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OCT
MISSIT LIMBERS UP FOR ROCKFEL
MISSIT breezed on the winter ground all-weather this morning and showed herself to be
in top trim for the Rockfel Stakes in which she is to step up to seven furlongs.
The Orpen filly is likely to face a slightly more straightforward task than when
tackling the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes over a furlong less on her latest start.
The Boss said: "We hope she'll be a Guineas filly next year and the Rockfel distance
should be well within her compass. She was not at all disgraced in the Cheveley Park
and only just outside the money. It was the third outing of her career and I think
there's improvement to come."
OCT
HATTA RUN PLEASES BOSS
ALTHOUGH finishing only fourth to Rio De La Plata in the Prix Jean-Luv Lagardere at Longchamp yesterday, HATTA FORT delighted Mick and could well run again before the end of the season.
Mick feels the cut in the ground handicapped his performance to some extent. He said: "He ran a good race but the ground rode softer than it walked. He was beaten three and a half lengths and that wouldn't stop me from having another crack at the winner. We shall keep our options open but the thing to remember is that Hatta Fort likes good, fast ground like most of my horses."
OCT
DUBAI NEXT FOR YOUMZAIN
YOUMZAIN is to go straight into winter quarters but will be in action early next year when contesting the Group 1 Sheema Classic in Dubai.
This has always been the plan for Mick's gallant Arc runner-up and The Boss sees no reason to change it.
He said: "Youmzain is back home and apart from being a bit stiff seems fine.
"The Arc is what we were going to do with him all along and he'll go to Dubai this winter. We have decided to leave the Hong Kong International meeting alone because the ground would be too fast for him out there."
Paying tribute to Youmzain's huge effort against Dylan Thomas at Longchamp, Mick added: "Plenty of people expected the winner to be thrown out but at the end of the day he didn't interfere with my horse. If he had I would have been furious at not getting the race but the fact is we had a clear run and arrived just a couple of strides too late."
OCT
MAGNIFICENT YOUMZAIN TAKES MICK TO BRINK OF ARC GLORY
MICK and those lucky enough to be there will never forget the dramatic events of Arc
day and the 35-minute wait for the result of the stewards enquiry following YOUMZAIN'S
head defeat by Dylan Thomas at Longchamp on Sunday.
In what is THE most prestigious all-aged race in the world, Youmzain went within inches
of giving The Boss and owner Jaber Abdullah their finest moment - but although Richard
Hughes's powerful charge fell agonizingly short the drama was only just about to unfold.
Mick, sons Michael and Jack, Tim Corby, Gill Hedley and head lad Liam had worked up a
frenzied excitement watching the race on the giant screen in the Longchamp paddock.
It built into a combined roar which shook the leaves on the trees
around the beautiful paddock, such was its fervour and intensity.
As Kieren Fallon pulled out Dylan Thomas and surged clear in his bid for glory,
Hughesey followed them through and was gaining so fast we were inwardly begging for
enough Gallic terra firma to allow tuned-to-the-minute Youmzain to put his nostrils
in front. But it was not to be.
As we proudly welcomed the colt back into the unsaddling area The Boss told
reporters how proud he was of Youmzain's performance, one which so narrowly failed
to reverse the King George V1 And Queen Elizabeth Stakes placings from mid-summer.
Then the sound of the claxon - signalling the possibility of a foul - and the ensuing wait
which seemed more like three hours then thirty-odd minutes. Yet throughout that
period, when asked if he felt Youmzain should be awarded the Arc, Mick merely stated
that whatever happened he would have preferred to see Youmzain cross the line the winner.
There would be limited jubilation if the result was changed, and of course it wasn't.
Whether it should have been is another matter. Under the rules of racing in France
any horse that interferes with another is disqualified and placed behind the horse
it hampered.
And so if the Longchamp stewards had taken what they saw countless times on film,
with Fallon and Dylan Thomas taking the ground of Zambezi Sun and then stablemate
Soldier Of Fortune as he dived to the right to bag the rail, at face value,
Youmzain would have become the first horse to be awarded the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
since Rainbow Quest in 1985.
As it was, the panel could not find a way to go by the book because this
was the supreme sporting event on the French turf. This was the Arc, and the
stewards didn't have the bottle to do what their own rule book told them.
OCT
ROI IS QUEEN OF NEWMARKET IN SUN CHARIOT
MAJESTIC ROI produced a magnificent display to give Mick and owner Jaber Abdullah an eve-of-Arc Group 1 triumph in the Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket.
The 16-1 chance survived a stewards' enquiry after Darryll Holland brought her home ahead of Nannina and Echelon in the Kingdom Of Bahrain-sponsored race.
Holland timed his challenge with split-second precision and straightened his filly after momentarily edging towards the far rail as she took the lead inside the final furlong.
There was good news afterwards when Bruce Raymond, Jaber's racing manager, announced Majestic Roi would remain in training next year.
More than once this season this hot-blooded filly has been unlucky and especially on her previous start in a Listed race at Doncaster. This was a big step-up in class, but Mick always felt she was more than capable of it.
He said: "This is her ground and a filly can really come to herself at this time of year. It was Darryll who said we needed to go back to a mile and fair play to him. I wouldn't think she'll run again this season but Bruce says she'll be around next year which is very good news. That is Darryll's first group 1 winner this year, so it's been a bid day for him and a big day for the yard."
OCT
GROUND NO EXCUSE FOR LONGCHAMP RAIDERS
THE Boss will examine the Longchamp terrain on Sunday morning but seems certain to give HATTA FORT the green light for a run in the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Legardes.
The rain of earlier in the week had threatened to make underfoot conditions too testing for Sheikh Ahmed's colt, who will be having a first run since coming from last to first to land the Superlative Stakes at Newmarket's July meeting.
However, although the going remained soft this morning improvement is anticipated, with the legions of Brits making the annual pilgrimage to Paris set for pleasant weather in which to enjoy the delights of the Bois Du Boulogne course.
Mick said: "I was a bit concerned about the going for Hatta Fort because he doesn't want it too testing, but i'm more than hopeful it will be okay when I go over there on Sunday. It will have to be really testing for us to consider taking Hatta out."
Hatta Fort has excelled in all his work since Newmarket and The Boss added: "He's been ready for a run for a while and the only time he didn't work to his usual standard was when his tack slipped. He goes there with a solid chance, and i'm looking forward to seeing him run."
Meanwhile YOUMZAIN embarks on his journey to Longchamp with ticks in most of the boxes to suggest he is the best each-way bet in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
"He's so well he keeps threatening to buck his lad off," said Mick. "For the last fortnight i've been saying I wished the Arc was tomorrow. He goes there in great order and there will be no excuses. He'll have his ground, a decent-sized field and there will hopefully be a decent pace."
OCT
CORBY CAN'T MISSIT - VIDEO
Owner Tim Corby heads to Suffolk on Friday trying not to get too excited about Missit's tilt at The Cheveley Park Stakes on the Rowley Mile.
OCT
WEST IS THE BEST - TWENTY20 SUCCESS IN THE CHALLENGE CUP SERIES - VIDEO
Watch the heroics of West Ilsley's cricketers as they smash the Eastenders out of sight. The Challenge Cup is back where it belongs (above the bar in The Harrow) and it might be quite a while before the Morrison Yard get it back.
Obviously if they challenge the Channon Yard to a game of Jenga or Dominos, we will have to consider such propositions over the coming winter months. In the mean time however, just enjoy the moment when cricket came home.
http://www.mickchannon.tv/opinion.php
OCT
TUITE TAKES COMMAND IN BATTLE OF TITANS
CONGRATULATIONS to Mick's assistant Joe Tuite for gaining the upper hand in the private battle between the 'league of gentlemen' involving his own BLANDY'S WOOD, Lord Ilsley's ALFREDTHEORDINARY and Sheikh Channon's FRAAMINGTON.
Since the start of the season Tuite's filly and the aforementioned pair have commanded special interest on work mornings, with their respective owners watching in keen anticipation for such attributes as progression and improvement.
Until recently this was not forthcoming and it is only the astonishing loyalty displayed by Lord Ilsley to the fellow shareholders in 'Alfred' that the gelding is still strutting his stuff at venues as far apart as Thirsk and Bath.
In a secret pact The Boss, Tuite and Lord Ilsley have agreed to try to find a race all three of their juveniles can contest, while not abandoning the possibility of a private sweepstakes over six furlongs on the winter ground.
However, that plan now looks unlikely to come to fruition as Blandy's Wood scored so impressively in the Windsor seller on Monday that her rating is sure to jump a few notches, giving her the edge over Fraamington who to his credit keeps knocking on the door for his sand-loving owner.
Perhaps Sheikh Channon should think about an all-weather run for this particularly attractive son of Fraam? Anyway, suffice to say the Windsor race has acted as a catalyst for some furious debate in the jeep as to which one of these renowned horses is indeed the best. Arguments are sure to rage in the jeep on Friday - and i'll missit!
OCT