A warm and pleasant morning continuing the good weather from over the weekend.
Both of our runners performed creditably at Epsom on Saturday. Dutch Uncle hung down the camber but stuck on well and the form is likely to prove rock solid. Oasis Fantasy was checked at an important stage but flew home late and he looked a little unlucky. He continues to improve this year.
I was pleased with Manndawi’s comeback at the Curragh yesterday. He travelled well and was caught in a pocket but stayed on purposefully when in the clear. The return to further will most definitely suit and we will get him home later today before planning our next steps.
Two runners this afternoon. The return to better ground should suit Mahsooba in the mile handicap at Thirsk and she has fallen down the weights following two average runs at Nottingham. However, her reappearance fifth at Redcar has worked out nicely and this is another drop in grade. Stall 12 is not ideal, but the absence of market leader Multi Grain will help our cause.
Cogent runs at Windsor this evening and he should know more following his debut seventh last month.
Four declarations for Wednesday this morning. Dark Red and Vereri Senes will head to Haydock while Kitten’s Red and Justice first are bound for Kempton.
We have nine domestic meetings closing today on what promises to be a manic weekend. We made 17 entries across Saturday and Sunday and they will take some sorting out, with the prospect of rain later in the week another spanner to throw into the works.
Finally, Derby day was the magnificent spectacle everyone was hoping for with Golden Horn and Frankie emerging triumphant. The winner was simply brilliant and the form ought to prove strong when the three-year-olds tackle the older horses later in the year – not something I expected to be saying about the current crop a month ago! And American Pharoah carved himself into legend in New York – what a remarkably tough and resilient animal he is. Bob Baffert has trained him beautifully.
More tomorrow. Ed