Red Verdon
Another beautiful day here at HQ and it feels like summer has arrived. It has been very beneficial to be able to take the horses onto the grass canters and it helps bring the youngsters on but if this weather continues we will soon be restricted to the all-weather and the watered gallops once more.
It was an extremely frustrating day on Tuesday with all four of my horses running well but we unfortunately left Nottingham without a winner. Global Exceed was well beaten in third but the ground was possibly not to his liking and he ran with credit. Carol looked to have saw off all challengers before Harebell swopped to pick her off late on. This was a brave effort and the winner looked a stronger stayer, I am sure there is a race in her before long. Sporting Times held strong claims on the form book but he got tired on his seasonal return and finished fourth, I hope to see more from him next time. Al Nafoorah looked to have mounted a winning challenge before she was beaten by a horses with only three runs under his belt. This was another brave effort and I would love to see her get her head in front soon as she deserves to win a race having finished second on all three starts this year.
We run seven horses today across three meetings. Zamadance is our first runner up at Catterick in the 4:05. Looking at his opponents the Sir Mark horse is the obvious known unknown as he steps up from seven furlongs to twelve furlongs in one fell swoop, we will have to see how much he improves for this step up in trip. La Vie En Rose looked to stay well last time and will more than likely be handy from a good draw. Breakwater Bay just got beaten over this trip recently and is three pounds well in whilst Log Off won over shorter last time at Wolverhampton and has to prove he stays. Our horse shaped as though this new trip would suit last time and if his debut run has knocked the freshness out of him then I am sure he will be able to stay the trip well. He had one standout piece of form on turf last season and if he can run close to that he would hold every chance in an open race.
Red Verdon and Munaashid both head to Sandown this evening. If we had waited until the weekend with Red Verdon the ground would have got too fast and so we are taking our chance in the Brigadier Gerard. The hot favourite So Mi Dar does not run which opens up the race and there is now a field of seven. Steel Madrid is now the favourite and he ran a career best when winning the Earl Of Sefton Stakes. The front pair pulled a long way clear and Folkswood has since finished third in the Huxley Stakes at Chester. Mondialiste has won an Arlington Million and if he comes back to his best he will be a big danger. Chain Of Daisies was a big improver towards the back end of last year and accounted for Ulysses at Windsor on her last start but she does make her seasonal debut today. Algometer is a horse we know well from last year and like us he may ideally want more give and a little further. Autocratic and Baydar both have similar profiles in that they were both progressive handicappers last season and whilst they both disappointed when stepping up in class, they can both be given another chance in this company. Our horse will come on from his debut and Pat Smullen said he got tired and will improve from Chester. If we can get him back to the form he was in last year then he will have a chance this evening and he seems well at home but he will be better at 1m4f.
Munaashid makes his seasonal debut this evening and his debut for us. He has pleased us at home and has done everything we have asked him to do easily but this is very much a starting point for him. It will be lovely ground for him and we hope he acquits himself but we feel he will want 1m2f in the future. It is a competitive race but we would like to see him finishing well over this stiff mile. Makzeem is lightly raced and bred in the purple and he has some solid form from last year. Foreful Appeal has won his last two and appeals most out of the longer priced horses and Midhmaar is entitled to come on for his seasonal debut where he was a creditable fourth.
King Kevin and Red Master both run in the Mile Maiden at Chelmsford. Both horses look like they need to enter handicap company before they can be competitive. Capricious Cantor and Dark Red both run in the valuable mile handicap at 8:00. Dark Red ran a really encouraging race at Newbury and he had to race on his own during the business end of the race, so it was a better run that it looks on first glance. He has come out of that race well and with the ground drying up on the turf and the good prize money on offer here this evening, I felt it was worth him taking his chance this evening. Capricious Cantor is coming back from a long absence as we turned her out last year after Royal Ascot and so she has not run since last June. This is a starting point for her but she is well drawn and I hope she can run respectably. I do feel she will be better when she steps up to 1m4f in the future however. This is Dark Red’s optimum trip and if he can get a good position from stall ten and he doesn’t feel the effect of Saturday’s run, he looks to hold strong claims. Fanciful Angel has some smart form and could be a big danger stepping up in trip, Qaffaal is a course specialist to be respected and if you forgive Repercussion is disappointing run on soft ground at York then he is also a horse to fear.