As usual we are starting to watch every passing shower of rain and hoping that the conditions will be suitable for Cityscape at Ascot and Bated Breath and Genki at Newmarket tomorrow.  I gather it rained at Epsom for most of yesterday and the ground turned soft,  but unfortunately Ascot only recorded 3.6mms  in the past 24 hours and the ground remains good to firm, but with showers expected.

We have three runners this evening at Newbury and it is always exciting to be running two year olds for the first time.  Tiger Cub runs in the first division of the 7 furlong two year old maiden fillies race, she is by Dr Fong and is the first foal of a half sister to Pounced (won the Breeders Cup Juvenile) Big Bound, Pampas Cat and Celtic Cat.  Her work has been encouraging but she will need the experience.

Tiger Cub

In the second division I run Zamarelle who is partly bred by myself and bought back at the Sales as a yearling for 20,000. She is a half sister to five winners including King's County who was trained by Aiden O'Brien and was Group 1 placed three times.  She is an attractive filly by Zamindar and she is bred to appreciate longer trips in the future but she has been showing plenty of encouragement in her work.

Zamarelle

Sergeant Troy is a lazy colt and maybe suited by 10 furlongs but he is in good form and I hope that he can put his rather disappointing run at Haydock behind him.

Sergeant Troy

Folly Bridge was a bit disappointing yesterday but the race wasn't really run to suit her, with a lack of pace, no cover on the outside and perhaps 8 furlongs at Pontefract is just too far for her.  We have no runners until Friday evening at Newbury but we did have a busy morning entertaining a very enthusiastic group of 170 Elite members. Luckily they were able to walk out on to the downs to see 20 horses canter including both Border Patrol and his two-year-old half brother Daffyd by Green Desert.

Folly Bridge tries a mile for the first time, having won most of her races over 6 and 7 furlongs. She is by Avonbridge, a 5 and 6 furlong specialist but out of a mare by Mister Baileys who did nearly win the Derby until tying up in the closing stages.  For a filly that has won over £50,000 and with a rating of nearly 100, it is obviously important to try and obtain some black type which will increase her value as a broodmare.  Todays race is competitive, but without any real stars and four of the runners all have similar ratings.  Pontefract is a tough course with an uphill finish, so she needs to settle well and genuinely stay the trip to enable her to have a winning chance.   She is in great form and thriving on her racing, so fingers crossed she can maintain our 40% strike rate over the last 14 days !

Folly Bridge

We have got no runners today but Folly Bridge is due to travel this afternoon to Pontefract to run in the Weatherbys Bloodstock Insurance Pipalong Stakes, a Listed race over a mile for four year olds plus fillies.

As you will see from the photographs, Camberley Two has completely recovered from winning three races in 8 days, certainly a first for me and probably my predecessors !   

Camberley Two

That's Dangerous won his seller at Leicester in good style to beat the favourite by 2 lengths, the race having been started without starting stalls as they had been broken by Godber bursting out. He was the first winner for his owners who bought him back at the auction for 9.500gns and I hope he can win again in a nursery handicap or in another seller, he ought to be suited by 7 furlongs at some stage in the future as there's plenty of stamina in his pedigree.

Primevere ran a much more promising race to finish 2nd giving me the impression that she could try 10 furlongs again as she stayed on well all the way to the line. Timeform ratings suggested that she was 17lb behind Nahrain and 7lb behind Cape Dollar and Dubai Queen  confirming the improved performance. I gather the winner is expected to be running in Group 1 races before the end of the season which is encouraging. At last Primevere is starting to show the promise that we have been seeing on the gallops and I hope she can continue to improve as she gets stronger.

Zero Money finished 4th at Doncaster and was beaten a little over 2 lengths.  A furlong out it looked as if he was going to win but unfortunately he ran out of gas in the closing stages and was fading as they went to the line.  I got the impression that perhaps the blinkers had made him run a bit too freely and that he did not quite get the trip and 6 furlongs would be a possibility in the future.

We have two runners today starting with That's Dangerous in the two year old seller at Leicester. The form is quite hard to assess but I hope that he runs well to give Three Valley's his second winner this week. 

That's Dangerous

Primevere goes to Sandown to run in a very competitive looking mile Listed race for three year old fillies. Her work has always been very encouraging and she looks extremely well but she will need to lift her game from two slightly disappointing efforts but fingers crossed that she can get some black type.

Primevere

Unfortunately Excavator our odds on shot at Haydock was a little disappointing and finished second for the third time. His future may lie in Nursery handicaps and perhaps with a pair of blinkers.  It was good to watch Goldtrek win her fourth race and in the process giving Steve Drowne his first winner since his injury.  She put up a game performance to make all and hold off the challengers in the final furlong.  Lovage ran at Newbury and behaved beautifully but unfortunately her trainer had not taught her to jump out of the stalls with the other runners !    It is always difficult to tell how much ground is lost at the start, but it did appear that she was at least seven lengths behind the leaders after half a furlong. She made good and steady progress to catch them up and she ran all the way to the line to be beaten around five lengths. It was a promising first effort and I will look forward to running her again in the next few weeks.

Our only runner today Zero Money  goes to Doncaster to run in the 7 furlong handicap at 3.35pm.  He has been equipped with a pair of blinkers for the first time as he has become a little too relaxed in his races. 

Zero Money

I thought Keys ran a good and solid race last night at Kempton which was in fact very similar to his previous race at Kempton where they stretched away from the field but unfortunately, he found one too good for him.  His future will probably be in staying handicaps.

Today we have three runners with Excavator travelling to Haydock to run in the first race with Paul Hanagan. He should be suited by the fast ground and he seems to be training well, so we are hopeful of a victory. 

Excavator

Lovage a half sister to Love Match and several other winners, runs at Newbury for the first time in the 7.05 pm over 6 furlongs. She is still a bit on the leg and should strengthen up as the season progresses but I hope she will run well.  She is by Exceed And Excel who is having another very exciting season with his two year olds, both in Europe and Australia where he has just recorded his 20th individual two year old winner.

Lovage

Goldtrek runs at Epsom in the 6.20pm with Steve Drowne and we are trying cheekpieces for the first time as I got the impression that she idled in the closing stages at Salisbury.

Goldtrek

Anybody who backed Camberley Two yesterday must have broken out in a cold sweat in the closing stages of his race at Brighton as it looked as if he was going to be beaten. He was given a good ride and Keiran managed to drive him up the rails to literally win by a short head on the line to complete his three timer in seven days.  Hawk Moth who finished second had good form with Camberley Two at Salisbury over 7 furlongs  and was 11lbs better off for 3 lengths so he was fully entitled to give us a run for our money !  Camberley Two's victory gives us a 66% strike rate (8 out of 12) with our three year olds plus at Brighton.

Keys runs this evening at Kempton having slightly disappointed me at Haydock last time in holding ground.  George Baker rides him tonight and I am trying a pair of blinkers as he has become very laid back and lazy in his races and he has the ability to run well tonight.

Keys

Camberley Two goes back to Brighton today to run in the 5.00pm race with Keiran O'Neill (one of Richard Hannon's apprentices) claiming 5lbs. As a result of his victory at Brighton the handicapper this morning has raised him 10lbs to a rating of 63 and today he runs with a 6lb penalty for that win,  but he remains unpenalized for his follow up at Salisbury on Sunday. If you take Keiran's 5lb claim into consideration he effectively runs off a 1lb higher mark than he did  at Brighton on the 21st June. It is always difficult to know whether a horse has fully recovered from two quick races but he seems fresh and eating well.  As a result of his easy win in the apprentice race on Sunday, it is more than likely that the handicapper will raise him to a mark in the high 60's.  He has certainly earned a rest after this race and it should be remembered that his last two races were over 8 furlongs and today he has been dropped back to 7 furlongs.  The manner of his victories would suggest that he would appreciate stepping up in distance beyond the mile in the future and there is plenty of stamina in his pedigree to back that up.

Camberley Two