Captain Cat (IRE) runs in the Classified Stakes at Ascot in the 2.55 pm over eight furlongs. He has not run for five months as he has been given time to strengthen and mature, he is a very big horse measuring 16.2hh and could one day make a chaser!

Captain Cat (IRE)

 Silver Lime (USA) runs in the following race a mile and a half handicap for three year olds and upwards. He ran well over course and distance last month to finish fourth in a very competitive three year old handicap. I am a little concerned about the going now being soft after overnight rain and I will review the situation during racing.

Silver Lime (USA)

Tioman Legend has been declared a non runner in the last race, as although he is by Kyllachy who normally like soft ground he ran poorly at York in June.

Greenery (IRE) ran well in her race at Nottingham, settling better than she had done previously and staying on in the closing stages to be beaten 3 lengths. Border Legend ran a good race but unfortunately he was mugged in the last 50 yards, but it was an improvement on his previous form. He will remain in training as a four year old and should improve as he gets stronger. We had a good day at Salisbury winning both division of the two year old maiden race. So Beloved came from well off the pace to thread through the field and to win in taking style. It was the faster of the two divisions and he should make an exciting prospect next year. Candoluminescence behaved well but tired in the closing stages. Magog was a happy surprise; he loved the ground and did well to overcome his inexperience. Forward March ran on his nerves pulling hard in the early stages of the race. He needs to run again soon and in time I am sure he will become more relaxed.

Bated Breath leaves Beckhampton this week to go to Juddmonte Farm’s Banstead Manor Stud to take up stallion duties alongside his hugely popular sire Dansili. He has been a wonderful horse to train, genuine, tough, sound, and consistent with a bombproof temperament. I am sure when breeders see him they will fall in love with him. Being by Dansili and a half brother to Cityscape (earnings £2.77 million) from the family of Champion European Two Year Old Xaar he should be a big hit in the breeding shed. He ran 18 times, winning 6 races for total earnings of £419,000 and only being out of the money on 3 occasions. His victory this year at Haydock when he beat Soul Power in the Betfred Temple Stakes Group 2 in a new course record time was very special. His best performance was achieved over 6 furlongs in the Betfred Cup Group 1 at Haydock last year where he was beaten a whisker by Dream Ahead (USA) the winner of 5 Group 1 races. We will all miss his wonderful bold head looking out of his box and I will look forward to training his sons and daughters

Being ridden by Paul Vickers who rode him nearly every day in his four seasons at Beckhampton.

Greenery (IRE) runs in the second race at Nottingham a five furlong maiden race for two year olds. The ground may be a bit too soft for her but there seem to be very little opportunity to run over five furlongs in the future.

Greenery (IRE)

 Border Legend should handle the ground but being drawn 14 of 14 is not a helpful. He ran well in his last race at Sandown and he should have every chance of running well today. 

Border Legend

At Salisbury So Beloved and Candoluminescence run in the first division of the mile maiden race at 1.30 pm.  Candoluminescence is a lovely filly by Dansili and a half sister to several winners including Moidore. She is bred to stay well and is more likely to come into her own as a three year old. 

Candoluminescence

So Beloved is one of the biggest horses in the yard and he will also be seen at his best next year but he showed promise in his first start at Newbury before fading in the closing stages due to still being rather weak.

So Beloved

We had mixed fortunes with our Saturday runners. Trader Jack seemed to be happy and settled in the early stages of his race but unfortunately having nearly clipped heels George Baker had to ease him to the outside and he then decided to run too freely. He is unlikely to run again this year and is due to return into training in 2013. At Wolverhampton Stir Trader won his maiden race at extremely short odds which always adds to the pressure. I hope that we can find a handicap perhaps over an extra furlong back at Wolverhampton. Selfara ran another consistent race, but the draw and missing the break did not help her but she ran on well to finish fourth. She is likely to join the Juddmonte Farms draft at the December Sales and is unlikely to run again for us.

We have no runners until Wednesday.
 

Thistle Bird ran another good race to be beaten a neck and now retires for the season and she will return to Waddesdon Stud for her winter break. I am thrilled that she will be returning to Beckhampton in the spring as a five year old. She has had a great season winning three of her five starts and being beaten narrowly in her two other races. Yesterday’s race lacked pace and she did not handle quickening down into the dip, becoming unbalanced, but as soon as she met the rising ground she stayed on well. Sea Of Heartbreak’s race was a rather frustrating affair as she did not settle and pulled too hard due to the lack of cover and early pace. In most of yesterday’s races the winners were not coming from off the pace but on hindsight she would have run better had we settled her at the back. In her last race at the Curragh she sat last but was never able to pick up the leaders, I am still not convinced that twelve furlongs is her best trip.

Trader Jack goes to Newmarket to run in the last race which as usual is another competitive three year old handicap. He has been very consistent but without winning this year and as a consequence creeping higher up the handicap. I hope a return to twelve furlongs might see a continuation of his improvement.

Trader Jack

At Wolverhampton Stir Trader (IRE) I hope will break his duck having finished second in his previous four races. His form looks solid so fingers crossed.

Stir Trader (IRE)

Selfara drops back to five furlongs having not lasted home over six furlongs in bad ground at Ffos Las recently. She is not blessed with the best draw but opportunities are thin on the ground for her before the end of the season
 

Selfara

Two fillies head to Newmarket today to contest two Listed races. Thistle Bird runs in the 1.45 pm which is for three year old plus fillies. She has had a fantastic season so far having already won three similar races and being placed second in a Group Two all over eight furlongs. Thistle Bird is a tough character who can be difficult in the preliminaries and will need the assistance of Gary Witheford to be loaded into the stalls. She should have a good chance today based on the ratings and her previous form but at this time of the year you can never be certain when fillies may have gone over the top but she does appear to continue to be in good form. 

Thistle Bird

Sea Of Heartbreak (IRE) runs in the 4.00 pm The Godolphin Stakes over twelve furlongs. She did hold and entry yesterday but this race I hope will suit her better. It is a drop down in class returning to a Listed race having recently run against the top older fillies in Group One races. Her performance at Goodwood where she was beaten a little over three lengths by The Fugue in The Nassau Stakes and at Deauville when she was beaten five lengths by Snow Fairy should make her competitive today. There should also be a strong pace which will help her settle.

Sea Of Heartbreak (IRE)

Pythagorean was perhaps a little disappointing having raced a little too freely in front, and he was perhaps beaten by an above average two year old that was well fancied. Primevere (IRE) produced another very consistent and tough performance to beat the Ektihaam by a neck. She travelled well during the race but perhaps idled a little when she hit the front. This is her second listed race victory having won the Upavon Stakes in a course record time at Salisbury last year. There is a possibility that she will travel to Woodbine for the E P Taylor Stakes on Sunday October 14th. This is a Group One race for fillies so it will depend on the competition before a final decision is made. Rosslyn Castle finished fifth, he was beaten six lengths and he may be suited to dropping back to ten furlongs and having to carry a little less weight in the future. Poor Valiant Girl for the second time suffered from a few hard luck stories. I thought that she was lucky to remain on her feet having been barged into by the eventual winner two furlongs from home. Had she finished second there is no doubt the winner would have been demoted. Let’s hope it has not knocked her confidence and that she has a deserved success before the end of the season.

Monday’s runners at Kempton were a little disappointing and unfortunately Priceless Jewel will now be retired to stud. Dedication as I expected got tired after her long lay off and I hope will reappear before the Autumn sales.

 
Pythagorean runs in the first race at Goodwood this afternoon having run two races full of promise. He is a nice colt who holds some big race entries and should not be inconvenienced by the ground. He wears a hood on the racecourse for the first time but he is regularly exercised in one at home, as the strong winds seem to unsettle him. After overnight rain Goodwood has reported that the ground is now soft and there is further rain expected before racing. Primevere (IRE) runs in the Foundation Stakes, having been placed second twice in Group 3 company recently. The ground was soft when she finished third at Newmarket in the spring and again when she was just touched off at Windsor by Laytime. She seems to be in good form and wears a visor for the first time as she can be quite lazy in her races. Rosslyn Castle perhaps did not stay a mile and six at Chester last time and drops back to the distance that he won over on soft ground at Chester in May. Valiant Girl runs for the first time on the polytrack as she is a filly that would prefer fast ground and unfortunately there is not much around at the moment!  She was unlucky in her last race which she would have won had she not been interfered with. 

Pythagorean 

Primevere (IRE) 

Rosslyn Castle 

Valiant Girl

Our runners on Saturday at Newbury were a bit of a mix bag. Inaugural ran a much better race than expected to finish fourth, he is likely to run once more this season and there should be better to come next year. Rockpool needs more of a test of stamina and she may have a better chance in a nursery over a mile plus. In the second division Paternoster fell out of the stalls and he remained at the back, the penny never really dropped for him. Liberty Jack (IRE) showed his inexperience and he will appreciate softer ground. In the Nursery Derwent (USA) was again rather disappointing with no obvious excuses.

Priceless Jewel returns to Kempton to try and recapture the form that saw her win over course and distance in early May. The ground has either been too fast or too slow so there should not be any excuses today.

Priceless Jewel

Dedication also returns to Kempton after a long lay off having won there on May 15th, she should improve for her race.
 

Dedication

I was very pleased with both our two year old runners at Newbury yesterday.  Both Don Marco and Secondo behaved well and finished their races in good style to finish fourth. They should both benefit from having a good experience and there should be improvement to come particularly next year.   

We run five two year olds at Newbury this afternoon and as most of them are backward they will gain some worthwhile experience.  In division one; Inaugural was a little disappointing in his first race but I hope he will be more switched on today and Rockpool will probably have a better chance when she runs in a nursery next month.  In division two both Paternoster and Liberty Jack are laid back geldings, but have some shown some promise in their work and are bred to stay further than today’s trip of 7 furlongs.  Derwent (USA) does not seem to be given much of a chance by the handicapper and he runs with blinkers for the first time as he seems to be a rather lazy colt at home.

Inaugural

Rockpool

Derwent