Red Verdon
We had a little rain last night and the Long gallop on the Limekilns was very heavily used this morning. We took some older horses up there and then took some two year-olds onto the Golden Mile on the Limekilns which was not riding quite as slow.
Fabulous Red ran extremely well on debut yesterday and if she had had some luck she may well have won. I was happy with the way she finished off her race and I hope we can find a little race for her that she can win next time. Chocolate Account needs to drop back in trip on better ground and Incredible Red seemed to struggle in the ground. Sukoot was a little disappointing up at Newcastle and he will probably need to step back up in trip.
We have eight runners across five different meetings today. Red Verdon runs in the Fred Archer at 2:05 and although he is dropping in grade, it looks like a strong race for the level. Midterm looked promising when he won the Derby Trial last year at Sandown and he his Newbury third is the best recent form on offer. Second Step is back in form this season and he won nicely at Goodwood, he carries a penalty but can’t be discounted. Mount Logan is useful and will enjoy the surface whilst Platitude is the type of horse his trainer excels with but it is his seasonal debut and he is unlikely to be peaking for this race. Lord Yeats deserves a shot at this company after an impressive handicap win last time. Our horse has become a little lazy and I felt that the blinkers could just help spark him into life. All his good form last year was on an easy surface, it may well be that now he encounters softer ground for the first time this season we may see the Red Verdon of 2016 and if we do then he will have a very good chance. He was not disgraced last time in the Coronation Cup and he has had a little break after three quick runs, he seems well in himself and I’m looking forward to watching him this afternoon.
Tadleel is the only horse with experience in the 3:50. We were disappointed with him at Newbury as he had been going nicely at home and we hope his disappointing effort was due to the very soft ground there. It won’t be as soft today as it was there and he has been pleasing me in his homework, so I hope he can run well. It is a Newmarket Maiden and there are some likely types in opposition such as Dukhan, Jack Regan and the well named Letsbe Avenue.
I have sent two horses up to Chester. Mudallel is back up in trip after getting tapped for toe over 6f at Windsor. He was far too keen on seasonal debut and I dropped him in trip to teach him to settle. He is not well drawn in stall seven but I hope he can break well and secure a good position, they go faster around Chester and I hope this will allow him to settle. If he does he should have strong claims in a race that lacks depth. Michael’s Mount drops back in trip to twelve furlongs at Chester after he failed to stay 2m at Goodwood last time. He has won both times he has run when there has been soft in the going description and I hope he can make it third time lucky today. We have changed the headgear to blinkers and I hope they can prove to be beneficial. It’s a competitive affair, Cotinga looks to be the biggest danger off a low weight but has been drawn one stall wider than us in stall nine. Monaco Rose has been in form and Modernism and Hochfeld both have a race in them.
Al Nafoorah has been ultra-consistent this season and we finally got it right with her when she won well last time. They have had a little rain at Windsor but she is very versatile in regards to the surface. She will have to run right up to her best as the 5:00 0-75 fillies’ handicap is a competitive affair with Many Dreams in good form, Whispered Kiss has been winning on the all-weather and Passcode is more than likely better than what she showed last time. Our filly is fresh and well and is very tough and I hope now she has won once we can win with her again.
Enola runs in the 6:40 at Lingfield run over 1m4f. She has won over the course and distance and we felt it was worth heading back there again for this 0-70 handicap. King Of Scotland is lightly raced and could still be well handicapped. Mr Scaff was third behind him last time and has had more racing but has claims whilst Star Maker has some decent pieces of form and Too Many Shots has ability. Our filly won a bad race last time but she did travel well and was a little green, so she is entitled to improve. Indian Warrior has obvious claims in the following 5f Novice. He was just run out of things at Windsor and Zalshah was just behind us. Special Purpose has been well backed however and she is a daughter of the Sire of the moment Scat Daddy. She will have to be above average to win on her first start and we cannot run away from her but she may well be. Our colt tries hard, he is consistent and I think he will be versatile in ground, he may well improve for a sixth furlong in time.
Ruysch is our sole runner up at Doncaster and she makes her debut in the fillies’ Novice at 6:25 over 7f. The ground is a slight question mark and she will come on for this first start but I hope she can show us some promise for the future. Sultanaa sets the standard and is the only filly that has shown a fair level of ability out of those to have run. Model is well bred and her sire’s progeny like soft ground and Zoffinia hails from a stable that have been flying with their two year olds. We seem to have some solid chances and I hope we can get some winners on the board.