Alvitude was slowly away but moved up to join the field and then tired in the closing stages to finish in the middle and will improve as the season progresses, I would suspect that it was a decent race.   Lucy Limelites ran a brave race from the front to be beaten less than 4 lengths but Steve Drowne thought that she did not quite get the trip, so we will be dropping back to a mile next time.   It was frustrating to see Federation beaten on the line at Newmarket by Red Eyes (who is a half brother to Zamarelle and the only three year old in training bred by me)  especially as they stretched 9 lengths clear of the remainder. It was nonetheless a very encouraging performance and she should have little difficulty winning her maiden.

Today we have three runners and I am on the way to Maisons-Laffitte where the ground I gather is good with rain due this afternoon to saddle Cityscape in the Prix Messidor.  I was keen to take Cityscape to France in pursuit of suitable ground but also to see how well he travels and todays race I hope will be within his capabilities. 

Cityscape

Sea Of Heartbreak is in Newmarket to run in The Aphrodite Stakes at 2.35pm which is a Listed race for three year olds plus fillies over 12 furlongs. She has been very consistent in her three runs to date but todays race is competitive and we are also moving back up to a mile and a half to see whether she gets the trip for the future.  Sea of Heartbreak has always been happy on fast ground and should the going turn soft, her participation would be in doubt.

Sea Of Heartbreak

Keys runs in the last race at Newbury, the two mile handicap and I hope that stepping up in trip will bring about some improvement. There seems to be a big gap between bumper races and the flat, as I got the impression that he would have been rated 85-90 on his bumper form but he has consistently run to around 80 in his flat maiden races.

Keys

I thought That's Dangerous ran another good race and probably stepped up a little from his previous  victory in a seller. He was perhaps a bit short of room early on but stayed on suggesting 7 furlongs will be on the agenda next, to be beaten a short head by the difficult to beat in a finish Keiran Fallon.  Finishing 2nd in a handicap is never a good result particularly when the first two were nearly four lengths clear of the rest and I would imagine that the two year old handicapper will raise his mark by 4 or 5 lbs before he can run again.  He would also appreciate a bit more ease in the ground.

We have three runners today with Alvitude (USA) running for the first time in the first division of the two year old maiden race at Newbury.  He has only been with us  since 28th April having been at Mr Adbulla's Irish farm Ferrans. He is a big colt who has shown a little promise but will definightly improve for the experience.  He is a half brother to four winners and by  a Juddmonte stallion, Aptitude who was second in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, but won the Hollywood Gold Cup and Jockey Club Gold Cup, both Group 1's as a four year old.  His half brother Acrobatic (USA) won five races for us, including a Listed race at Le Croise-Laroche in 2006 and in the process helping Juddmonte Farms win the Champion owners prize in France. 

Alvitude (USA)

Lucy Limelites runs in a fillies mile and a quarter handicap at 4.15pm which looks competitive and it would be helpful if she could have "an easy lead" which seems to suit her style of running.  Her form from her previous race at Nottingham is working out well as the winner and second have both won again subsequently.

Lucy Limelites

Federation travels up to Newmarket for their evening meeting and runs in the mile maiden at 8.30pm. She drops back in distance to a mile having finished 3rd at Doncaster recently over 10 furlongs.  She is maturing physically and mentally and I am hopeful of another encouraging run, but she may find one or two with slightly better form to beat.

Federation

That's Dangerous goes to Leicester for the first race this afternoon, a 6 furlong Nursery handicap.  Having won over course and distance in a seller for his owners who live locally, this race I hope will suit him but I hope the ground is not riding too fast.  I think it is a very difficult call to know whether any of these two year olds are well handicapped or not, but a mark of 68 would seem to be reasonable, however I am surprised to see that he is favourite.  That's Dangerous  gave me the impression that 7 furlongs would be within his reach but we will find out more after todays race.

That's Dangerous

Our next runner is at Leicester tomorrow when That's Dangerous runs in the first race with Keiran O'Neill who won on him on his previous visit to Leicester.   I am hoping that there will be enough rain in France for Cityscape to travel to Maisons-Laffitte on Thursday evening to run in the Prix Messidor  Gr 3, over a mile on Saturday.  The going is currently good to soft and there is more rain I gather forecast for Saturday. It will be his first venture overseas and it will be interesting to see how he travels with a view to running in France or Ireland as the season progresses.  The official handicapper confirmed my initial views that Bated Breath is the best sprinter that I have been lucky enough to train, when his rating was raised by 5lbs to 118 yesterday.  My initial thoughts are that we will run in the Nunthorpe at York as the going at Haydock for the Betfred Sprint Cup can quite often be soft which of course will suit Dream Ahead should they meet again.

Starlight Walk was a huge disappointment to me, her owner and no doubt many thousands of punters, but she was found by the racecourse vet to be lame after the race.  She has remained sound and healthy all season, so something must have happened during the race which we will investigate.  Rex Imperator ran a very encouraging race at Windsor to finish second,  having suffered a nightmare passage through the race.  He was constantly squeezed up, short of room and had nowhere to go for most of the race and received a couple of smacks over the head in the closing stages, so all in all he did well to finish second.

Today we have two runners going in different directions with Starlight Walk travelling to Wales to run at Ffos Las in a mile and a half fillies maiden race at 2.20pm.   I am hoping we have picked the right race as she deserves to win having been placed in her three races this season.  It would be a nice "follow up"  for her owner, as her half brother Tactician won the Listed race in very game style at York on Saturday.

Starlight Walk

Rex Imperator runs for the first  time in the six furlong maiden race at Windsor this evening at 7.40pm.  Most of our two year olds need the experience first time out but I am hoping that he will run well, his dam Elidore won four races and made her debut in June as a two year old.

Rex Imperator

Just for a second or two I thought Bated Breath was going to win the July Cup on Saturday, but Dream Ahead would have been an unlucky loser had he not won.  Bated Breath ran his best race to date to achieve a RPR of 122 which is a 1lb below his half brother Cityscape.  After the race the press correctly reported that he was the best sprinter that I had trained and this has been confirmed by the RPR ratings. Patavellian was rated 121, Harmonic Way 121, Avonbridge, Tamarisk and Tante Rose on 120 and Striking Ambition 119.  We now have time to reflect and decide as to where he should run next but the Nunthorpe at York in August will be considered.  As usual, Genki ran another brave and consistent race to finish 6th and had he not met with some interference in the closing stages, he would have been 4th. Our two runners at Salisbury were slightly disappointing, but Loxton Lad got tired in the final furlong and was not subject to a hard race. His future may lie in handicaps when he is qualified.  Thistle Bird is a complicated character and not easy to ride or train and she did not settle in a very slowly run race, but she did stay on well in the final furlong to be 4th. She deserves another chance over a mile before deciding her future.

Yesterdays runners at Newbury were depleted after Zamarelle misbehaved at the start and dislodged Steve Drowne several times. A disappointing performance in view of the fact she had always behaved so well at home and a little tuition from Gary Witheford and a stalls test will have to be completed.  Tiger Cub was always outpaced and showed her inexperience but she behaved well and hopefully will improve. I thought Sergeant Troy travelled well but rather like in his previous race, did not seem to pick up in the final furlong.

Today we have runners at three different meetings as long as the ground is suitable for Cityscape to run at Ascot.  Both Bated Breath and Genki travel up to Newmarket this morning to run in the July Cup, a hugely competitive race with most of the runners being separated by one or two lengths on their best form.  Bated Breath came out of his race in the Golden Jubilee in good form and he seemed to work particularly well last Saturday.   He did not have the smoothest passage through his Ascot race, being bumped by Genki and also the slow ground I don't believe was in his favour, but he needs to find at least two lengths to land the big prize.  He is one of the  most exciting sprinters that I have trained with a wonderful physique and temperament.  Genki is probably my '' bestest '' racehorse friend as he is blessed with the most charming character, always gentle but with plenty of humour and courage.  He deserves his place in the field and has constantly lifted his game from season to season. His last race at Newcastle when he won the Chipchase (Group 3)  was a fine effort, he travelled well and won with a bit in hand. On their homework, there would not be a contest, as Genki would literally be a furlong behind Bated Breath but Genki is extremely lazy and looks after himself at home ! The July Cup is a big and important race for Beckhampton and it was last won by the stable in 1982 by Sharpo (Jeremy Tree and Pat Eddery), when the race was worth £40,000 to the winner. 

Bated Breath

Genki doing dressage ! 

Cityscape will  only run if the ground is at least good to soft and at this stage he would look to be an unlikely starter unless the heavens open up.  He put up an impressive performance at Ascot behind Canford Cliffs and Goldikova and on that form should have a great chance as he is 3lb better off with Dick Turpin who beat him under 3 lengths at Sandown in May when Cityscape got very tired in the closing stages.

Cityscape

At Salisbury, I run Loxton Lad in the first race, a novice 6 furlong race for two year olds that cost less than £24,000.  He was bought at  the Doncaster Breeze Up Sales in April and he is by the exciting first season sire Lawman, out of a Giant's Causeway mare, who was a half sister to a Champion two year old in New Zealand.  It could be argued that he should be running in a maiden race rather than against previous winners, but his connections are both new to racehorse ownership and can both get to Salisbury to see him run. 

Loxton Lad

Thistle Bird has not run since winning a fillies mile maiden race at Nottingham on 29th May as there have been very few suitable races that she has been eligible for with her rating of 84. It will be interesting to see how she runs as I am under the impression that the handicapper has over assessed her ability, but she should be improving.

As usual we are starting to watch every passing shower of rain and hoping that the conditions will be suitable for Cityscape at Ascot and Bated Breath and Genki at Newmarket tomorrow.  I gather it rained at Epsom for most of yesterday and the ground turned soft,  but unfortunately Ascot only recorded 3.6mms  in the past 24 hours and the ground remains good to firm, but with showers expected.

We have three runners this evening at Newbury and it is always exciting to be running two year olds for the first time.  Tiger Cub runs in the first division of the 7 furlong two year old maiden fillies race, she is by Dr Fong and is the first foal of a half sister to Pounced (won the Breeders Cup Juvenile) Big Bound, Pampas Cat and Celtic Cat.  Her work has been encouraging but she will need the experience.

Tiger Cub

In the second division I run Zamarelle who is partly bred by myself and bought back at the Sales as a yearling for 20,000. She is a half sister to five winners including King's County who was trained by Aiden O'Brien and was Group 1 placed three times.  She is an attractive filly by Zamindar and she is bred to appreciate longer trips in the future but she has been showing plenty of encouragement in her work.

Zamarelle

Sergeant Troy is a lazy colt and maybe suited by 10 furlongs but he is in good form and I hope that he can put his rather disappointing run at Haydock behind him.

Sergeant Troy

Folly Bridge was a bit disappointing yesterday but the race wasn't really run to suit her, with a lack of pace, no cover on the outside and perhaps 8 furlongs at Pontefract is just too far for her.  We have no runners until Friday evening at Newbury but we did have a busy morning entertaining a very enthusiastic group of 170 Elite members. Luckily they were able to walk out on to the downs to see 20 horses canter including both Border Patrol and his two-year-old half brother Daffyd by Green Desert.

Folly Bridge tries a mile for the first time, having won most of her races over 6 and 7 furlongs. She is by Avonbridge, a 5 and 6 furlong specialist but out of a mare by Mister Baileys who did nearly win the Derby until tying up in the closing stages.  For a filly that has won over £50,000 and with a rating of nearly 100, it is obviously important to try and obtain some black type which will increase her value as a broodmare.  Todays race is competitive, but without any real stars and four of the runners all have similar ratings.  Pontefract is a tough course with an uphill finish, so she needs to settle well and genuinely stay the trip to enable her to have a winning chance.   She is in great form and thriving on her racing, so fingers crossed she can maintain our 40% strike rate over the last 14 days !

Folly Bridge