These are not recommended bets........

[Friday]

Elarqam was a ready winner at Newmarket today. He is a Frankel colt trained by Mark Johnston, who trained the dam, Attraction to win the 1,000 Guineas, the Irish 1,000 Guineas and the Group 1 Coronation Stakes (Royal Ascot). That is breeding to die for, and it is not hard to imagine that Johnston must have been nursing this colt carefully to have maximum impact, being out of the best filly he has trained. His debut at York, where he won by over three lengths despite running green promised better to come, and he delivered further improvement today.

This season is seeing the second crop of horses by Frankel, and owners and trainers are naturally learning more and more about the capabilities and optimum racing conditions of his progeny. It is extremely exciting for devotees of the turf. Frankel's sire Galileo has been champion sire for most of the last ten seasons. Galileo's sire, Saddler's Wells was champion sire over 14 different seasons. Saddler's Wells' sire Norther Dancer was champion sire in Britain and Ireland across four seasons between 1970 and 1984. Given his early fertility, and the promising nature of several of his offspring to date, it looks highly probable that Frankel will become the fourth generation of his bloodline to become champion sire.

All this is not to say that every horse sired by Frankel will win every race it runs in - quite the reverse. But his unexposed offspring who are either debuting or running off just one run are of increasing interest - especially when they appear at the better meetings and on the higher profile tracks. Three runners tomorrow (Day Two of the Newmarket Cambridgeshire Meeting) in particular caught my eye.

1.50 LA FIGLIA

I saw Frankel on course at York when he won the Juddmonte International (Group 1). It was the most memorable day I have ever had on course. I saw Lady Figlia's dam Finsceal Beo win at Longchamps on Arc Day in 2006, when Lady Kaht and I were in Paris celebrating our Silver Wedding Anniversary. La Figlia finished second at Kempton on debut under Ryan Moore, when she ran green. Tomorrow Frankie is up. She has been backed in from an opening show of 25/1, but 16/1 (Boylesports) and 14/1 (Bet365) is still available. I'm taking a chance.

3.00 LIGHTENING QUICK

By Frankel out of Lightening Pearl, a Group 1 winning Irish filly. Comes here off the back of winning from a field of 18 in a Leopardstown maiden. She needs to find improvement, but looks chock full of potential for further improvement. The fact that the trainer pitches her in to Group 2 company here after just a maiden win is a tip in itself. She is available at 5/1.

4.10 ELWAZIR

By Frankel out of Dash To The Front, who was by Nashwan and won at Listed level. The trainer (Owen Burrows) has been doing extremely well of late and has had this two year old all season, but only now turns him out at one of the bigger meetings. Total speculation really, but the 8/1 with Bet365 looks interesting.

Now, these three horses are not ones I could present you with a cast-iron form case for. But often in horseracing it pays to have an eye to the pattern of events rather than become too bogged down with figures. That is where you tend to find a bit of value in the market. So I'm not advising anyone to back these, but I'm having a go and just one of them getting home would turn a profit.

 

Had a 1£ ew patent . Cheers