CITYSCAPE in an interesting position having had a roll.

It has been a very frustrating Spring with virtually no rain since the beginning of March and although we have some extensive grass gallops,  they have been too firm for the soft ground horses like Clowance and Cityscape.  He worked at Kempton recently, but he is still 15 kilos above his racing weight and whatever he achieves tomorrow I would expect him to improve. I will take the precaution of walking  the track before deciding whether to let him take his chance.Having spoken to Andrew Cooper the Clerk of the Course at Sandown, I got the impression that the ground had been well watered.  Sandown has an advantage over a lot of other courses, as the horses are meeting the rising ground from the home turn. Cityscape is a big horse with plenty of scope and measuring over 16.1 hh.  Being by Selkirk, I would expect there to be more improvement to come as long as he gets the conditions that suit him.

Both our runners at Kempton last night performed with credit, Cry Fury showed his inexperience when he hit the front drifting across the track, but luckily he hung on to win by a short head.  I would hope and expect that he is capable of improving and in time, will be suited by going up in distance.  His next race is likely to be a handicap and it will be interesting to see on Tuesday how he has been assessed.  Waterborne showed improved form and stayed the distance well, but he was also looked rather inexperienced, so there should be plenty of improvement to come.

We have two runners this evening at Kempton with Cry Fury running in the 7.20pm.      He is a nice big scopey colt who should act on the polytrack and maybe stay further in time. He had one race last year but looked a bit green and inexperienced and I would hope that he would show a little more this evening. 

Waterborne runs in the 8.50 pm, he is being ridden by Keiran O'Neill who has ridden 25 winners in Ireland,  who is based at Richard Hannon's yard.  He ran three times last year and did not appear to be suited by the soft ground on his last start at Windsor but I hope that now he is going up in trip he will come into his own.

Waterborne

I was pleased with the race that Supreme Quest ran at Windsor last night where she was beaten a little over 4 lengths from a widish draw and conceding 9 lbs to the 2nd and 3rd and 5 lbs to the winner. She behaved particularly well and perhaps got slightly tired in the final furlong, so should improve, particularly when she steps up to 6 furlongs, only time will tell as to how good the race was.

Sergeant Troy had any chance that he might of had, taken away from him when he was carried wide as the horses entered the straight.  It was slightly ironic that the horse of Henry Candy's that caused the problems was by the stallion Refuse To Bend ! 

As I did not manage to buy any horses from the Newmarket Breeze up sales, I will be heading north today to Doncaster to try my luck there.

No runners today.

We had a busy morning on Saturday with a visit from Her Majesty The Queen to see her horses work on the gallops and then several runners at Newbury including; Discovery Bay who ran well for her,  but unfortunately just got beaten by a Godolphin colt.  Pontenuovo perhaps lay a little out of her ground in a slowly run race but I was pleased with her effort.  She handled the ground but her ideal distance is likely to be 6 or 7 furlongs in future, she is unlikely to run in the 1000 Guineas.  Proponent as usual ran his normal consistent race, running on to finish 4th beaten less than 2 lengths.  He took me by surprise as I really hadn't thought that he had quite come to himself. No doubt the handicapper will put him up again !   Edgware Road was rather disappointing but he may have hurt himself coming out of the stalls as he raced rather awkwardly and was quite stiff in his back the following day.

We have two runners this evening at Windsor with Supreme Quest running in the 5.20pm, a race for two year old fillies that cost less than 20,000 guineas. I bought her at Doncaster sales and I have been pleased with her progress, she loves fast ground and her sire, Exceed And Excel has put some speed into her staying family.  Her dam is by Rainbow Quest and the next dam by Sadler's Wells, and she is related to Spanish Don who won the Cambridgeshire, Beat Hollow and Oasis Dream. 

Sergeant Troy

Sergeant Troy runs in the last  race, a mile handicap for three year olds where I hope he shows better form than he appeared to last year.  He is a big well grown colt who should improve as a three year old but he is still a rather laid back character.

Yesterdays runners all came back happy and well from their races at Newbury.  Tioman Legend showed signs of inexperience and will appreciate stepping up to 6 furlongs in due course but showed enough promise to suggest that he is going to win in the next few months. Federation is a rather highly strung filly but she behaved extremely well and was running on in the closing stages, suggesting that she would be suited by 8 and eventually 10 furlongs.  Al Kazeem had a good blow after his race and got a little tired in the final furlong. He also did not have the clearest of runs but I was pleased with his performance and I think the race will prove to be well up to standard.  Run For The Hills for a moment threatened to get involved in the finish but his run faded and he is due to continue his racing career in Singapore where I hope he does well.

Today we have several interesting runners at Newbury, but unfortunately Clowance is unlikely to run as she needs the ground to be on the slow side.  We had the same problem this time last year and we will just have to be patient and wait for conditions that suit her. 

Pontenuovo (Fr)

Pontenuovo has nearly come in her coat and seems fresh and well and it will be interesting to see whether she handles the fast ground and the step up in trip as her best performances were over 6 furlongs. She has been relaxed in her work and I think todays race should suit her but as I am still learning about her. 

Proponent (Ire)

Proponent is a good old servant and runs very consistent races but he probably is a little more backward than he was this time last year and I get the impression he will benefit from todays race. 

Discovery Bay

Discovery Bay runs in the first division of the maiden race and I hope he will run well, as his owner The Queen will be there to watch him.  He is bred to be suited by at least 10 furlongs so there may be one or two in the race that are sharper than him.  Edgware Road runs for the first time in the second division, he is a big strong colt by Selkirk whose work has been encouraging and I am hoping that he will show some promise for the future.

I was really delighted with Genki's run in the Abernant yesterday, he has been so lazy in his work at home with most of my sprinters leaving him trailing behind. Luckily when he gets to the races he wakes up and I thought that Steve rode a good race allowing him to free wheel down the hill before launching him in the final furlong. His  next race is likely to be The Duke Of York at their May meeting.

Our runners today at Newbury are all in good shape. Tioman Legend has his first start in the 1.35 pm race, he is a very solid well made colt by Kyllachy who is out of a Dansili mare who is a half sister to some speedy horses including Welsh Emperor, Majestic Times and more recently Brave Prospector. 

Federation

Federation runs in the Bridget Maiden Fillies Stakes at 2.40pm,  she is a half sister by Motivator to the brilliant Attraction, she has been showing promise and will be suited by going up in distance to 8 furlongs after this race. 

Al Kazeem

Al Kazeem runs in the 4.25 pm a mile and a quarter Condition race for three year olds. He is a lovely looking son of Dubawi with plenty of size and scope who should be suited by todays distance and I hope will have a future in better races during the season.

Run For The Hills

 Run For The Hills runs in the 5 furlong handicap at 4.55pm. It is fair to say he has been a little disappointing for us so far, but he has had a wind operation and he was gelded during the winter. His next likely race will be in Singapore as he is due to leave us at the end of next week

Genki runs tomorrow in the Abernant Stakes at 3.35 pm and will be ridden by his regular partner Steve Drowne. He is drawn in the middle which should suit him but it looks to be a competitive race with several of the runners having a similar rating.  He looks well and is in good form but as he gets older he is becoming more difficult to get fit, being such a laid back character.  Hopefully it will be a long season for him and I would expect him to improve fitness wise as a result of  tomorrows race.

Genki exhausted after a recent workout !

A busy week approaching with Genki running at Newmarket on Thursday and 7 or 8 potential runners spread over two days at Newbury. I am off to Newmarket tomorrow to see if there are any "flying machines" at the Breeze Up sales that are being sold at affordable prices. If you are interested please go to www.tattersalls.com  where you will be able to view the videos of the  two year olds being breezed together with their catalogue page.

Genki (Frankie Braiden) after his exercise this morning up the polytrack, it was a foggy morning but still no sign of rain. Genki is our only entry at Newmarket next week and is a possible for the Abernant Stakes, a Listed race over 6 furlongs.