Wednesday 19th July
July 19, 2017
On Saturday we started the afternoon off at Newmarket with ROULETTE. She recovered from a slow start to run a promising race on her debut, being interfered with late on. She should come on plenty for the run and hopefully will go close next time. Later on the card CHEVAL BLANCHE raced too keenly and when asked for her effort she appeared to have no more to give. We rounded off the day with BATTS ROCK, who travelled well with the first time cheek pieces. He ruined his chances by hanging left late on, but definitely has the talent to win from this sort of mark. At Chester our only runner was COMPRISE. He failed to travel like he had on his previous start and looks more at home on the all-weather. We rounded off the day at Ascot with FREEBE ROCKS. In touch towards the rear, he was asked for his effort and looked to get tired in the final furlong. We knew he would need the run and is sure to come on for it.
With no runners on Monday we headed to Beverley on Tuesday with BABAMUNCHKIN. Slowly away, she was settled towards the rear. She made some headway on the outside, but was soon ridden and was never dangerous.
Today we started the afternoon off at Catterick where THREE DUCHESSES was looking to score her second victory in a week. Held up off an ordinary enough gallop, she came wide around the outside on the bend into the straight. It made no difference as she still won with plenty in hand. It was not the toughest of contests and hopefully she will be capable of winning again. At Lingfield THEGLASGOWWARRIOR was looking to score his first win. Runner up on both of his two starts since moving into Handicap Company, he looks a little one-paced and is still finding his level. We rounded off the day with another winner at Yarmouth when HART STOPPER landed his third race from four starts. He had to be niggled early on, but came with a sustained challenge towards the far side and won with a bit in hand. He is progressive and could run again next week at Nottingham.
Tomorrow we head to Leicester where we start the afternoon off with SEASIDE DREAMER. He did not show a lot on his first start at Doncaster and we are hoping that he will show some improvement here. Later on the card ARMAGNAC takes his chance. He looks up against it on the ratings, but we are hoping he will be competitive.
On Friday we have a busy day starting the afternoon off with the three runners at Haydock. MERLIN is our first declared runner and he has been in great form this season. It would be great to see him win again here. Our second runner on the card is DREAM MACHINE who will be hoping that the rain arrives. He is nearly top weighted in the race and with Tristan Price’s valuable seven pound claim hopefully this will do the trick. We round off the day with DUKE’S GIRL who is another who chances will be greatly enhanced if the rain arrives. She deserves to win a race and hopefully she will finally have her day. At Nottingham FIRST DRIVE is looking to put her disappointing effort at Kempton behind her and hopefully she will appreciate a return to the turf. In the evening we head to Newmarket where DUCHY takes her chance. She has been off the track since April 2016 and although she will probably need the run, hopefully she will give a good account of herself. We round off the action with SHIMMERING LIGHT who we are hoping will redeem herself after a moderate effort on her last start at Doncaster. Hopefully the drop back to a mile should suit her better.
Today we only had the two horses working up the summer gallop.
Left to right – Duke’s Girl (Hayley Turner) and Duchy (Louis Steward)