We have got no runners today but Folly Bridge is due to travel this afternoon to Pontefract to run in the Weatherbys Bloodstock Insurance Pipalong Stakes, a Listed race over a mile for four year olds plus fillies.

As you will see from the photographs, Camberley Two has completely recovered from winning three races in 8 days, certainly a first for me and probably my predecessors !   

Camberley Two

That's Dangerous won his seller at Leicester in good style to beat the favourite by 2 lengths, the race having been started without starting stalls as they had been broken by Godber bursting out. He was the first winner for his owners who bought him back at the auction for 9.500gns and I hope he can win again in a nursery handicap or in another seller, he ought to be suited by 7 furlongs at some stage in the future as there's plenty of stamina in his pedigree.

Primevere ran a much more promising race to finish 2nd giving me the impression that she could try 10 furlongs again as she stayed on well all the way to the line. Timeform ratings suggested that she was 17lb behind Nahrain and 7lb behind Cape Dollar and Dubai Queen  confirming the improved performance. I gather the winner is expected to be running in Group 1 races before the end of the season which is encouraging. At last Primevere is starting to show the promise that we have been seeing on the gallops and I hope she can continue to improve as she gets stronger.

Zero Money finished 4th at Doncaster and was beaten a little over 2 lengths.  A furlong out it looked as if he was going to win but unfortunately he ran out of gas in the closing stages and was fading as they went to the line.  I got the impression that perhaps the blinkers had made him run a bit too freely and that he did not quite get the trip and 6 furlongs would be a possibility in the future.

We have two runners today starting with That's Dangerous in the two year old seller at Leicester. The form is quite hard to assess but I hope that he runs well to give Three Valley's his second winner this week. 

That's Dangerous

Primevere goes to Sandown to run in a very competitive looking mile Listed race for three year old fillies. Her work has always been very encouraging and she looks extremely well but she will need to lift her game from two slightly disappointing efforts but fingers crossed that she can get some black type.

 

Primevere

Unfortunately Excavator our odds on shot at Haydock was a little disappointing and finished second for the third time. His future may lie in Nursery handicaps and perhaps with a pair of blinkers.  It was good to watch Goldtrek win her fourth race and in the process giving Steve Drowne his first winner since his injury.  She put up a game performance to make all and hold off the challengers in the final furlong.  Lovage ran at Newbury and behaved beautifully but unfortunately her trainer had not taught her to jump out of the stalls with the other runners !    It is always difficult to tell how much ground is lost at the start, but it did appear that she was at least seven lengths behind the leaders after half a furlong. She made good and steady progress to catch them up and she ran all the way to the line to be beaten around five lengths. It was a promising first effort and I will look forward to running her again in the next few weeks.

Our only runner today Zero Money  goes to Doncaster to run in the 7 furlong handicap at 3.35pm.  He has been equipped with a pair of blinkers for the first time as he has become a little too relaxed in his races. 

Zero Money

 

 

I thought Keys ran a good and solid race last night at Kempton which was in fact very similar to his previous race at Kempton where they stretched away from the field but unfortunately, he found one too good for him.  His future will probably be in staying handicaps.

Today we have three runners with Excavator travelling to Haydock to run in the first race with Paul Hanagan. He should be suited by the fast ground and he seems to be training well, so we are hopeful of a victory. 

Excavator

 

Lovage a half sister to Love Match and several other winners, runs at Newbury for the first time in the 7.05 pm over 6 furlongs. She is still a bit on the leg and should strengthen up as the season progresses but I hope she will run well.  She is by Exceed And Excel who is having another very exciting season with his two year olds, both in Europe and Australia where he has just recorded his 20th individual two year old winner.

 

Lovage

 

Goldtrek runs at Epsom in the 6.20pm with Steve Drowne and we are trying cheekpieces for the first time as I got the impression that she idled in the closing stages at Salisbury.

Goldtrek

Anybody who backed Camberley Two yesterday must have broken out in a cold sweat in the closing stages of his race at Brighton as it looked as if he was going to be beaten. He was given a good ride and Keiran managed to drive him up the rails to literally win by a short head on the line to complete his three timer in seven days.  Hawk Moth who finished second had good form with Camberley Two at Salisbury over 7 furlongs  and was 11lbs better off for 3 lengths so he was fully entitled to give us a run for our money !  Camberley Two's victory gives us a 66% strike rate (8 out of 12) with our three year olds plus at Brighton.

Keys runs this evening at Kempton having slightly disappointed me at Haydock last time in holding ground.  George Baker rides him tonight and I am trying a pair of blinkers as he has become very laid back and lazy in his races and he has the ability to run well tonight.

Keys

 

Camberley Two goes back to Brighton today to run in the 5.00pm race with Keiran O'Neill (one of Richard Hannon's apprentices) claiming 5lbs. As a result of his victory at Brighton the handicapper this morning has raised him 10lbs to a rating of 63 and today he runs with a 6lb penalty for that win,  but he remains unpenalized for his follow up at Salisbury on Sunday. If you take Keiran's 5lb claim into consideration he effectively runs off a 1lb higher mark than he did  at Brighton on the 21st June. It is always difficult to know whether a horse has fully recovered from two quick races but he seems fresh and eating well.  As a result of his easy win in the apprentice race on Sunday, it is more than likely that the handicapper will raise him to a mark in the high 60's.  He has certainly earned a rest after this race and it should be remembered that his last two races were over 8 furlongs and today he has been dropped back to 7 furlongs.  The manner of his victories would suggest that he would appreciate stepping up in distance beyond the mile in the future and there is plenty of stamina in his pedigree to back that up.

 

Camberley Two

Full Footage was again a little disappointing in her race at Windsor and will be heading to the July sales where she should be of interest to continue racing or to breed from.  She is from a wonderful Juddmonte family as her dam is by the Group race sire Distant View and out of Zaizafon making her a half sister to Zafonic and Zamindar and in total nine winners.   We also have her half brother Newnton Lodge (a two year old) who is by Rail Link in training and showing plenty of promise.

Camberley Two ran another good and progressive race and was competently ridden by Charlie Bishop. He was in good form this morning and the plan is to return to Brighton to run again tomorrow. 

Genki seems fine after his G3 victory at Newcastle yesterday. His win took his earnings to over a 1/4 million pounds, which is brilliant for a £55k yearling purchase. He is obviously a gelding, so as long as he is sound and happy he will keep running. The obvious plan would be to head for the G1 Darley July Cup at Newmarket on July 9th, where the faster ground and quick pace will suit him even more. The key is getting him to settle, as he is getting quicker and quicker with old age. 

Federation ran at Doncaster last night and performed with credit on what was fast ground. The winner had good form, having been 4th in what looked like being an ordinary listed oaks trial at Newbury earlier in the season, but turned out to include Dancing Rain (1st Oaks), Izzi Top (3rd Oaks) and Rumh (who won a  listed race by 6 lengths after that). Federation traveled over the field like the winner, but looked not to get home. The step up in trip form 7f to 1m 2f seemed not to suit, and although being by Motivator, her sister Attraction was very quick as everybody knows, and none of the other siblings have stayed much beyond a 1m.

Deck Walk who is the biggest horse in the yard, and makes the likes of Cityscape, Border Patrol and Genki look small did not handle Lingfield last night. She is a long striding horse, who would prefer a fast run race on a galloping track, which was not the case last night. She got very unbalanced throughout and the jockey reported her to be still "weak". I thought she may be able to win the race due to the moderate opposition, but it didn't workout. She will be out on a more suitable course in the near future.

Camberley Two runs today at Salisbury under a penalty, having won at Brighton at the beginning of the week. As said before he has been one of the slowest learners I have come across, as seen in his runs last year, especially at Sandown. He won off a mark of 53 on Tuesday and carries a 6lbs penalty today, with the aid of Charlie Bishop who takes off 3. I believe that he will go up 10 lbs for his win at Brighton, so he is effectively well in, and timeform suggest a lot more than that. The race is limited to jockeys who have ridden a certain amount of winners, and Charlie has ridden all 10 of his winners this year, having only started riding on the flat at the back end of last year, and currently has a strike rate of 25% on the turf and 22% in total, which is trumped only by the mercurial Barlazona. He is a jockey I have seen a lot of, as he was in the Pony racing scene at the same time as my son. If Camberley turns up in the form he was on Tuesday he should go very close. I have declared him to run back at Brighton on Tuesday, which is something we will consider, depending on his wellbeing and the outcome today, where he would face 5 others.

Full Footage runs at Windsor today. She ran badly on unsuitable ground last time out, and we are hoping that she shows more before she heads to the July sales at Newmarket in a couple of weeks.

 

I thought that Starlight Walk ran a good, tough and genuine race but unfortunately found one too good for her and was beaten less than a length, granted some luck she should find a race soon.  What a star my old friend Genki is to deliver again and win his first Group race, I am really thrilled with him.