Sunday’s race opener cancelled due to bad weather

By The Squirrel

Like it or not, we are governed by weather patterns. Latest casualty is Ngong racecourse. This means Sunday’s horse racing season opener is cancelled. Trainers wisely did not declare any runners as the course is completely savaged by drought, and, base layer murram. The AGM is being moved until October 4, when conditions should have improved.

Results of the Doncaster Ladbrokes St Leger were significant for Godolphin’s stable who have been uncharacteristically annonymous in the winner’s enclosure. Mastery (Ted Duncan 14-1), secured Godolphin’s first British Classic in five seasons to put the famous ‘team in blue’ back on scoreboards. Rule of Law won for them in 2004.

The finish was a one-two for Sheikh Mohammed. Mastery beat the more fancied Kite Wood (Frankie Dettori 9-4) by 3/4 of a length. Kite Wood had the race sealed at 250 metres, but Mastery was ready to pounce just behind. They fought off Monitor Closely (Jimmy Fortune 6-1), in third. Monitor Closely’s copnnections paid a supplementary fee of $50,000, collecting clean profits of $20,000.

Trainer, Saeed Bin Suroor, was silently confident. Ted Duncan was a bit keen with his whip earning himself a suspension of 24 hours. He rides for Godolphin every winter in Dubai.

Aiden O’Brien’s Changingoftheguard was sixth and Jawlensky eigth. Not a good day for him as his Yeats tailed off in the Irish St. Leger. Compensation came with Santo Padre (Colm O’Donoghue 6-1), in the Portland Handicap.