Keys (Ire)  is my first runner in the Cesarewitch, although Orange Hill ridden by Richard Fox won with a very low weight in 1986 and in the process earned £31,000 which means that the prize money has gone up only 3 times in the last 25 years.  Since his win at Ascot in the Brown Jack Stakes in July, it has always been the plan for him to wait for the Cesarewitch. Unfortunately, we had a slight setback with him as he had a dirty scope recently which meant that he missed some work.  He looks well and I was pleased with his final piece of work last Saturday when he worked over a mile and a five furlongs in good style. When there are 34 runners that in theory have an equal chance it would be foolish to predict his finishing position but he is suited by at least two miles and he is a relatively lightly raced gelding who should be capable of further improvement.

Keys (Ire)

What a pleasant surprise to see Deceptive win by 7 lengths last night at Kempton. I am not quite sure where she found her new form from but she certainly travelled well and produced a good turn of foot. My idea that she might need the race was patently wrong and I hope that she can run again next week with a penalty either at Kempton or Lingfield.

Deceptive's win took us to 40 winners for the season so far and I hope that there may be a few more before the end.  Our prize money to date in 2011 is over £860,000 which represents an increase of nearly 60% when compared with last year. This is a great result for the yard and I am thrilled for all the people here that have worked so hard  this year and our Christmas celebrations in The Bell should be  memorable.  I found yesterday at Newmarket very frustrating as the yearling market is unbelievably strong with the average and median nearly up 50%  which seemed strange with the worlds financial markets in turmoil.  Unfortunately, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find anybody who wants to spend money but I am hopeful that we might be able to buy something from Book 2 or 3 which start next week.  I am hoping to form some syndicates and will post anything that I buy onto our Horses for Sale page in due course.

Deceptive is our only runner today and runs in the 6.40pm at Kempton. She has had a few issues whilst in training and has not run since mid June,  she is in good form but may need her race today, as she did run rather slowly first time out at Kempton as a two year old.

Deceptive

I thought Mince was really quite impressive winning the Nursery at Pontefract yesterday. She broke quite well but seemd to lose her position which meant that she had to switch to the outside, she then ran on really well to win with ease and as the commentator said she made mincemeat of them !   There are no suitable 6 furlong handicaps left before the end of the season but there is a possibility of a Condition race at Newmarket at the end of the month. She is clearly improving in leaps and bounds and I hope she will make up into a good 6 furlong filly next year.

Mince is our only runner today and travelled up to Pontefract yesterday afternoon in preparation for the Nursery Handicap at 2.40pm. She remains a very laid back character and I am hoping that she actually jumps out of the stalls a little quicker than in her two previous races. This appears to be a bit of a family trait as Steve Drowne reminded me last week that her dam, Strut was exactly the same. She is well drawn in stall 2 but that may become a disadvantage should she start slowly. She is a strongly made filly who should develop into a good sprinter and it would appear that perhaps to be given a rating of 70 having won a Newbury maiden race may turn out to be generous, but there are plenty of other improvers in the race.

Mince

There is a "confirmation of entries stage" due by noon today for the Cesarewitch and Keys has been left in the race. I was pleased with his work on Saturday over a mile and a half.  He has not been heard to cough since early last week and he had a clean scope this morning. Naturally as is the case with all horses, his work and general health will be monitored but at this stage, I am optimistic that he should make Saturdays race in good form.

It was all very satisfactory and  exciting to watch Sea of Heartbreak sprinting to victory in France. For a change the race went exactly as I had hoped with Frankie setting a ridiculously slow place and Olivier Peslier producing Sea of Heartbreak with her good turn of foot (French style)  to sprint to victory in the last 100 meters.  I was asked by someone why I hadn't entered her in the Prix de l'Abbaye!  It was a great thrill for her owner Liz Hardisty to go racing for the first time in Paris and see her win.  She travelled back in the cool of the night and arrived here at 6.00am and she looked very happy and contented turned out in her paddock this morning.  We will consider her future options which include Canada and Ascot in 13 days time.  She has now won 6 of her 14 races and total earnings of  £126,000 (£102,000 this year)

All our runners at Ascot finished 5th so it was lucky that Sea of Heartbreak did the business in France.  Rex Imperator got upset in the stalls, missed the break and had to make up 4 or 5 lengths so he ran exceptionally well to be beaten around 3 lengths.  He is clearly a speedy horse who would have gone close to winning a Group 3 and should be another recruit to our sprinting division next year.

Genki disappointed me a little but mainly because he has been so consistent and reliable in the past.  As usual he missed the break and then was forced wide to make his challenge off a slow run race.  He also hit a soft patch of ground in the final half furlong (where the stands create a shadow on the track preventing it from drying out.) causing him to flounder and lurch to his right.  There is no doubt he is better suited to running in a more competitive race where there is a stronger pace and working his way through the field.

Zero Money I thought ran a good race but he would also have been happier if the ground had been faster.  He will now have a short break before being prepared for the Dubai Carnival where conditions should suit him perfectly.

Valiant Girl as expected showed plenty of inexperience but did run on well having been stopped in her run to finish 7th.

Thistle Bird ran a rather unsatisfactory race and on hindsight my instructions for her to lead if there was no obvious pace, turned out to be wrong.  She was constantly being hassled by the 100/1 outsider Ela Gonda Mou and I am sure she would have finished closer if she had been held up and ridden for a "place".  I am hoping she may turn out to be another Sea of Heartbreak who was also beaten in this race as a 3 year old last year.  

An exciting weekend with runners at three different meetings. Olivier Peslier rides Sea of Heartbreak at Longchamp this afternoon in The Prix De Royallieu Gr 2, which will be an interesting race with the two French fillies looking like stayers and needing more than a mile and a half and Modeyra having previous run over 8 and 10 furlongs this year. Ideally Sea of Heartbreak needs fast ground, 10 furlongs and a good pace as she travels so well and has a turn of foot. I hoping today that she can sit last and produce a better turn of foot than the others.

As Ascot all the fast boys bar Bated Breath are running. Rex Imperator was a little disappointing in his last race at Doncaster over 6 1/2 furlongs where he did not enjoy being crowded and as a consequence did not settle well enough. His recent work with Zero Money has suggested that 5 furlongs should suit him and he will enjoy the fast ground but todays race is competive as you would expect in a Group 3.

Rex Imperator

Genki my old friend does battle again having run seven times at Ascot in the past. He appears to be in good form but I am a little concerned about the possible lack of pace but we will have to take pot luck and hope that George Baker can deliver him in the race that he was just touch off in last year. It should be remembered that he is effectively giving 4lbs to the rest of the field having won a Group 3 at Newcastle in May and under those terms, Elzaam could reverse recent Haydock form.  

Genki

Zero Money should be suited by todays conditions as long as the ground isn't over watered but he has had a long season and you can never be sure that he has retained his form having run a bit tamely at Doncaster last time. 

Zero Money

At Newmarket Valiant Girl runs for the first time in the mile maiden race for two year olds. She is an immature and rather babyish filly who will definitely need the experience.

Thistle Bird moves up in distance and class to run in the Listed race that Sea of Heartbreak was fourth in last year. God willing, she will go in the stalls and I hope she has a good chance of at least being placed, but  Principal Role will be difficult to beat. 

Thistle Bird

Brickfielder was a little disappointing again, he seemed to lose his position when he got squeezed up on the bend. Although the ground was described as good to firm the jockeys reported that it was on the easy side in places which was born out by the slow times. Brickfielder belongs to Richard Pegum who lives in Australia, and is likely to be going to the Horses in Training Sale later in October. We have no runners today and I have just received the news that Sea of Heartbreak had an uneventful and smooth crossing to France and arrived at Longchamp this morning. She will have a nice restful day enjoying the sunshine and french air before tomorrows exertions.

I thought that Estrela ran a very encouraging race to be only beaten a length.  She travelled well and just tired in the closing stages and she would have been aided by quicker ground.  I hope that I will be able to find a maiden race for her to win before the end of the season, and she remains a nice scopey prospect for next year.

Dedication got a bit fretful both before and after her race and showed plenty of inexperience when going away from home for the first time which can be typical of a homebred who hasn't been to the sales.  She ran quite well and should improve as a three year old particularly over staying trips.

Korithi was a major disappointment and ran a very "flat" race.  Her work has been good but maybe it was trainer's error for running her too soon after her tough race at Pontefract.  She deserves to be given a little time and patience and I am still confident she is capable of winning and handicaps will also be an option for her.

Tiger Cub ran a smashing race only to be beaten by a well handicapped "good thing" rated 48!  There is a chance that she can still find a race to win before the sales.

Brickfielder is our only runner today and goes to Warwick for the 4.40. He was disappointing in his previous race at Haydock in a higher grade and in an ideal world he would perhaps prefer a bit more cut in the ground.  I am not sure quite why he was so heavily fancied at Haydock as his victory had been achieved at Folkestone against very moderate opposition.

Brickfielder

Two fillies go to Salisbury to run in the two divisions of the mile two year olds maiden race. Estrela runs in the first division with James Doyle. She is by the first season sire Authorized who has made a slow start to his stallion career out of Wannabe Grand who won 4 races including the Cheveley Park. She is the dam of 6 winners that include,  King of Argos and Wannabe King who were both rated over 100. She was bought as a foal by Seasons Holidays and she has now developed into a big strong scopey filly. She still lacks a bit of experience but her work has been encouraging and I hope to see her run well.

Estrela

Dedication is by Beat Hollow out of Total Devotion and from the family of Slightly Dangerous, Commander in Chief, Warning and many other fine Juddmonte horses going back to Rainbow Quest.  She is a slightly nervous and an apprehensive filly who needs a blanket for loading into the stalls, she also has not yet come to terms fully with any kickback. She is bred to stay well but perhaps lacks a turn of foot and it is always interesting to see how two year olds perform first time out.

Dedication

Korithi seems to have improved since her last race at Pontefract when she ran over a trip of 10 furlongs which was too far. She should be suited by todays conditions and I hope that she will make the frame.

Korithi

Tiger Cub goes up 2 furlongs in distance and runs in a handicap for the first time. She is equipped with a tongue strap as she choked up a little in her work at home recently.  I hope that she will have a reasonable chance as time is running out for her, as she is likely to go to the sales at Newmarket in October.

Tiger Cub