8/11/14

Richard Fahey
Sacred Bond
12:10 Doncaster
Sacred Bond is quite a nice filly who came into us late. She goes well at home but I’m just a fraction worried division one of the Betfred Mobile Cock O'The North EBF Maiden Stakes might come too soon for her. We like her though.
★★★☆☆

Alan King
McCabe Creek
12:20 Wincanton
He got very wound up before his hurdling debut at Southwell and pulled far too hard, eventually falling two out. He has plenty of ability, but he needs to learn to switch off.
★★☆☆☆

Barry Geraghty
Gaitway
12:20 Wincanton
This was definitely one of our leading bumper horses last season and I loved what he did when he won his debut at Newbury back in March – a touch of class – and the horse he beat that day went on and won a bumper then won his hurdle debut.I was over on Thursday at Seven Barrows and put him over 15 hurdles and he was grand – jumped really well.
★★★★★
 

Lucinda Russell
Kingswell Theatre
12:30 Kelso
Has place chance
★★★☆☆

Malcolm Jefferson
Coolanure
12:30 Kelso
Coolanure did not look like a bumper horse last time so we have stepped her up in trip on her hurdles debut. She schools well at home.
★★☆☆☆

Richard Fahey
Beardwood
12:40 Doncaster
Beardwood is a colt we like too in division two. He will improve for the run and a couple of the others have shown ability on the track already but my fellow definitely has a future.
 ★★★☆☆

Kim Bailey
Midnight Oscar
12:45 Sandown
MO is very much a good ground horse and todays ground will be too soft for him; compensation, race wise, is that it is half a mile shorter than his usual trip which could help. I am not expecting fireworks from MO although he is well and if he handles todays ground he will not disgrace.
★★☆☆☆

Oliver Sherwood
Bertie's Desire
12:55 Wincanton
Bertie's Desire ran a good race here in defeat last time out. Slight concern for him would be anymore rain but as he runs in the first chase he will get the best going 
★★★☆☆

Willie Mullins
Analifet
1:35 Naas
Runs in the 2 mile 4YO Grade 3 Hurdle. She was very promising last season before suffering a pelvic injury. She is back in good form and will like this track and the ground. We are hoping for a very good run. Killer Crow (Bryan Cooper) goes for the 2m 4f maiden hurdle. He was very novicey when second on his hurdling debut at Roscommon in September but we are expecting a better performance today. This trip will suit and, provided the ground doesn't get too soft, he should go very close.
★★★★★

Lucinda Russell
Crackerjack Lad
1:05 Kelso
Has places chance 
★★★☆☆

Lucinda Russell
Shine A Diamond
1:05 Kelso
Has places chance
★★★☆☆

Richard Fahey
Johnny B Goode
1:15 Doncaster
We’ve been quite tough on Johnny B Goode who has top weight in the Betfred 'Racing's Biggest Supporter' Nursery. But he likes soft ground - his best form is on it - so we thought it was worth giving him another go this season.
★★★☆☆

Alan King
Gone Too Far
1:20 Sandown
At Sandown we run Gone Too Far in the novice chase which has also cut up. He is another who we have been trying to get to settle, and he seems more relaxed at home this autumn and may have grown up a bit. He has schooled well and we are looking forward to this first race over fences. 
★★★☆☆


Richard Fahey
Roachdale House
1:50 Doncaster
Roachdale House has been waiting for soft ground all year and is working well. He won at the meeting last year and we’re very happy with him.   
★★★☆☆

Richard Fahey
Withernsea
1:50 Doncaster
Withernsea won well here the other day and is on the up.
★★★☆☆

Richard Fahey
Farlow
1:50 Doncaster
We’ve stuck a pair of blinkers on Farlow and he faced them when cantering on Wednesday so hopefully they can help him concentrate.
★★★☆☆

William Buick
Jamaican Bolt 
1:50 Doncaster
I’m on a major chance with Jamaican Bolt.We clicked in good style when I rode him for the first time at Doncaster last month when we won a tough six-furlong handicap with a bit of authority.The second won next time and my horse gave me the impression that he’d be better suited by another furlong, even though he’d been operating at the minimum trip for much of his career.
He also likes getting his toe in so I’ve got no fear about soft ground and I don’t think that a 5lb rise would be enough to compromise his chance.
★★★★☆

Oliver Sherwood
Romulus du Donjon
1:55 Sandown
He has only had three runs on the flat and this looks an ideal opportunity to start off. He has schooled well at home and we will learn much more about him after today.
★★☆☆☆

Alan King
Hollow Penny
2:05 Wincanton
Hollow Penny is another who would not want the ground to deteriorate. He has won three of his last four and was unlucky to lose Richard Johnson in the other, so given the right conditions and with the race cutting up he should again run well in the Rising Stars Novices' Chase.
★★★☆☆

Barry Geraghty
Polly Peacham
2:05 Wincanton
Nicky sends Polly Peacham for the two mile six furlong mares’ handicap hurdle and although she appears to have a bit on with top weight and conceding 12lb or more I think she has the class to take this. Nicky has a great way with mares like this and she never stopped improving last season. She has pace over this trip so nicer ground is a plus, too. It’s just possible that the one we have to beat is Nicky’s other runner, One Lucky Lady
★★★★☆

Kim Bailey
Mrs Peachy
2:05 Wincanton
I am heading to Wincanton with Mrs Peachey. Mrs P was second in this decent Bathwick Tyres sponsored mare hurdle race last year and goes back today in great heart. Tom Scudamore rides. Mrs P is a top of the ground horse who has yet to race on that surface.. Hard to believe but every race she has run in it has rained to change the ground, and Wincanton has had rain..
★★★☆☆


Nick Alexander
Isla Pearl Fisher 
2:15 Kelso
Peter Buchanan rides and the ground is just on the easy side of good.  He has shown a liking for the track and should have come on for his pipe opener there 3 weeks ago over hurdles, the races are always competitive at his level though so he will have to be at the very top of his game to be involved, no reason why he shouldn’t be.
★★★★☆

Malcolm Jefferson
McMurrough
2:15 Kelso
McMurrough needed the run last time and this race is not competitive on paper. He may find Kelso sharper then the courses he has won on in recent years but hopefully he will show more today.
★★★☆☆

Malcolm Jefferson
Firth Of The Clyde
2:15 Kelso
Firth Of The Clyde did really well last year and is on a nice handicap mark. He has top weight tomorrow and could find 2 miles to sharp for him but he needed the run last year and we were struggling to find a race for him so we will start him here and aim to build on it
★★☆☆☆

William Buick
Links Drive Lady
2:25 Doncaster
Next up is Links Drive Lady for Dean Ivory in the six-furlong listed race which this is a big ask for her although she showed she handles cut in the ground when we won at Windsor back in May.She’s got 28lb to find on her stablemate Tropics which looks a tall order to me.
★★☆☆☆

Alan King
Pantxoa
2:40 Wincanton
Stepping Pantxoa up in trip worked the oracle in the Desert Orchid Chase at Wincanton a couple of weeks ago, so he goes back there for the Badger Ales Trophy. The faster the ground the better, so, hopefully, they won't get any more rain, and, looking further ahead he could be one for the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown next April as he is definitely better going right-handed.
★★★☆☆

Barry Geraghty
The Young Master
2:40 Wincanton
My other ride of the day has a serious chance of winning the big chase, the Badger Ales Trophy, The Young Master. Neil Mulholland has had a great run with him, winning his last four over jumps, two over hurdles in January and two handicap chases this season. The most recent win was at Cheltenham last month when he won a three-mile handicap off 121 and despite a jump up of 9lb I fancy him to go very very close. Although he’s won on good ground he’s very effective on heavy so it doesn’t matter what the going is.
★★★★☆
 

Lucinda Russell
Quito Du tresor
2:50 Kelso
Has place chances
★★★☆☆
William Buick
LA Banderilla
3:00 Doncaster
I think I have a realistic chance of riding a winner for the boss, John Gosden, with LA Banderilla in the ten-furlong listed fillies’ race. I was pleased with her last time at Newmarket in October when she was fourth in another competitive listed fillies’ race over this trip, especially as she was making a belated reappearance for the season. That was her first run since coming over from France and I’m sure she will be more tuned in for this bid for black type. We’ve got 15lb to find on figures with Princess Loulou but I see no reason to question that there isn’t that amount of improvement in our filly - especially as the ground shouldn’t be a problem.
★★★★☆

Alan King
Mystery Drama
3:05 Sandown
The ground on the hurdles course at Sandown will be particularly testing, but that won't worry Mystery Drama, who runs in the two-mile handicap hurdle. Mystery Drama has done us proud on the Flat and she was second under top weight at Stratford last time. She is only a four-year-old and not very big, but she does enjoy soft ground. 
★★★★☆


Olver Sherwood
Carry On Sydney
3:05 Sandown
Carry on Sydney runs in the handicap hurdle. He has done fantastically over the Summer and has been in great form at home, although he can be a bit lazy so will improve for the run.
★★★☆☆

Aidan Coleman
Dubawi Island
3:05 Sandown
Dubawi Island is a horse we’ve always really liked so it was a big shock to see him finish down the field on his last run at Haydock in May. He won his first three races over hurdles very comfortably and we were expecting a good show when we stepped him up in class to run in the Swinton Hurdle. But he did not jump well and perhaps it was one race too far for him, but all in all he was disappointing. He’s been going well at home and hopefully that race was just a blip and we’ll see what he’s capable of in the handicap hurdle at Sandown. He’s probably my best chance out of my five rides although it’s difficult to predict how two of them will run, given they’re making their first starts in this code.
★★★★☆

Lucinda Russell
Innocent Girl
3:25 Kelso
Has place chance
★★★☆☆

Luca Cumani
Mount Logan
3:35 Doncaster
Mount Logan has been put in as favourite by the bookmakers and goes to Doncaster in excellent form, though asking a three-year-old to win off an official handicap mark of 103 demands a significant career best. Nonetheless, he is already a winner here and has an acceptable draw in stall 13, though we wouldn’t want too much rain to fall before the race begins - and the weather forecast for the Yorkshire region sadly isn’t great. 
★★★☆☆

Luca Cumani
Sir Walter Scott
3:35 Doncaster 
We also run Sir Walter Scott who has been something of an enigma since he joined us. He ran well for a long way at Haydock last time over a mile and three quarters in first-time blinkers and the retention of the headgear allied to a drop in trip might just be the combination that makes him fire.
★★★☆☆

Alan King
First Mohican
3:35 Doncaster
First Mohican has been disappointing, both over hurdles and he was also disappointing at Royal Ascot, but he has seemed to thrive for his summer holiday, and, having had a few hard battles on the level, he probably needed it. He is not an easy horse to keep right mentally and maybe leading Frankel up the gallops left a few scars, but there is no doubt that he has plenty of ability and he worked well in cheek-pieces on Wednesday morning, so fingers crossed they help him
★★★☆☆

Alan King
Kings Bayonet
3:35 Doncaster
We were pleased that Kings Bayonet also just made the cut. He had a great summer, winning at Leicester and Chester, and he is now off his highest career mark, but Hayley Turner gets on well with him, and, hopefully, he'll run well, too  
★★☆☆☆

Richard Fahey
Latenightrequest
3:35 Doncaster
Paul had to push Latenightrequest all the way round here the last day and ended up getting there too soon. Did I think she’d be running in a November Handicap earlier in the year? Probably not, but the more rain the better for her and she’s a good, hardy mare.
★★★☆☆

William Buick
Ennistown
3:35 Doncaster
My last ride of the day, Ennistown for Charlie Appleby who carries top weight in the November Handicap. Although he operates on soft and has won on heavy it seems that better ground suits him. The move back from ten to 12 furlongs is a positive, though, and if he’s on a going day then we might get into the action.
★★★☆☆

Oliver Sherwood
Beforeall
3:40 Sandown
Beforeall did us proud last season, winning four and was 2nd four times. Things are going to be a lot tougher for him carrying top weight in these races. He has been going great guns at home and will love Sandown.
★★★☆☆

Barry Geraghty
Forever Field 
3:50 Wincanton
AP won on him on his only start in May at Uttoxeter and he created a very favourable impression. He’s well thought of and although I haven’t sat on him, the vibes I’m getting are very positive.
★★★★★

Oliver Sherwood
Colony Club
3:50 Wincanton
Colony Club runs in the bumper, he goes nicely at home but today very much look and learn.
★★☆☆☆

Richard Fahey
Personal Touch
4:05 Doncaster
It was great to see the Personal Touch win at Newmarket and I was delighted with him. If he’s in the same form here -and I’ve a nagging fear he’s best when fresh - then he has a chance in an open race.
★★★☆☆

Richard Fahey
Our Boy Jack 
4:05 Doncaster
Our Boy Jack, who might just be suited to a race like this. He wants them to go flat out as he’ll be coming back at them late on.
★★★☆☆