Cry Fury was a little keen in the early stages but in the end he did manage to stay on quite well to finish 5th. I thought he still showed  signs of immaturity and greenness,  also the ground had dried out causing him to look uncomfortable in the straight.  He had two very sore shins this morning so we will be giving him plenty of time before making any future running plans.  Sea Of Heartbreak ran another very creditable race to be beaten two lengths into 4th, it's always tough taking on the colts and perhaps a better pace and flatter track would have suited her better. Her next possible race could be at Newcastle on 24th June The Hoppings Stakes a Listed race for 3+ fillies over 10 furlongs.  I will also be having a close look at the foreign programme book.  Rather frustratingly Supreme Quest was beaten 3 lengths by two fillies that on the form book we should have beaten, but it does appear that her trip is 5 furlongs and that having travelled so well she just ran out of gas.  

Camberley Two was a non runner at Bath yesterday and Sergeant Troy finished fourth at Haydock. Although Sergeant Troy was behind a wall of horses with nowhere to go for 2 furlongs in the straight he did eventually get a run but he wasn't able to quicken as well as the first and second.

300 Elite Racing members are coming this morning for their first visit of the year to see their Border Patrol and his two-year-old half brother Daffyd. It is always a great morning as they have so many keen and knowledgeable members who have a great time visiting their trainers which include Henry Cecil, James Fanshawe, James Given, Nicky Henderson and Emma Lavelle. They also have an impressive group of broodmares and their offspring that are boarded at Kirtlington Stud. 

Our first runner today Cry Fury runs in the 2.00pm at Haydock a mile and a half handicap for three year olds. He won at Kempton but in the process swerved across the course through greenness and I was a little disappointed that the  handicapper gave him a rating of 86. The form was quickly given a boost when the runner up that day Greyfriars Drummer, won his maiden by 6 lengths at Pontefract and interestingly they both meet again on level weights and a rating of 90.  The course should suit him but he remains inexperienced and there are plenty of improvers in the field.

Sea of Heartbreak goes to Goodwood for the Festival Stakes a mile and a quarter Listed race, it has the look of a Group 3 with some strong competition from the top stables.  Timeform has a spread of 5 lbs between the 8 runners so it will be a fascinating race but she needs to improve yet again as she has done in the past to win.  She ran a disappointing race at Goodwood last year in July but at some stage she slipped on the bend and was virtually pulled up, she has won at Salisbury twice so should cope with the undulations and configuration of Goodwood.

Sea of Heartbreak

Supreme Quest reappears after her narrow defeat at Warwick last week and as usual, she seems to be fresh and well. She would appear to have the best form of the fillies that have run before but 12 of the 16 runners are running for the first time and may contain some flying machines.  She loves the current fast ground and should be suited by 6 furlongs as she is from a staying family and her dam was by Rainbow Quest, fingers crossed that she can win as there is the added incentive of a £10,000 yearling bonus.

Supreme Quest

Goldtrek ran quite well yesterday but she would have been suited by faster ground and being able to dominate the race from the front, I am sure her conditions will come right at some stage during the summer.   Deceptive was still a little green in the closing stages but she stayed on well to be 4th beaten 2 1/2 lengths and she would have been better suited to a truly run race (they crawled and then sprinted).

Today Sergeant Troy runs in the 4.00 pm at Haydock to try and follow up on his easy victory at Warwick. Todays race is much more competitive but he is in good form and Haydocks long straight should suit him better than Warwick.  

Sergeant Troy

Camberley Two runs in a poor race at Bath, he has been a very slow learner so far  and he has not offered much encouragement but with a rating of 47 he could run well.

Camberley Two

We have two runners today with Goldtrek making the long journey to run in the 5.35pm at Haydock this afternoon.  I thought she ran well at Windsor taking up the running with three furlongs to go, but getting tired in the final furlong to finish 3rd.  Todays race looks competitive but the course should suit her as she lacks a turn of foot. 

Goldtrek

Deceptive runs this evening at Salisbury in the 8.15 pm in a mile and a half 0-65 handicap for three year olds.  She showed her inexperience when she ran at Chepstow to finish 3rd in a weak race but the extra two furlongs should be to her advantage.

Deceptive

As usual I have been studying the BBC weather forecast in the hope that there could be some rain in France or Ireland at the weekend. Clowance has an entry at Longchamp on Sunday in a Gr 2 over a mile and seven furlongs, but sadly it is unlikely to happen as there is no rain due.  She also holds an entry at the Curragh in the Tattersalls Gold Cup  Gr 1, where there is likely to be a small field, but sadly she needs the ground to be very soft to be effective over 10 furlongs, so it looks unlikely although there is a forecast of some rain on Saturday.

St Oswald runs today at Kempton in the first division of a one mile 51-65 handicap.  In his last race over 6 furlongs, he was always slightly outpaced but kept on quite well to finish 3rd in a weakish Bank Holiday handicap at Chepstow.  I hope that the mile will suit him and that he will have a chance to get off the mark.

St Oswald

We have no runners today or tomorrow.

Just as I thought the week was going a bit 'pear shaped' and most of our plans were being thwarted by the lack of rain up pops Al Kazeem. Steve Drowne gave him a lovely ride from the front, quickening it up as they went up the straight off a slow pace (French style) to win without being hard pressed.  He did have the run of the race but he did it in good style to beat some well fancied 3 year old colts and I hope there will be more improvement from him as the season progresses.  He has now won on fast and slow ground and he ought to be suited by 12 furlongs later in the year.  I haven't decided on his next race but the recently renamed Tercentenary Stakes (formally the Hampton Court) Gr.3 for 3 year olds over 10 furlongs at Royal Ascot might be suitable.

Primevere was again a little disappointing, still looking rather green and drifting towards the middle of the track in the closing stages to finish 4th.  Both Steve Drowne and I came away mystified and uncertain as to what distance she needs as her homework with Sea of Heartbreak during the Spring had been so encouraging.  The ground was probably too fast for her and its now a question of being patient and giving her time before making any plans for later in the year.

Al Kazeem would have benefited from being able to work over a trip on the grass in preparation for todays race, but the weather conditions have not been in our favour.  He is a big colt and he is in good form but the race is full of potential "improvers" as you would expect from a competitive and valuable three year old handicap.  He still showed signs of greenness when he ran at Newbury in mid April and I am sure he will learn and hopefully improve again from todays race. Cityscape will go to Newbury in the hope that it rain but it must be a long shot that there will be a enough for him to run, it is not worth risking him on fast ground in a race where he only has realistically place claims.

Al Kazeem

No overnight rain at York and the ground is now described as being good to firm with a chance of the odd passing shower.  Clowance will be left in the race until later in the morning just in case a freak monsoon should turn up to aid her cause, but she looks a very doubtful runner at this stage.   Primevere took her race at Newmarket extremely well and I have been happy with her work during the week. I was a little disappointed at Newmarket but I came away thinking that perhaps a mile and a quarter was too far for her having travelled so well through the race.  Todays trip of a mile should suit her better but she will need to "step up again"  to beat  Brian Meehan's  Theyskens' Theory who was beaten only a length and a half  by White Moonstone in the Group 1 fillies mile at Ascot.

Primevere

We had a slightly frustrating day yesterday, Genki was drawn with alot of speed around him and for the first 4 furlongs he was outpaced and getting unbalanced.  He is a horse that needs to be held together in his ''comfort zone'' and then delivered late and the way the race worked out, it did not suit him, but he ran with credit and was only beaten 5 lengths.  Discovery Bay settled well and appeared to be suited by 10 furlongs but faded in the closing stages having been short of room.  At Kempton Waterborne did not produce his previous form which would have seen him finish in the first three so we will run him on the turf next time and hope for a more encouraging performance.  Keys was expected to win his maiden race by the betting public and by me, but unfortunately we ran into a potentially smart staying three year old.  On a line through the 3rd and 4th horses, it is arguable that Mulaqen (the winner) will be rated 88-90 by the handicapper and I gather he was well fancied by his connections to beat us.  Keys had a good blow after the race and he should improve.

As usual, the weather both in England and France  is frustrating our prospects of running Definightly in The Prix de Saint-Georges at Longchamp on Sunday, and Clowance in the Yorkshire Cup tomorrow, as well as Cityscape in the Lockinge at Newbury on Saturday, lets hope we don't have to wait until September or October again !