Red Verdon
It is a cool morning here at HQ but we are thankfully not experiencing temperatures below freezing. A significant amount of the yearlings are now here at La Grange and I am enjoying watching them start their education on the heath.
We only have ten horses that are ready to run at the moment and we are running four of them today. We run two at Wolverhampton this afternoon and two at Kempton this evening. Colourful Career runs in the 7f Maiden at Wolverhampton at 12:15. He has shown that he possesses ability in all of his starts and I am hoping that a recent gelding operation will help draw out some improvement from him. Gustavo Fring showed plenty of ability on his debut and if he is ready to roll after a layoff then he looks to be our biggest danger from stall one. Secret Return does not have to find much on official figures and having only had the one start she also poses a threat. De Little Engine is another who has run to a mark in the early 70s last time and it is a trappy race. Cue’s Folly makes her debut in the 1:45 and she is a daughter of Nathaniel who will benefit a fair deal from her first start and she is likely to need further in time.
Arnarson has never been out of the first four on all of his starts on the all-weather but he is still yet to get his head in front. He was arguably unlucky last time as he missed the break in the first time blinkers and I decided to run him again this evening as he has come out of that race well and is two pounds well in this evening given his mark went up to 70 yesterday morning. His 6f 0-75 handicap at 5:40 looks typically competitive and open and Redcar winner Straight Away looks the most unexposed of the field. Having won a bad Maiden on debut she then ran no at Southwell but she would not be the first horse that failed to act on the surface there and she could be a danger tonight given she is bred to be better than her mark. Geoff Potts is a consistent sort who has won over course and distance and he finished one place behind Pretty Bubbles last time who was returning to form having tumbled down the weights. Bahamian Heights is well handicapped but is slowly out the stalls and he will need some luck in running and a slowly run race would count against him. Higher Court is another consistent sort who won last time and cannot be discounted. I expect Arnarson to run well but given his profile it is hard to be more confident than that, it would be fantastic if he can finally get it right this evening.
Red Verdon runs in the Listed Wild Flower Stakes at 6:40. It has attracted a good field given the time of year and on ratings we all have to beat Mountain Bell who is entitled to come on for her promising fourth last time. She can be a little keen but I would expect her to race more prominently than she did last time, around here. If she takes to the surface then she will be a tough opponent to crack. Red Verdon has been in good heart since his latest run when he was a little unlucky over course and distance as he could not get a clear run down the outside and I felt if we had one run at Titi Makfi down the wide outside she may not have been able to respond and having to switch cost us a little ground. We are drawn better this evening and I hope we can secure a good position and he should not be too far away.
Daphne may ideally want a stiffer test than the 1m4f around Kempton but she is in good heart and got the better of a decent filly who nearly always runs her race, last time. Master The World shoulders a penalty for his recent win in the Churchill Stakes and he has never won at a trip beyond 1m2f but he is in good heart and cannot be ignored. Western Hymn has a lot of weight and needs to step forward on what he showed when fifth in the race Red Verdon was second in last time. The rest have it to do on ratings but Great Court is an improving sort who gets the allowances and cannot be ignored whilst Not So Sleep is a horse with ability who returns from a break. It should be a good race and it would be fantastic if Red Verdon could finish his campaign with a win.