've brought my PP a/c to 0.
















PP filled it back last two times.

We've been spoilt over the last couple of years with genuine superstars like Frankel and Sea of Stars so if Camelot turns out to be as good as hoped we could see the best clash since Mill Reef and Brigadier Gerrard.

Camelot it was.

Go on my son!!!!

He's no Frankel.

But I bet he wins the Derby to go with the 2,000 Guineas.

Frankel is back on the track in two weeks, can't wait to see how he goes.