Tom gives his thoughts this morning.
Quite fresh and pleasant this morning with a dry day forecast.
We worked six two-year-olds on the Al Bahathri first lot including our Newbury winner Qeyaadah, who remains on course for the Coventry at Royal Ascot. Angus Gold and Richard Hills were in attendance.
So too were Bill and Tim Gredley to see their Queensbury Odyssey, a Poet’s Voice first foal out of the Listed winner Russian Spirit. He will see the racecourse soon.
Mr Milmo joined us second and third lot to see his battalion alongside Mr and Mrs Allison. Debby’s Diner was back in full swing following a brief quiet spell.
Taqneen again ran below-par at Wolverhampton yesterday. He travelled quite nicely but couldn’t quicken when the gap appeared and he wasn’t going to win when the door closed on him in the straight. He has ability but is frustrating and we return to the drawing board now.
Four runners this afternoon – the ground has gone too soft at Nottingham for God Willing and he will run at Epsom on Friday instead. We still send Sporting Prince for the mile and six handicap and we are putting the blinkers on following an appalling performance at Lingfield. The return to turf and step up in trip should suit, but this is very much a fact-finding mission. Adam Kirby is on board.
Alan Turing, an Exceed And Excel half-brother to the useful Bremner, makes his debut at Chelmsford under Tom Queally and this should tell us more about him.
Seaworthy drops back in trip with the first-time blinkers applied at Wolverhampton and we are hoping she can show more now handicapping. She has travelled quite nicely in three mile and a quarter maidens without appearing to get home and she is a half-sister to an all-weather winner, hence why we switch to this surface. Jimmy Fortune rides.
Lastly, Field Of Light makes his handicap debut at Ripon following an encouraging third run in a Nottingham maiden last month. Tim Easterby’s Mystic Miraaj was badly drawn at Thirsk last time and is the one to beat, but our horse won’t mind the ease in the ground and he remains open to improvement in handicaps.
Three declarations this morning. God Willing will be joined at Epsom by Fieldsman in the seven furlong handicap, while Imvula heads to Goodwood for the fillies’ maiden.
A disappointing day for England at Headingley. New Zealand bowled superbly well again and a drawn series is probably a fair result.
Sepp Blatter is finally on his way out of Fifa – this is just the beginning of something much, much bigger I would have thought.
Finally, I have the privilege of attending the Derby Dinner at the Savoy Hotel this evening alongside my guests, William Fox-Pitt and Freddie Tulloch. The dinner has been on the go for over two centuries and the black-tie dress code and male-only guest list are signs of its age. I’m sure we will have an excellent night and I’m even more certain there will be plenty of bleary eyes on the Heath in the morning!
Ed