Well Barry

Is he taking his place and can we punt?

ps gl

Fridays Card

Suppose you are referring to Gitano Hernando.

He will need the race and faces a good colt in Beethoven, but if he is his old self he will go close. Not a gilt-edged opportunity though.

Great prep Run, all the best for his future, I thought it was a good ride from Fallon.

On ratings he was a certainty,9/10 was an amazing price a horse that should have been 1/4

Well done (tu)

Racing Post

Gitano Hernando scores despite tricky passage

Report: Dundalk, Friday

Diamond Stakes (Group 3) 1m2½f, 3yo+

GITANO HERNANDO made a winning return in the Diamond Stakes, but had to rely on his class to see him through after enduring a nightmarish run.


Sent off the 9-10 favourite for his first race in 188 days, the Marco Botti-trained four-year-old eventually scored a touch cosily, but there was nothing easy about the job Kieren Fallon faced in trying to make it a winning return for the son of Hernando.

With only seven runners the race threatened to get tactical, and it was fellow British raider Dansant who was bustled up to lead by Pat Smullen, with Fallon tucked away in fourth against the rail.

Beethoven sat third with Swing Pattern in second, and there was little change to the running order as Smullen opted to set a steady tempo out front.

Turning for home Dansant still led, with Beethoven now second, but due to the steady pace the field were still tightly packed. This left Fallon in trouble as he attempted to extricate himself from behind runners to get aclear run.

As he struggled for racing room, Wade Giles had hit the front with Beethoven unable to go on, but with a furlong left Fallon had switched from thefar rail across to the centre of the track, and with no further impediment, swooped to take the prize from the 6-1 shot by a neck.

After the race trainer Marco Botti said: "He did it really well, we're really delighted. We thought he might need the race he's probably about 80% fit, but Kieren [Fallon] said he had plenty left in the tank."

There are no shortage of options for Gitano Hernando, with the Emirates Airline Champion Stakes and Breeders' Cup both possibilities, and Botti added:

"We have to decide between the Champion Stakes and Breeders' Cup, it depends on the owners [Team Valor]. Dubai is the main target and we want to take another chance in the Dubai World Cup."

Well done Barry.....

Thanks. A little too nerve wracking for my taste!

read the Headline New on my website for the "rest of the story!" pretty amazing actually.

www.teamvalor.com

Nice run by Gypsy's Warning too. I was quite surprised that she went to the front. Could the 1 1/4 mile be just too far for her?

Anyway, nice weekend for Team Valor!

Mile and a quarter is good for her, but going to the front was just plain dumb. Mike Smith has never been a turf rider. Any turf rider would have reeled her in and she would have been able to employ her fantastic burst of speed when it counted the most.