Ramonti Rules

- Queen Elizabeth II Stakes winner Ramonti is unlikely to run in the Breeders' Cup. Godolphin's racing manager Simon Crisford told the UK's Sporting Life:

"He's had a tough six months and he has probably done enough. Sheikh Mohammed has the call, but Monmouth Park and the Breeders' Cup probably would not suit him.

"There is Hong Kong, but he will stay in training next year."

I was watching the coverage of the British racing on TVG this morning. But it didn't seem like many of the U.S. bettors were watching. All the talk from Ascot was that a soft course would detract from the chances of the filly Darjina. A bookmaker interviewed during the telecast said that, with the change in the course condition, Darjina had drifted up to 7-2/4-1. Yet in the U.S. pool, she went off as the 7-5 favorite!

The same gentleman said that Excellent Art was the horse they didn't want to win, because he was supposed to like the turf conditions. But Aiden O'Brien said that the horse does his best racing on a firmer turf.

I imagine that the bookies may have had an anxious moment when Excellent Art launched a big late rally, but there was no catching Frankie Dettori on Ramonti, a five-year old son of Martino Alonso (Marju), out of an El Gran Senor mare.

On this side of the pond, Darley unveiled an extremely impressive colt in Etched (Forestry), who I mentioned in an earlier post. He was pounded to 4-5, and made an extremely impressive paddock appearance; he looked physically imposing as compared to his fellow juveniles. He won going away in 1:09.72, and had a nice way of going with a fluid stride after easing around the leaders while four wide on the turn.