Seconds Out: Oli Bell's Monthly Blog

Hello RaceSharers,

It’s time for my latest RaceShare blog and given the Flat season is now underway after the Lincoln last Saturday, I've decided to mark your cards with a few Flat horses to follow. Obviously we will be tracking the every move of the
RaceShare horses and trust me you will be kept very well updated but here are a few from outside our squad I expect to have a big season.

Auguste Rodin
Yes, I know, 0 points for originality with this one but I truly believe this 3yo colt has the world at his feet this year. In a recent stable tour Aidan O’Brien flagged him as a horse capable of winning the Triple Crown (Guineas, Derby, St Leger). I appreciate the Coolmore operation are well versed at promoting their stock but even by their standards that is quite a tag to place on a horse’s head before he runs as a 3yo. I think it may very well prove to be entirely vindicated and whilst I expect this horse to really thrive at middle distances, I do think he possesses enough weapons to win the first Classic of the season over 1m.

Ponga
He is an Acclamation 2yo trained by my Uncle, Michael Bell who looks sharp and early, he’ll be out in a five-furlong novice soon and I know the team at Fitzroy House are hoping he could make up into a Royal Ascot two-year-old. They’ve had a bit of success recently with 2yo’s at Ascot in recent years and whether that’s a coincidence or a slight change in approach with the horses they're buying, I’m not entirely sure but nevertheless given the conversations I’ve had with the team there, it's probably worth keeping an eye on Ponga.

Marbaan
I spoke to Charlie Fellowes about this horse recently and this is what he told me: "He's entered in the Guineas, he was a Group 2 winner at Goodwood last year in the Vintage Stakes. I don’t quite know what happened after that, he travelled great in Ireland but didn’t quite get home and then I’m not sure he was suited by Newmarket in the Dewhurst at the end of a long year. I have a feeling this fella is going to come back sprinting this year, he’s by Oasis Dream and is a big, strong colt with plenty of speed. We’ll look at the Greenham but I’d say the Pavilion Stakes might be for him and hopefully he could be a Commonwealth Cup horse after that. He’s wintered well and looks fantastic." He looked really good when he won at Goodwood and I think Charlie, who is set for a big year after a Doncaster double, could have a horse to take him to the top table this season.

Like A Tiger
James Ferguson had a breakout year in 2022 and I think after proving his talents in the training ranks it is reasonable to expect another big season from him. His horse Like A Tiger is a 3yo Farhh colt, out of a mare called Last Tango In Paris. He’s a very likeable horse, loves the soft ground and won when last seen at Kempton in November, beating a nice horse called Umberto over a mile. He’s developed nicely from two to three and his pedigree suggests he’ll stay a mile and a half. Speaking to James, the plan is to start in a mile and a quarter handicap and hopefully he’ll progress into pattern races.

Highfield Princess
Another one that isn’t going to win me prizes for originality but it was so great for myself and the RaceShare owners to get to meet Highfield Princess on a recent stable tour at John Quinn’s where we also saw our RaceShare horse Red Mirage. The big sprint races will no doubt feature some horses from Down Under later this year but Highfield Princess is very much the queen of the division having had such a great year last campaign. I expect her to be the one they all have to beat once again and it’ll take a very good one from anywhere in the world if they are to take her crown.

So that’s a few horses for your notebooks for the Flat season but before I sign off in this monthly Seconds Out column, you’re probably all keeping one eye on the upcoming Grand National and I do think that last year’s winner Noble Yeats is going to be very hard to beat once again. Obviously he has to carry more weight this year (and rightly so) but his Gold Cup run was very good and a clear indication he has the talent to carry the weight. We may be guilty of over complicating the puzzle because I don’t think the race is as much of a lottery as in years gone by, and he has all the credentials to win it, as demonstrated 12 months ago. Outside of him, Le Milos is a big player given how he travels and jumps, and at a big price, Carefully Selected might be a forgotten horse at a big price given his back class.

I hope you enjoy the race and the Flat season ahead and we are all really excited about seeing the RaceShare horses on the track.