I need to catch up on our weekend runners. Zero Money perhaps was unsuited to running so soon after his Haydock victory as he seemed to run a bit flat.  Although he had regained all his weight and appeared to be in good form, he did not travel with his normal zest, the race was also dominated by the high numbers.  I was pleased with the way that Cry Fury ran in a slowly run race that was never going to suit him and I thought that he did well to be only beaten 3 1/4 lengths. The race can only have done him alot of good and he still goes to the Cambridgeshire with a chance as he will be suited by the faster pace and extra furlong.  That's Dangerous ran another encouraging and tough race to finish 3rd, the mile suited him well and he still seems to be improving. At Goodwood, Mac Love was withdrawn due to the soft ground and may reappear at Kempton in a mile condition race on Thursday. Deck Walk was all at sea over the gradients of Goodwood and also unsuited by the ground, she will now be heading to Newmarket for the Horses in Training Sale.  Thistle Bird ran a hugely courageous race from an unpromising position in the straight to finish a staying on 3rd against some tough older horses. She will be suited by an extra furlong in the future and she surely deserves to win another race.

Yesterday was a good day for Beckhampton with Silver Lime (USA) defying the very soft ground to get up on the line to win his maiden race and it will be interesting to see how the handicapper evaluates the form. Ali Hope (Ire) simply hated the ground and should be suited to fast ground if there is any left this Autumn.  I travelled to the Curragh and we were well looked after with plenty of Irish hospitality and it was good to see Cityscape win so easily and with his ears pricked. He has several options in the future that include the Daniel Wildenstein Group 2 at Arc weekend at Longschamp or The Premio Vittorio Capua, Group 1 at Milan on September 24th.  Definightly ran a very commendable race as usual having grabbed the stand rails he dominated the race until the last 100 yards before being beaten by Bewitched (who beat Genki last year at Ascot) Even softer ground and a less demanding 6 furlongs would have suited him even better and the Prix De L'Abbaye remains a possibility for him particularly if the ground is heavy.

We only have one runner today at Kempton in the two year old fillies mile maiden race where Zamarelle has her third start. She should be suited by the surface and as there is plenty of stamina in her pedigree, the mile will also be in her favour. As she is owned and bred by myself, I am naturally hoping that she will streak home alone !  and if not, she will at least be handicapped for the future. 

Zamarelle

Off to the Curragh this morning with Steve Drowne with I hope two good chances. Cityscape runs in the Solonaway Stakes a Group 3 over a mile which Border Patrol (also a son of Selkirk) and Kevin Manning won for us in 2009 beating Poet. I hope that the ground and content of the race is what the Doctor ordered to give him a winning chance.  He is in good form and has perhaps had a better preparation than before the Jacques Le-Marois.

Cityscape

Definightly is a great traveler, having been to France several times as well as Italy and Ireland. I was pleased with his effort in Deauville where he was narrowly denied a Group 3 success in the Prix Du Meautry.  Soft or heavy ground suits him and he likes to dominate from the front and I hope that we have found him another opportunity to win for his owner/breeders Simon and Rosalind Emmet.

Definightly

Ali Hope (Ire) and Silver Lime (USA) head to the land of my birth to do battle in the first race at Ffos Las. Ali Hope (Ire) did not enjoy the kickback at Kempton and showed precious little during the race but I hope we will see an improved effort on the turf !

Ali Hope (Ire)

Silver Lime (USA) would appear to have the better chance having run a race full of promise at Sandown to finish 5th over 6 weeks ago. He has always been a rather immature horse and I hope he will have benefited from the break since his last race, he stays well and should have a fair chance.

Silver Lime (USA)

A busy weekend with runners at Goodwood and Doncaster today, followed by Ffos Las and the Curragh tomorrow. Mac Love runs in the second race at Goodwood in a race that he won for Stef Higgins 2 years ago. He is an amazing horse having reached the age of 10 and won 10 of his 73 races with earnings of £385,000,  He was previously in training at Beckhampton in 2006 but I failed to win a race with him. He is suited by fast ground and I will make a decision this afternoon as to whether he should run or not.  

Deck Walk is a very large filly measuring nearly 16.3 hh and may not be particularly suited to the undulations of Goodwood but it has been difficult to find an alternative race on a flatter track.  She showed inexperience when winning at Newbury and should in theory be capable of some improvement.  

Deck Walk (USA)

Thistle Bird's form had a tiny boost when Sure Route won at Sandown yesterday having beaten her readily at Windsor last month. She can be a highly strung filly but she looks extremely well and her work has been encouraging, todays race is a big rise in class against older horses.

Thistle Bird

Zero Money runs in the Portland Handicap having won with a bit in hand last weekend over 5 furlongs at Haydock, but the handicapper understandably has raised him 8lbs for todays race. He is suited by fast ground and lets hope the forecast of showers stays away and I got the impression that the draw has not had any significance during the week, the pace appears to be in stall 8, 10, 11, 12 and 15.

Zero Money

Cry Fury is light on experience especially over a straight track and it might be  a tough call for him to drop back a furlong, but if he is to fulfill the plan of winning the Cambridgeshire, todays race will answer a few questions. 

Cry Fury

That's Dangerous would appear to have plenty of weight against improving two year olds but the mile should suit and I hope the ground is not too fast for him.

That's Dangerous

Just heard that Cityscape and Definightly have arrived at the Curragh and had a good crossing.

Lovage failed to handle the course at Epsom yesterday and got a little unbalanced coming down the hill round Tattenham corner and in the process losing ground. She did run on well to finish 4th giving the impression that 7 furlongs would suit her better and although she handled the ground, faster ground would be to her advantage.  Rex Imperator was rather too free for his own good in the early stages and did not appreciate being squeezed up in a rather rough and messy race. Having wasted energy early in the race, he probably did not quite get the trip and it is possible that we might drop him back to 5 furlongs for his next race.  He was only beaten about 5 1/2 lengths to finish 13th.

We have no runners today but Cityscape and Definightly are still on schedule to travel this evening to the Curragh on a ferry from Holyhead to Dublin. The ground is described as being soft at the moment and there are further showers forecast.

Al Kazeem who is owned and bred by  Mr John Deer has after alot of careful consideration decided that he would prefer him to run in Group races in the future and therefore the Cambridgeshire is off his agenda. His next possible target is the Dubai Duty Free Arc Trial at Newbury on Saturday 17th September, a race which Blue Monday won twice in 2006 and 2008.

Lovage goes to Epsom to run in the first race a Median Auction Maiden race for fillies. I am expecting the ground to be on the slow side and being a daughter of Exceed And Excel it may not suit but there are very few opportunities over 6 furlongs for fillies. Her form is consistent but there are one or two rated above her and her future might lie in Nursery Handicaps.

Lovage

Rex Imperator travelled up to Doncaster yesterday and I am hoping that the ground remains on the fast/good side as the dead ground at Windsor last time did not suit him. It is a hugely competitive race with a huge prize and I hope he has the chance of getting amongst it.  Timeform ratings would suggest that he has at least 4 or 5 to beat.

Rex Imperator

Tiger Cub ran as I expected, but she was unsuited by the slow early pace and the sprint up the straight and she got outpaced having travelled well.  I hope that she has a reasonable handicap mark so that she has a chance of at least being placed in a Nursery before going to the Sales.

We have several potential overseas runners at the weekend, at the Curragh Sea Of Heartbreak is entered in the Blandford Stakes, Cityscape in the Solonaway and Definightly in the Renaissance. The ground is described as being soft which will suit two of them but not Sea Of Heartbreak who loves fast ground.  We also have entries for Cityscape in the Moulin and Definightly in the Petit Convert, both at Longchamp, so a few decisions need to be made by Friday.

Tiger Cub runs this afternoon at Leicester for the third time in the first division of the two year old fillies maiden race at 4.30pm. There seems to be plenty of well bred and fancied runners in the race but I hope that it will be one step closer to be handicapped and hopefully winning a Nursery before going to the sales. 

Tiger Cub

All our Saturday runners came out of their races in great shape and I was interested to see their new BHA ratings this morning. Dream Ahead has dropped a further 2lbs to 122, having been in my opinion over rated as a two year old on 126, making him the joint champion two year old with Frankel.  Bated Breath has been raised a lb to 119, Hoof It remains on 119 and Genki reaches his highest ever mark after being raised 5lbs to 116 which makes him higher than Avonbridge and Patavellian.  If they were handicappers I am not sure Dream Ahead would have to concede 3lbs to Bated Breath in a 6 furlong handicap ?

Saturday was an exciting day with Zero Money producing an impressive performance to win readily over 5 furlongs on his beloved fast ground. I don't imagine the handicapper is going to be very kind to him but he will be entered in the Portland Handicap over 5 1/2 furlongs at Doncaster on Saturday. He seems to have become a rejuvenated character, at last his trainer has found the right distance !  It is always a pleasure to see horses improve every season and maybe one day he will be contesting Listed races. There is not much more I can say about the Betfred Sprint Cup but I was immensely proud and pleased with both Bated Breath and Genki who without doubt ran two wonderful races. I suppose I was lucky when Tante Rose won the same race 7 years ago by a short head with Richard Hughes beating Tim Easterby's Somnus.  Bated Breath has several possible races in the future including the Prix De L'Abbaye but he needs fast ground to be seen at his best .  Genki is a complete star and surely ran his best ever race aged 7, finishing with a real flourish and with another 50 yards maybe he would have been involved in the photo finish.  The Qipco British Champion Sprint is an obvious target for him. Brickfielder rather let the side down and I don't at the moment have an excuse for him but you could argue that he ran too badly to be true but maybe he was just light on experience.  Federation was beaten by the draw and had to use up too much energy to hold her position from stall 16 and under the circumstances did not quite get the trip. She is suited by fast ground and sadly, suitable options are running out and she is destined to continue racing with Christophe Clement in the USA, we will be sorry to see her go as her full potential has not been realized.

Our Haydock runners, Bated Breath, Genki, Zero Money and Brickfielder have headed off to Haydock this morning with Marlborough Transport hoping to beat the worst of the holiday traffic. The M6 seems to be notoriously bad for traffic jams at this time of the year. The ground is described as being good, good to firm in places but there is a forecast of showers on Saturday afternoon which I hope will not spoil the ground. Zero Money runs for the first time over 5 furlongs in the Betfred Be Friendly Handicap at 3.00pm and he was scratched from Ffos Las and Windsor recently due to rain softened ground. I hope the 5 furlongs will suit as he seemed to find new speed this year with the addition of blinkers and when he won at Newmarket on the 30^th July, he readily outpaced them from halfway.

Zero Money

The Betfred Sprint has been a very lucky race for Beckhampton in the past, although Sharpo failed to handle the bend in 1981 before the straight 6 furlong course was built. Both Danehill and Dowsing won it for Jeremy Tree and Juddmonte Farms, Tamarisk and Tante Rose landed the spoils for me more recently. Genki has been a wonderful servant and he has already had a great season,  he was only beaten 2 ¼ lengths in the race last year behind Markab. 

Genki

Bated Breath is probably our main hope and he was perhaps unsuited to the rain softened ground at York, so 6 furlongs on fast ground over a course that he has already won twice on, hopefully will suit him.  

Bated Breath

Brickfielder has been given a rating of 74 after winning a weak race at Folkestone over 7 furlongs on soft ground. This is a big step up for him, and he is being ridden by the hugely promising Harry Bentley who still claims 3lbs and his work has been progressing in the right direction, but I hope that 6 furlongs does not prove to be too sharp for him.

Brickfielder

 Federation makes the return trip to Thirsk for a valuable three year old handicap having won her maiden race with ease on the 29^th July. The race has worked out well with the 2^nd, 4^th, 5^th and 10^th all having won their maiden races subsequently. She is not blessed being drawn 16 of 16, but she was able to win from an outside draw at Thirsk before.

Federation

La Bocca ran slightly as I feared, having settled in front, she did not quite get home over 6 furlongs and perhaps is not suited by the current slow polytrack at Kempton.  She was not given a hard time once her chance had gone and I will be looking for a 5 furlong race in the future, but they are not that easy to find.

I have had two busy days at Doncaster looking at hundreds of yearlings and the market was strong for the right individuals but I did manage to buy a smashing Dark Angel colt and a very racy looking filly by first season sire Sakhee's Secret. I will post their pedigrees and details etc on my horses for sale page next week.