SCOOP 6 BONUS SELECTION 17TH JUNE 2023

Back then I just knew we would go on and win it. I had that feeling and felt it was written in the script. The very first race on that day we tipped up a horse called Scriptwriter who went on to win and that was after all week I kept telling everyone it is written in the script.

7 months on and I am getting the same vibes, I am getting the same feeling, almost like this is part of the masterplan.

All of you would not know this but the story started a month ago when we were playing the Scoop 6 on Saturday 20th May.

I make the selections and start studying a few days before. On the morning of the races, I often draw up the perm and then ring Tony to confirm which horses can be taken off, based on the amount of money in the pot. On the 20th May I firmly said ”whatever you do under any circumstances, do not leave out QUINAULT”.

The reason behind this was simply because I have a son called ”QUINLAN’ and it is not often you hear a horse’s name with ‘Quin’. If we left Quinault out and that cost us the Scoop 6, well I wouldn’t be a very happy man. 

Fast forward to this weekend and now we are playing the Scoop 6 Bonus for £155k, my six sense is telling we may have had a premonition a month ago and all I can hear ringing through my ears is ”whatever you do under any circumstances, do not leave out QUINAULT”.

At the time of writing (11am Friday morning), QUINAULT is the current 7/1 favourite, so after what has happened, what has been said, what my son’s name is, there is no way I can leave QUINAULT out. If he was in at 25/1, it may be a different story but how can I not go with the favourite after such events. Although looking at the market we have another horse in the race who is being backed, believe it or not, called ”Quintus Arrius” and I am cautious he could throw a spanner in the works but at the end of the day, it is what it is and we only have one selection. 

Although you are all reading this and thinking it is just about the name, even if my son was not called Quinlan, QUINAULT would most probably be my selection as I have been following this horse all season since he switched to Stuart Williams and he has won 4 races on the bounce.

The trainer has really got to the bottom of the horse as he is a very quirky horse who up until February was owned by Goldolphin and trained by Charlie Appleby. Goldolphin paid a huge £310k for him in April 2022 at the breeze up sales, meaning they must have liked what they saw. 6 months later and they sold the horse for a bargain £25k, just an unbelievable buy from Stuart Williams. 

QUINAULT may have had his quirks but he is a very well bred horse by Oasis Dream and out of Queimada. Queimada is an unraced mare but her Dam, Quetena, has produced horses like Sharja Bridge (by Oasis Dream) who was trained by Roger Varian and rated 111, winning £220k in prize money. She also produced a horse called Quidura, an American horse trained by Chad Brown who won two group 2 races, accumulating £580k in prize money. She also produced a horse called Querari (by Oasis Dream), who was trained in Germany and she won a Group 1, accumulating £182k in prize money. 

This shows when you put Oasis Dream, the sire of QUINAULT, with this family, they often produce a top class horse. 

With all the quirks that QUINAULT has, no doubt he has lots of ability and is from very good stock.

Trainer Stuart Williams has also found out that the horse just likes to get on with things by going from the front and drawn in 20, it can only help him as he will be able to grab the rail and get a bit of guidance. 

QUINAULT is rated 85 by the handicapper and I just feel he could have a few more pounds improvement. 

They are even using 5lb claimer Connor Planas which brings his mark down to 80 which was the same mark he was on when winning at Newmarket last month. I think Connor Planas is an excellent up and coming jockey. He is neat and tidy in the saddle, tucks himself in well and is a model example of an apprentice whose body is in all the right positions when riding a horse.  The jockey also comes into the race with two wins on the bounce over the last week, so we know he will be full of confidence. 

Furthermore York is a course which suits a front runner and QUINAULT has to be thereabouts come the end of the race.

As I said back in November, ”if you believe something will happen enough”, it WILL happen and as 22 runner handicaps go, I am as confident as they come.

Come on QUINAULT let’s do this and as always I know my late mother will be looking over us all.