It is dry and blustery in Newmarket currently but the winds will be picking up later in the day. There was more rain overnight at Ascot and the ground will be genuinely soft with a potential headwind making life very difficult for the horses.
Hazarfan ran well yesterday and he is a horse who will improve for middle distances next year. We knew we were taking on a nice horse and Stephensons Rocket looks very useful but it looked the right race to go to given its lack in depth and I was happy he stuck on well for second.
Dark Red is our only runner today in the Balmoral Handicap at Ascot. It looks a very good race as usual and there are a few horses that are well running off marks lower than their official ratings. Lord Glitters ran a huge race last time and he looks the biggest danger to me in this ground, he shaped as if he would improve for an extra furlong last time. Zabeel Prince looked a Group horse in the making last week and won with great authority, if he backs that run up he will not be far away. The Grape Escape has bounced back to form the last twice and he looks another horse who will hold his own in Group company.
Our horse will enjoy the soft ground and if the blinkers work again I hope he can run a nice race. It is a drop back in trip to a mile but he has the proven stamina and it should be a test at the trip and I hope he can be doing his best work in the final furlong. The draw is an unknown but he can shift to his left so if there is enough pace on his side then it should be an advantage for him.
It looks a fantastic day of racing and despite the weather there should be plenty of displays that light up Ascot. Order Of St George and Harry’s Angel look standouts given their ability to handle this ground well but it is the end of October and at the end of a long season you can never quite tell what might happen. The Champion Stakes itself is intriguing but on this softer ground the ten furlong trip should not be a problem for Cracksman and it will be interesting to see if he can win his first Group 1 race.