Both the fillies ran as expected last night at Kempton and should improve gradually and will be suited by staying handicaps.

At Royal Ascot today Inchina runs in the Ribblesdale Stakes which has a very competitive look about it with several fillies that were unlucky in the Oaks taking on each other again.  She was due to run last week in the Ballymacoll at Newbury but unfortunately she was heavily in season on the morning of the race. She is now out of season and as there are so few opportunities for her other than handicaps, we decided to let her take her chance but realistically she has a bit of a mountain to climb, but she should be suited by the slower ground.

Inchina

Trader Jack runs in the Britannia Stakes and I hope that he will be suited by dropping back two furlongs from his previous race at Goodwood where he was a little keen in the early stages. He is a big powerful colt who I hope will run well in a very competitive race as you would expect at this meeting and with 30 runners.

Trader Jack

Consenting runs for the first time in the 6 furlong maiden race a Warwick with Fergus Sweeney. She is a filly that was not in training as a two year old and therefore might lack a bit of experience, but she should handle the ground which is now soft and may get worse with more rain forecast.  She is a half sister to Definightly and an aunt to Bridge Night who has won twice recently as a two year old for Eve Johnson Houghton, so lets hope she keep up the family tradition.

Consenting

Bated Breath will definitely not be declared for the Diamond Jubilee so sadly will not have the opportunity to take on the mighty Black Caviar until the July Cup. It is extremely lucky that we decided to run on Tuesday in the Kings Stand Stakes as with heavy overnight rain and more expected before Saturday, the ground would certainly not have suited him.

Although it was frustrating to finish 2nd in yet another Group 1 race with Bated Breath, he did run another incredibly good race. James always had him in the right position and with a furlong to run, he had every chance but Little Bridge was unfortunately always travelling as well and we were unable to peg him back in the closing stages.  The ground was changed to good after the race but the time was still on the slow side compared to previous King Stand's run on good ground and James was of the opinion that quicker ground would have seen him produce a better turn of foot.   Bated Breath's form has been a model of consistency and confirmed his form yet again with Sole Power as well as with the winner who had finished a length and a quarter in front of us in Hong Kong in December.  At this stage, it is doubtful that he will reappear in the Diamond Jubilee at the weekend, unless something should happen to Black Caviar and Ascot missed the forecast rain due on Thursday and Friday.

We run two fillies in the same race at Kempton this evening. Douro makes her debut and will improve for the experience and Runway Girl having been rather disappointing on her first start at Newbury in the Spring should be suited by the faster ground but needs to improve.

Douro

Unfortunately Supreme Quest ran a bit too freely from her wide draw and did not get home over the 6 furlongs yesterday at Wolverhampton. Maybe a different course and dropping back to 5 furlongs would suit her better.  Cactus Valley (Ire) ran another consistent race to finish 4th at Windsor last night. He may well be suited by a mile and a half in the future and ought to be able to win a handicap at some stage.

Today our only runner is Bated Breath who heads to Ascot for the Kings Stand Stakes. I walked the course yesterday afternoon and thought that it was in great condition, very consistent with a good covering of grass. In my opinion, the ground staff have done a great job and I imagine that it will ride "good" today. With the forecast of more rain later in the week,  the Kings Stand Stakes should be a better option than the Diamond Jubilee on Saturday where I would be concerned where there might be a lack of front runners.  I hope that we have a good draw today and it will be helpful being drawn next door to Tangerine Trees who tends to make the running.

Bated Breath

Our trip to York was a bit of a waste of time as after more rain, the ground had deteriorated and according to James Doyle was heavy and unfortunately both Priceless Jewel and Tioman Legend could not cope at all with the conditions.  Rex Imperator ran as we expected at Sandown having missed the break he got a little unbalanced in the soft ground and should improve for the run.  For some unknown reason Tantamount hung badly right at Bath and Chris Catlin was unable to steer him round the bend so he was virtually pulled up.  Typically Salisbury had missed all the rain since Friday and the ground had dried out to being good and good to soft in places. After a certian amount of walking the track and discussion with his owners, we decided to let Definightly take his chance on ground that was too fast for him. In fact he ran extremely well to  finish 3rd, he is so consistent and gives pleasure to his owner/breeder.

Today we have two runners with Supreme Quest running in the 5.00pm at Wolverhampton, she deserves to win having run well in all her races but she would have been aided by a better draw. 

Supreme Quest

At Windsor Cactus Valley (Ire) runs in the 8.40pm a 10 furlong maiden race. His form continues to improve but there may be one or two that have a higher rating than him. 

Cactus Valley (Ire)

Rosie Probert ran well at Chepstow last night having looked like winning until the final furlong when she was just run out of it to finish a close 3rd. She handled the ground but perhaps is still a little inexperienced and compensation in a similar race should not be too far away.

We have got two runners at York this afternoon Tioman Legend and Priceless Jewel, both running in the valuable Bond Tyres Handicap at 3.10pm.  Priceless Jewel is a beautifully bred half sister to Tante Rose and has shown good improvement in her last two races and the form of her Kempton victory has been boosted subsequently.  Tante Rose was happy with a cut in the ground but I am not yet convinced that Priceless Jewel will like the ground at York if it becomes very testing as she is a very good and easy mover, most of  Selkirk's progeny seem to handle some ease in the ground. She is in good form and I am hoping that she will run well. 

Priceless Jewel

Tioman Legend surprised me a little when he ran so well behind Mince at Newmarket having missed the break.  As long as he handles the ground he should also have a good chance of being competitive.

Tioman Legend

At Sandown Rex Imperator runs for the first time since October in the Scurry Stakes a Listed race over 5 furlongs for three year olds. Unfortunately there is a lack of suitable races for three year old sprinters and on todays ratings, he will have to improve to beat Pearl Secret and Ballesteros. I get the impression that he has improved since last year but most of Royal Applause's progeny seem to prefer fast ground so we are going into unknown territory on the current going which is described as heavy.

Rex Imperator

Tantamount runs in the 4.50pm at Bath, a mile and a half three year old handicap. He is a staying horse who likes top of the ground and he may well be suited to a mile and six in the future.

Tantamount

Rosie Probert is our only runner this evening at Chepstow in the mile and a half fillies maiden race at 7.50pm. She made a very encouraging debut at Salisbury a few weeks ago when she finished well to be fourth and the step up to a mile and a half should suit her well. With the ground currently being described as heavy and with anymore significant rain there may be a doubt about racing. It is impossible to know whether she will be able to cope with it.

Rosie Probert

With the ground being described as soft and good to soft in places at Ascot, I will continue to monitor the situation before deciding whether Bated Breath will take his chance in the Kings Stand on Tuesday or the Golden Jubilee on Saturday.  The chances are that he will be declared for the Kings Stand and a decision will be made if necessary an hour before the race as his preference would be for faster ground. Lets hope that we get some wind and sunshine before then as Ascot can dry out quite quickly.

I thought that Moidore ran a reasonable race and was perhaps unsuited to the lack of pace and being bumped in the home straight and he may well need to race beyond a mile and a half as he seems to lack a turn of foot. Selfara disappointed me again having had every chance from her good draw, she did not produce what she can do at home so back to the drawing board.

Much to everyones disappointment Inchina decided to come in season last night and when she was ridden out this morning, she was very sluggish and quiet so naturally she has been declared a non runner from the Ballymacoll Stakes. We have no other runners today and as long as the rain does not destroy Chepstow we are hoping that Rosie Probert will run in the maiden race on the Welsh track.

We have two runners this evening at Kempton with Moidore running in the 3 year old mile and a half handicap at 7.40 pm. It is fair to say that he was extremely disappointing when he ran on very fast ground at Haydock recently but so far I have not been able to come up with an excuse.  That day, he never seemed to be travelling and failed to stay on in the closing stages, he is likely to be ridden more prominently today although there are several others in the race that like to be up with the pace as well.

Moidore

Selfara runs in a 7 furlong handicap for three year old fillies at 8.40pm. She is a good looking and well bred filly whose work at home has always been better than her racecourse performances. We have tried 6 and 7 furlongs but  maybe one day the penny will drop, so I will be disappointed if she does not run well this evening

Selfara

Camberley Two seemed to get quite tired on the slow ground at Newmarket on Saturday afternoon, having travelled well he weakened noticeably in the closing stages and he still has to prove that under those conditions, he stays 10 furlongs.  It was "hats off" at Windsor on Saturday evening after Border Legend put up an improved performance to win his race. It will be interesting to see how the handicapper rates him tomorrow and I hope that he is likely to improve as he gets older and stronger. We have no runners today or tomorrow and with this ridiculous and persistent rain, it is going to be difficult to make plans later in the week at Sandown, Chepstow and York where most of our runners would prefer faster conditions with the exception of Definightly who could either run at Salisbury or Cork on Sunday. It will be frustrating if it continues raining as it will not aid plans for Royal Ascot for Bated Breath who is an intended runner on the first day.

Camberley Two goes to Newmarket this morning to run in the mile and a quarter handicap at 3.30pm with James Doyle in the saddle. It is his second attempt over the distance having done all his winning over 7 and 8 furlongs last year.  He should strip fitter than he was when he ran for the first time this year at Kempton but although he has won on good to soft ground, I am not yet convinced that if it is very soft, that it will suit him.

Camberley Two

Border Legend drops back two furlongs in distance having failed to stay in his last race at Newbury.  He is a big horse and should learn alot from going round the sharp turn at Windsor, but I am hoping that he will run well as his work has always been above average and I see him as a gelding that should improve as he gets stronger.

Border Legend