23rd-Aug-2017

I am backing an old friend here in Ulysses. I can’t figure out why Barney Roy is a shorter price than Sir Michael Stoute’s horse, and the value in my book lies with Ulysses.

It should be a hell of a race between the pair of them and Churchill, but Ulysses beat Barney Roy in the Eclipse. Okay, so the Godolphin horse was coming back at Ulysses again at the line, but it is probable that Ulysses was idling, not tiring. Jim Crowley had delivered him with his run to win his race, he got there, he won his race, and then he seemed to conclude that he had done enough. The champion jockey will probably ride him even more patiently today, and there is no uphill finish at York, not like at Sandown.

As well as that, the weight-for-age terms have changed since early July, Ulysses will meet Barney Roy on 3lb better terms today compared with the terms on which he met him in the Eclipse. Barney Roy may be improving as a three-year-old, but he has to improve by 3lb just to stand still.

Ulysses ran a cracker in the King George last time, the soft ground and the 12 furlongs probably just caught him out against a top class filly, who is now warm favourite for the Arc. It was a big run, and it proved that he will be fine even if the ground turns soft today, back over 10 furlongs.

He has never run at York, which is a little bit of a worry, but nor have Barney Roy nor Churchill.  Nor Cliffs Of Moher. Both Aidan O’Brien horses are obviously big players, and it is a fascinating race, but I think that Ulysses should be favourite, and he is over-priced in my book.

ULYSSES WON (SP 4/1)