Bated Breath did win the best turned out award of £200 to follow up on Al Kazeem who did the same on Wednesday but unfortunately the ground was too slow for him and  it did appear that they were on the wrong side .  The trip was no problem but we definitely need to find a 5 or 6 furlong Group race on fast ground for him.

Newnton Lodge was given a good ride by James Doyle who settled him at the back of the field in the early stages and he brought him through the field to win comfortably. It was a nice introduction for a colt that has been a little difficult at home to settle and he should have enjoyed the experience.  I am planning on being patient with him as he ought to make a better three year old. 

We have no runners today as Federation is now a non-runner.

Bated Breath & Paul Vickers

My old Governor and mentor Jeremy Tree won this race with Sharpo in 1980, 1981 & 1982 and each year it rained two days before producing soft ground which Sharpo relished, so it is about time that Beckhampton won the race again!  York had a further 3mm of rain overnight and the ground is described as being good to soft.  I would have been happier with faster ground for him and that would also apply to several of the other fancied runners.  I hope being drawn 2 will suit but the draw tends to be a bit of a "lottery".  In the middle of last week he unfortunately missed 3 days exercise due to having some poison in his near-fore foot but he was ridden out all this week and is in good shape.  On Wednesday morning Bated Breath had my Subaru "off the bridle" as I steamed upsides him in his final blow-out at 43 mph!  I have been lucky to have trained several good sprinters and I am still of the opinion that he is the best one so far.  It will be quite a coup to win a Group 1 race over 5 furlongs with a horse that is yet to win a Group race or ever run over the minimum trip.

Newnton Lodge makes his debut at Sandown this afternoon in a 7 furlong maiden race at 3.15.  He is a big strong colt from the first crop of Rail Link ex Widescreen (Distant View) and from the immediate family of Zafonic and Zamindar.  He does have a tendency to be a little headstrong but I am expecting him to run well but improve for the experience.

What a terrific race Al Kazeem ran yesterday to finish 2nd to Sea Moon who was very impressive winning by 8 lengths and is now a red hot favourite for the St Leger.  It will be difficult for the handicapper to assess the race but it is likely that Sea Moon will have a rating in the low 120s and Al Kazeem is making the transition from handicaps to being a potential group winner before the season is over and what a relief he wasn't sold to Hong Kong.  There are several Group 3 races that should suit him with the Arc trial at Newbury on the 17th September, the Cumberland Lodge at  Ascot on the 1st October and the St Simon Stakes at Newbury on the 22nd October and there is also the Prix Niel, Group 2 for 3 year olds at Longchamp on the 11th September.

We have no runners today but Bated Breath is heading north with Marlborough Transport so that he is ready to run at York tomorrow where I hope they will miss most of the rain that is forecast.

Al Kazeem is our only runner at York today and probably my first runner in the Great Voltigeur.  His last race was at Newbury on the 14th May when he beat Labarinto, Fulgur and Dominant who have all gone on to win good races.  Unfortunately he had a slight setback after Newbury and he may well need his comeback race this afternoon particularly against such strong opposition.  He is a beautiful looking horse by the hugely successful Dubawi and out of a Darshaan mare from a good staying family and I hope that he is capable of stepping up to 12 furlongs.  

A long trip to Deauville for Cityscape and he did not really run up to my expectations.  He was drawn 1 and the plan was to let him follow the early pace (with Goldikova having two pace makers) but on hindsight he might have run better if he had been dropped in as the race quickened from 4 furlongs out.  A lack of a recent race perhaps found him out having not run since Royal Ascot.

I was very pleased with our two Windsor runners.  La Bocca showed good speed and finished 4th against more experienced two year olds.  I may run her over 5 furlongs next time as I think she could have enough pace.  Thistle Bird behaved herself  well and is maturing mentally all the time.  She won by 3 lengths and the handicapper is likely to take a dim view of her easy victory and she may re-appear next Monday at Windsor with a 6lb penalty.  Unlike with Camberley Two she will be harder to place again.  It is very easy to find any number of races to enter horses rated in the 60s & 70s and this seems to be the way our race planning is heading.  i.e. plenty of races for bad horses and the occasional opportunity for the better horses.

Thistle Bird

Unfortunately Folly Bridge missed the break and never really had the chance to get herself into a challenging position and Jimmy Fortune said that she didn't really "face" the visor.

Cityscape had a good journey on the ferry to Deauville on Saturday night and arrived in the racecourse stables at 8.30am.  I gather they have had over 30mm of rain and that the ground is likely to be on the slow side today.  Let's hope that it is too soft for Goldikova and her two pacemakers and there is also a possibility that Sahpresa will not run.  As you would expect of a Group 1 race there are plenty of other high class horses in the field but it is at least a relief to have him back on the course again having not run since Royal Ascot.

This evening we have two runners at Windsor with La Bocca, a half sister to Marzante and Monzante by Juddmonte's stallion Latent Heat  (USA) running in the 6 furlong two year old maiden race.  She will be ridden by James Doyle who will be having his first ride for me, he started riding work here a few weeks ago and looks to be developing into a talented young jockey.  She is a rather highly strung individual but she does have a bit of zip.  Thistle Bird and George Baker run in the 7.10, a fillies handicap over 8 furlongs, she does show a bit of temperament but her work is improving and she will be suited by a fast pace.

What a magical day for Beckhampton when we completed an across the card treble which I gather we have not done since 2002 !    There was a certain amount of apprehension in the air yesterday morning as there was such high expectations for Top Offer who had been ticking all the boxes and I was more than pleased to see the way he finished his race, but also his relaxed and sensible attitude. Lets hope he does not get overhyped, but he is a horse with an immense amount of potential and we will plan his future with care.  Deck Walk at 16/1  was a happy surprise but she showed her  inexperience when rolling about in the closing stages.  As she is such a big filly she should be capable of improving and I hope that she can win a handicap, perhaps over a mile and a half with a high 70's rating.   Rex Imperator had little to beat at Nottingham but he won with great ease and he would be a possible for the Weatherbys Insurance £300,000 six furlong race at Doncaster on September 8th. 

We have no runners today but Folly Bridge heads off to Pontefract this afternoon to run over six furlongs tomorrow for the first time since winning at Nottingham in May last year.  Naturally I am desparately keen to get some "black type" for her, so she will be wearing a visor for the first time to perhaps help sharpen her up as she can hit a flat spot.

Folly Bridge

Zamarelle behaved like a little star and was extremely good about going into the stalls and I thought she ran with promise but in keeping with her pedigree, she will need further and ought to stay a mile and a half next year.  Goldtrek went a little too fast again but unfortunately there is not much choice with her as she is not happy when she is in behind, but she returned sound which is the  most important thing.   We have had to be extremely patient with Cry Fury, but it was very pleasing to see him settle well and quicken to win comfortably.  I would expect his rating to move up into the high 90's and I need to plan a future campaign for him which might include the Cambridgeshire, but having spoken to Steve Drowne, moving back up to a mile and a half will come on the agenda.  He comes from a long line of stayers that include; Princess Pati, Sarah Siddons, and his dam Cantanta won her maiden race over 2 miles at Nottingham for me in 1992. 

Today we have three runners with Rex Imperator travelling to Nottingham for the first race to be reunited with George Baker. He was unlucky not to have finished closer on his debut at Windsor and the form of the race seems to be working out quite well. 

Rex Imperator

 At Newbury, Top Offer runs in the second division of the maiden race, a colt that I have always held in high regard, but it should be remembered that not many of my two year olds win first time out and also, he has the make and shape of a colt that will improve to be a good three year old (measuring over 16 hh). This race has produced at least two good colts in the last few years including, Saamidd (115) and Pounced who went on to win the Breeders Cup Juvenile in Santa Anita in 2009.

Deck Walk disgraced herself when she was a beaten odds on favourite at Lingfield, but I hope that the galloping track at Newbury will suit her better as she made an encouraging debut at Nottingham over a mile in May.

Deck Walk

That's Dangerous missed the break unfortunately having sat down in the stalls and in a slow run race he had little chance of getting into a challenging position but he did well to be beaten less than 4 lengths.  He will be suited by a mile in the future and the ground was probably a bit too fast for him yesterday.   For most of Discovery Bay's race, things seemed to be going very smoothly and he was travelling well, but unfortunately he did not deliver as I would have hoped in the closing stages, so back to the drawing board.   Primevere saved the day in great style getting her first and deserved success in a Listed race.  She won in pleasing fashion and in the process demonstrated her determination and that she stays 10 furlongs without a problem.  She is a tall, leggy filly and there surely must be better to come and I will be encouraging her owner, Mr Oppenheimer to keep her in training as a four year old.  I don't plan on over racing her this year, but I will be looking for a 10 furlongs fillies Group 3 in the Autumn.  She now holds two course records which is quite unusual having broken the track record as a two year old at Kempton and again yesterday.   The previous Salisbury record was held by Zante in the same race in 1998 and she is the dam of Korithi and Top Offer who makes his debut tomorrow at Newbury.

Yesterdays prize takes our earnings so far this season to £470,000 which passes the totals achieved for the whole season in 2009 and 2010.

Todays runners:Zamarelle runs in the second division of the 7 furlong two year old maiden auction stakes. It will be fingers crossed again that she goes in the stalls aided by Gary Witheford and she should be suited by the current fast ground, more than the polytrack at Lingfield. She stays well and a mile will suit her in the future and I hope she runs well as she belongs to me.

Zamarelle

Goldtrek seems to have fully recovered from the injury that she incurred having won at Epsom. She is suited by dominating her races, but she was a little disappointing the last time she ran at Salisbury but perhaps was forced into going too fast.

Goldtrek (USA)

Cry Fury comes back after a long break having been troubled by sore shins and he drops back to a  mile and a quarter this evening having been a little free in his last race at Haydock over a mile and a half.  He should be suited by the small field today and he is a progressive three year old but unfortunately he started with a rating of 90 having won his maiden race at Kempton which in my opinion was rather harsh.

Cry Fury