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Today's best bets, by Will Hayler
Racing's rumour mill does get it horribly wrong sometimes. Let's not forget the time that Darryll Holland was backed into 1-2 to be named as stable jockey at Ballydoyle in 2005, or that Pat Smullen was the hot favourite to get the same job this time last year with one newspaper going so far as to say the job's his.
Yes, a few people on Twitter are adamant that Ryan Moore will be moving to Ireland for the same gig next year, but I'll be holding fire before going around describing it as a done deal as some were at Newmarket on Saturday.
O'Brien laughed it off as pure speculation but he did an interesting double take when interviewed on Racing UK after the victory of Wading in the Rockfel Stakes when Nick Luck asked him whether Ryan Moore had said anything after the race that would be of use for next year?.
The trainer paused and slightly prickled before going on to give another answer that involved "the lads" and how they would make decisions about running plans. It was an interesting exchange. Afterwards, Luck apologised and said he hadn't meant to imply anything in the question and O'Brien smiled and said Ryan "never has much to say" at the best of times, but it was an interesting exchange.
Will Moore leave Newmarket next year for a new life in Ireland? Plenty of people certainly seem to think so but I'm not sure. Time will tell.
After a good day's work at Newmarket, O'Brien suffered disappointment at Keeneland on Saturday night when Together and Zoffany were both turned over.
Zoffany finished last in the Shadwell Mile, which was won by veteran Gio Ponti, while Jersey Stakes third Western Aristocrat won on his final start for Jeremy Noseda in the Jamaica Handicap and could go for the Breeders' Cup Mile once switched to the care of Steve Asmussen.
Compared to that sort of calibre of racing, Sunday's British action is a bit of a wet fish.
At Ffos Las, Havingotascoobydo (2.50) progressed over hurdles throughout last season and ought to make a mark as a chaser, while Minella For Party (5.30) cost a small fortune on the back of one impressive point-to-point victory and is clearly highly regarded.
Chapter And Verse (5.15) was unlucky off today's mark at Newmarket last time and usually competes at a higher level than today's 0-85 handicap at Goodwood.
In the Czech Republic, all eyes will be on Tiumen, who bids for a third victory in the Velka Pardubicka Chase, while his trainer-jockey Josef Vana, 58, will be looking for his ninth as a trainer and eighth as a jockey.
Racing UK plan to screen the 121st running of the grand steeplechase, race-clashes permittting. The race is due off at 3.25.
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Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2011/oct/09/talking-horses-9-october
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