Capricious Cantor
An absolutely beautiful day here at HQ. The sun is shining and there is not a breath of wind. The forecast remains dry and those hoping for fast ground at Royal Ascot next week are likely to be granted their wish.
I was delighted with Opposition up at York, he settled beautifully and showed great tenacity in holding off Panko. Adam felt he will get further and I hope we can eek out some more improvement from him when we step him up in trip. Blushing Red was too keen at his first try over 1m6f and I think we need to drop him back to 1m4f and find some easier ground for him.
We run two horses this evening and two horses tomorrow. King Kevin runs in the 5:50 at Lingfield this evening. He showed a glimmer of ability on his handicap debut and Silvestre felt he has a race in him over this trip. We are running him back very quickly but it looks a bad race and with opportunities limited at this level it is worth taking a chance. Sparkle runs in the 6f fillies’ handicap at 7:20. It looks a strong race but we need to start her back somewhere and this looked like a good starting point. She should be doing her best work late on but she may be better over 7f.
Capricious Cantor has travelled over to France in preparation for the Prix Urban Sea (Listed) at Le Lion D’Angers which is run at 4pm on Sunday UK time. It looked like a very good opportunity for her but the Group placed filly Via Firenze has been supplemented by Pia Brandt. Game Theory is a proven Listed performer but carries a penalty for a previous Listed success and Astral Merit and Mint Julep are very closely matched with us on ratings. Mint Julep is most likely the biggest danger of the two as she is more unexposed and has been Listed placed over a little further. Astral Merit is in the form of her life and has been winning handicaps but she has fallen short at this level before. The other three fillies need to improve to figure. We have drawn well in stall two, the ground should be well watered which should suit and the filly is in fantastic form so we hope she can come home with some Black Type but on ratings Via Firenze is going to be very difficult to beat, on a positive note she has not won since breaking her Maiden so hopefully there will be some chinks in her armour.
Weloof runs at Doncaster in the 4:30 tomorrow. He broke his Maiden well at Wolverhampton and we were at a loss to explain his last run as he was never travelling. We hope we have him back in good form and he is a horse who has plenty of ability. This will be his first run on this ground and we hope it will suit. It looks an open race and we have the man of the moment Silvestre De Sousa on board so we head there hopeful but not confident.