Neil Callan Blog: Flat Restructure, Cieren Fallon Fine & Goodwood Rides

12/03/2023
6 min. read
Neil Callan blog
888sport
By 888sport

Neil Callan (@neilcallan78) chats to 888sport about racing's current superstar Baaeed, a ridiculous fine for Cieren Fallon and a decent book of rides at Glorious Goodwood on Saturday

Restructuring of Flat Racing

There’s hasn’t been much detail so far, but as I’ve said plenty of times over the past couple of months, there’s far too much racing and there needs to be better prize money. If there’s less racing, you should be able to create better prize money.

What I would say is that I’ve got a lot of time for Peter Saville. He’s been the head of the BHA before – he’s very direct and a very good businessman. I like that sort of person.

He will have put a lot of thought into the proposal and he’s a good man to have back on our side. Let’s hope they all listen to what he’s proposing.

Goodwood Rides on Saturday

My first ride is BAGUE D’OR in the Summer Handicap (2:10) for Chris Wall. We’ve built up a good relationship and he was very good at Ascot last time.

At Newmarket the time before, he only just got the job done, but I thought he took a step forward at Ascot.

He idled a bit in front, his nearest challenger was out wide and he didn’t have much to guide him to the line. He’s kept himself under the radar with the handicapper.

This is another test, another step up. It’s a competitive race on a tricky track, but I think Goodwood will suit him.

He’s well balanced, travels well and you need a bit of speed at the end which he has. The faster they go the better, hopefully we’ll get a nice tow into the race.

Goodwood isn’t an easy track to ride, it’s often the one who plays his hand last that wins. You can overthink a race and go out there with this and that plan, but you just have to take it as it comes.

The most important thing is to keep your horse balanced. You’re up and down all the time and horses tend to roll back to the inside rail. You have to be on the ball, keep your horse balanced and you absolutely need a horse that can travel.

Bague D’Or can and it’s just whether he can take the next step up. He’s won his last two, he’s improving and he must have a chance in a competitive race.

The big race of the day is the Stewards’ Cup (3:20) where I’m on WHENTHEDEALISDONE for Roger Teal. I’ve ridden him on both his starts this season.

He wasn’t quite right at Newmarket first time up, so Roger gave him some time and he ran really well at Ascot last time. That felt like the perfect trial going to Goodwood. He’s been running over five furlongs but six is definitely his trip.

I won this race back in 2013 on Rex Imperator for William Haggas. He had to be played late and was the only horse on the bridle a furlong and a half out. I’d say Whenthedealisdone is a similar type of horse.  

I’m not too fussed about the draw, it’s where the speed is, but Rex won from 26 and we’re in 25 so that may be a good place to be.

He’ll make his own luck, he’ll either be good enough or he won’t, but it’s a wide-open race and he’s going there in good form.

Next up is GRAIGNES in the last (4:30) for George Baker. He was beaten just a length in the Group 1 Criterium International as a two-year-old and has flip-flopped between France and England since.

This is his second spell with George and he ran a more promising race at Windsor last time. I don’t think he’d want the ground to be too quick, though.

Baaeed The Machine

Baaeed was ultra-impressive in the Sussex Stakes on Wednesday, he’s a brilliant horse to watch. I think he’ll go to the Juddmonte International next and win there.

That will be great for him. If they can win at a mile and a quarter, it’s hugely important for their stallion career. He’ll definitely get a mile and a quarter round a flat track like York.

Frankel’s performance when he won the Juddmonte was astonishing. I rode in that race and it was unbelievable what he did from the three to two pole.

I caught a glimpse of him in the corner of my eye and he just came through them all like a steam train. It was at the point of the race when everyone is trying to make their move and I remember just thinking “wow, what is this?”

I’d say if Baaeed goes and wins at York, he’d definitely be the best horse we’ve seen since Frankel over a mile or a mile and a quarter.

Goodwood Cup

What a brilliant race to watch and exactly what racing needs.

You get these horse welfare people whinging about our sport and then you see these top-class stayers like Kyprios, Stradivarius and Trueshan, some of them who have been around for years, battling it out in a proper finish.

It was the perfect advert for our sport of kings.

Cieren Fallon Fine

I couldn’t believe it when I heard Cieren had been fined for swearing at the start, what an absolute joke.

In every walk of life, stewards or non-stewards, are you telling me nobody swears or uses bad language? Apparently the vet heard it, did he or she have nothing else to do? Who cares?

It’s just another case of unnecessary negative attention on the sport – it’s not even a story. Once again, they do nothing about the big issues, but then for something like this they have an enquiry. It’s pathetic. 

FIRST PUBLISHED: 21st July 2022

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