I thought Tioman Legend ran a good race to finish 3rd in what looked like a very competitive and fast run race.  He perhaps was a little out paced and unbalanced coming down the hill but finished well and a stiff 5 furlongs or a return to six should see him winning soon I hope.

Alvitude (USA) dropped away rather tamely at Bath, but he did return with a gash on his leg which was a legitimate excuse.

Sea Of Heartbreak faces some very tough opposition at Goodwood this afternoon in the Nassau Stakes, but a return to faster ground over 10 furlongs I hope will see a better performance than her two previous runs.  Having won a group 2 at Longchamp in October the plan has always been to try and get her placed in a group 1, but today its going to be difficult. 

Sea Of Heartbreak

At Lingfield this evening we run our promising 2 year old colt Dundonnell (USA) who is likely to go off a fairly short price favourite. The form of his Newmarket race has worked out very positively and I hope that there will not be any long faces after his race!

Dundonnell (USA)

Silver Lime put up a brave performance having started slowly to get up on the line.  It was a well judged ride from James and he thought that he would improve again as he still showed a certain amount of inexperience, a mile and a half should also suit him.

Tioman Legend runs in the last race at Goodwood today and he would appear to have a good draw near the stand rails.  His last race at York was run in desperate ground which he hated so todays conditions should suit him well.  He drops back to 5 furlongs for the first time since last year, but Jamie Spencer thought that would suit him when he rode him at Newmarket in the Spring.

Tioman Legend

Alvitude runs at Bath this evening and will also be suited by the faster ground and a drop back in trip.

Alvitude

Although Trader Jack was a little on and off the bridle he seemed to settle well enough and definitely stayed 12 furlongs; but unfortunately he met with a certain amount of traffic in the closing stages which prevented him from finishing a little closer.  Big handicaps at Goodwood will always have a few bad luck stories, but he would not have been good enough to have won the race.

Valiant Girl perhaps ran a bit too freely and under the circumstances did not get home and I hope the handicapper will relent and drop her a few pounds.

Silver Lime (USA) is our only runner today as Derwent (USA) has been declared a non runner.  He runs in the last race at Goodwood,  a mile and three handicap for three year olds. He has not run since early May as he had a bout of coughing and I have been waiting for faster ground for him.  I hope he has an each way chance in yet another tricky and competitive race.

Mince has missed the cut in the Stewards Cup and may run at Ascot in the Shergar Cup.

Silver Lime

Another rather amazing run from Mac Love to be beaten a length and a half.  He seemed to be more relaxed yesterday, as he can be quite a handful at the races.  He is well suited by Epsom, Goodwood and Salisbury and he may come back to Goodwood for the Celebration Mile group 2 later in August.

Trader Jack tries 12 furlongs for the first time in the UBS Handicap at Goodwood this afternoon. He has a tendency to pull quite hard in the early stages of a race, as long as he settles there is a good chance that he will get the trip.  Having experience over the course in May might give him a slight advantage. 

  Trader Jack

Valiant Girl returns to Goodwood having won a maiden race over the same distance, but todays race is considerably more competitive and her rating of 85 I thought was a little harsh

Valiant Girl

Nimble Thimble failed to follow up at Wolverhampton last night, fading in the straight and she may struggle to win another race off her present mark.

At the age of eleven Mac Love running for the 77th time ought to be allowed weight for old age!  He runs this afternoon at Goodwood in he Lennox Stakes, a race he last ran in in 2006, when he finished 7th behind Iffraaj.  As usual he is in great form and he will be suited by a fast pace and I hope that the ground does not become soft.

Mac Love

Nimble Thimble returns to Wolverhampton having won over course and distance a fortnight ago.  She has been given a handicap rating of 75 for winning a weak race, but in good style.  She seems to be in good form and we will find out this evening if the handicapper is correct.

Nimble Thimble

James Doyle had another great day riding 4 winners yesterday and 11 this week, which took this season's total to 51 at a strike rate of 18%.  I'm thrilled that he's doing so well and we're lucky to have him riding for us. Sadly Beckhampton wasn't able to supply him with any of yesterday's winners.  Zero Money ran another very solid race to be narrowly beaten in the last 50 metes to finish 3rd and in the process he produced his highest career Timeform figure of 109, 106 at Windsor.  Sadly finishing so close will mean yet another rise in the weights. Estrela was a shade disappointing and probably needs to be dropped 5 to 85 to give her a chance. At Newmarket  I was a bit disappointed with Priceless Jewell, she ran too freely and she didn't look comfortable on the fast ground. Rex Imperator broke too well and didn't get enough cover and a return to 5 furlongs might be on the cards. At Salisbury Stir Trader ran well to finish 2nd to a strongly fancied favourite and I think there should be improvement to come.

Thistle Bird maintained the great run for horses bred by Lady Rothschild at her Waddesdon Stud.  She probably put up an improved performance to win in a fast time and she seemed to be well suited to the very fast ground.  She is unlikely to run in  the Nassau Stakes on Saturday, but there is a group 3 fillies race at Sandown later in August which might suit her. 

Cactus Valley was a shade disappointing having traveled well he was a little one paced in the closing stages, the ground was a little to fast for him perhaps.  As I suspected the ground was much to fast for Sanctioned at Newmarket.

We have quite a busy day with runners in three different places;

 Rex Imperator should have a good chance in the 4.00pm at Newmarket having won well at Windsor four weeks ago.

Priceless Jewel runs in the Fillies Handicap at 3.20pm and she should be better suited to the ground having disappointed in heavy going at York six weeks ago.

At Ascot I think Estrela should be suited to the fast ground and course, but it is a tough handicap, but she has been working more encouragingly recently.

Zero Money ran with Rex Imperator at Windsor to finish 3rd and 5 furlongs on fast ground seemed to suit him well.

Stir Trader is our only runner at Salisbury this evening and runs at 7.45pm in a 6 furlongs maiden race.  He had a slight set back after his first race at Pontefract three months ago on soft ground.  He is in good form, but will improve again from this race and I hope he will run well.

Runway Girl slightly sat down in the stalls and as a consequence broke slowly.  It is difficult at Folkestone to make up ground in a slowly run race when you are constantly going round another bend, but she ran on well in the straight to finish 3rd.  It was an encouraging performance and she should be capable of winning a similar race perhaps on a more galloping track. 

Today we have three runners with Cactus Valley making the long journey to Thirsk to run in the 3.30pm.  He should be suited by the extra 2 furlongs and his form looks progressive; but most of his races have been run on slower ground, so I hope he can cope with todays conditions. 

Cactus Valley

Thistle Bird runs at Ascot in the Valiant stakes, a listed race for fillies.  She should be suited by the fast ground and I hope she has a good chance at being in the shake up, as her performance at Windsor was very encouraging.

Thistle Bird

Sanctioned runs for the second time in the mile and half maiden at Newmarket this evening.  I hope he will improve, but there are quite a few in the race that I would expect to finish in front of him.

Sanctioned

It was a great relief to find out that the ground at Leicester had dried out, which suited Supreme Quest.  At last she was able to show her true form and made all to win fairly easily.  5f handicaps on fast ground should suit her well in the future and I see no reason why the handicapper should raise her rating.

Runway Girl sets off to Folkestone this afternoon to run in the 8pm, a mile and a half handicap for horses below 60.  She should be suited by the trip and only time will tell as to whether she is good enough.  It is fair to say that unless she runs well this evening she may struggle to live up to her pedigree.

Runway Girl