10th September 2016

Luke Morris
3.20 Bath – Sir Plato 9/2
I thought he would improve for a step up to a mile when I rode him last time and I think he’ll have improved mentally for that run as well. This is a weaker race than last time so I think he has to have a strong chance.
★★★★☆
3.50 Bath – Sam The Rebel 125/1
The favourite Good Omen looks very solid. My horse ran nice enough first time and if he can come forward for that initial experience then I’m sure connections will be pleased.
★☆☆☆☆
4.25 Bath – Ballyfarsoon 7/1
He won well at Chelmsford two starts back, but I felt the firm ground was against him last time. We wouldn’t want the ground to be too quick for him so as long as it’s good ground or just a little quicker then he has a solid each-way chance. It’s a competitive race.
★★★☆☆
4.55 Bath – Peak Storm 6/1
He’s a good old stick and seems to save his best for Chepstow these days. He’s on a competitive mark and if the rain came for him he’d have an each-way chance as he’s an honest horse.
★★★☆☆
5.30 Bath – Dulcissa 3/1
I rode Ducissa last time and she finished just behind a filly rated in the mid-70s which should be more than good enough to win today. It’s a weak race with the top rated only 61 and she’s already run to something better than that. If she runs like she did at Kempton she should win this race.
★★★★☆
6.00 Bath – Cersei 10/3
She’s been in great form without getting her head in front. She seems to be adaptable conditions-wise and I’d like to think she’s got a big chance of success. She shows plenty of boot so I don’t see dropping back to 5f being a problem.
★★★★☆

Silvestre De Sousa
3:45 Doncaster – Ventura Storm 18/1
He is one that won’t be bothered by the forecast rain and he looks to be progressing nicely.
The step up to a mile and a half seemed to suit him at Deauville last time and hopefully he will improve again for this extra trip.
On paper he looks to have a lot to do against the likes of Idaho, who brings form to the table, but I’m hoping he will run well.
★★★☆☆
4:20 Doncaster – Mount Moriah 8/1
He sneaks in here off bottom weight and was a good winner at Kempton last time.
This definitely requires more though, and I think we all have Harbour Master to beat.
★★☆☆☆
4:50 Doncaster – Czabo 11/1
She ran in the Group One Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot last time and was outclassed there, but this is much more her level.
If she can reproduce the form that saw her land a Listed contest earlier in the season, she will go close.
★★★★☆
5:25 Doncaster – Renfrew Street 9/2
My best chance of the day could well be Renfrew Street for Mark Johnston in the fillies’ handicap (5.25pm).
She has been in really good form of late and ran well again when second at Ascot last week.
As a three-year-old pitched against older horses she only has to carry 8st 3lbs, so has an excellent chance in what does look a competitive race.
★★★★☆

6:00 Doncaster – High Ground 15/2
He won in his first start back in January but hasn’t really gone on from there in four runs since.
Connections are stepping him back up to a mile and a half, and hopefully that will trigger a return to form.
Again, he’s a three-year-old in against his elders, but must have a chance off bottom weight carrying more than a stone less than the top weight Gold Trail.
★★★★☆

Ryan Moore

16:00 Leopardstown - Douglas Macarthur 4/11

He was too green and inexperienced to do himself justice on his debut but it was a different story in a maiden over this course and distance last time. He was very impressive in making all there for me, and there should be plenty more to come from him.

I am not sure how strong the race was - the placed horses haven't raced since, a couple of others have been beaten, but his stablemate in sixth, Utah, won his maiden - but he couldn't have done it any better.

He looks an exciting prospect, and will hopefully continue to develop as he gains experience. But this looks a decent race with strong opposition for a Group 3, even if there are only five runners, and this will be the easiest ground he has encountered as well. I am working on the basis of yielding ground at the moment with the unsettled forecast.

★★★★☆

17:05 Leopardstown - US Army Ranger 11/10

He confirmed himself a high-class colt when second in the Derby and was given a break afterwards. Although he was obviously well below the Epsom form when only fourth on his return, I don't think Aidan would have been too disappointed, as he would have left a fair bit to work on with an autumn campaign in mind.

Hopefully, you will see the horse who ran so well at Epsom in June, rather than the one at the Curragh last time, and the form of the Derby has obviously worked out well. He remains a very exciting colt.

Once again, though, there may be only five runners but this looks a very strong Group 3 and I thought Zhukova looked a very good filly earlier in the season, and Stellar Mass is improving, too.

★★★★☆

17:35 Leopardstown - Alice Springs 5/1

There were excuses for her in France last time, where the watered ground wasn't ideal, either. It rode pretty dead there. But if it is yielding here then hopefully that won't be a problem as there was cut in the ground when she met trouble in running and still finished an excellent third to Qemah and Nemoralia in the Coronation Stakes at Ascot.

I would prefer faster ground for her - she bounced off it when winning the Falmouth impressively - but we can't change that, and at her best she will give Qemah a race.

That filly does look the one to beat after her Ascot and Rothschild wins though, but Persuasive has done nothing wrong, looked very impressive at Ascot last time and deserves this crack at Group 1 company, and Jet Setting is in here, too.

★★★☆☆

18:10 Leopardstown - Hit It A Bomb 9/4

I would have preferred it quicker for him, but he handles cut well enough. It was on the easy side after rain when he won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Keeneland last October, where he did remarkably well to win coming from so far off the pace.

He was then off for a long time before his third to Tribal Beat over course and distance last month, and you would hope and expect that he will have come on a lot for it. He was a horse I liked and rated last season, so I am looking forward to getting back on him.

★★★★☆

18:45 Leopardstown - Minding 11/4

She may well be a touch too short in the betting given the incredible depth to this field but I think she deserves to be favourite, and I seriously wouldn't want to be riding anything else.

I don't recall many races with as much all-round class and depth as this though - even in the absence of Fascinating Rock - and you are probably going to have a dual Group 1 winner and previous winner of this race, The Grey Gatsby, among the outsiders and that tells a story.

Everyone knows how much I rate this filly. Okay, she may not have been at her best in the Nassau last time but she didn't need to be, and this filly has brilliance and versatility, and a change of pace, that few have. She is tough, too, as we saw in the Oaks. But there are dangers, serious ones, everywhere you look and 13 runners also means luck will play a big part in determining the winner.

King George winner Highland Reel probably ran a career-best at York last time, though he would prefer better ground, and we know how good Breeders' Cup Turf winner Found is on her day; the French are well represented by their last two Derby winners in Almanzor and New Bay, and my preference of that pair would be for the former; My Dream Boat is obviously not out if it on his Ascot defeat of Found; Eclipse winner Hawkbill will have his ground again; and then we have the dual Derby winner Harzand. He is tough and classy, and probably still improving, but you just wonder whether the step back to 1m2f makes him vulnerable to something with a change of gear.

You could run well here and finish fifth, but if I am in the right place at the right time - and I stress that luck will be key in such a big field - then I hope I am on the best horse. I don't think anyone will be going into this race confident of winning, though.

★★★★☆

Hugo Palmer

15:00 Lingfield - Unforgetable Filly 8/11

Was very green on her debut at Newmarket but she clearly ran very promisingly to finish second to Spatial in what looks to have been a well-contested and strong maiden, finishing off her race well. She will hopefully have learned a lot from that initial effort, and she certainly worked well on Tuesday morning.

★★★★☆

15:50 Bath - Khattar 15/8

He is by Frankel, so will doubtless attract plenty of attention as a result, but he is very much a 3yo prospect. He is ready to race but he still has a lot of learning to do and this race will bring him on a ton.

★★★☆☆

17:35 Leopardstown - Hawksmoor 25/1

As we have said before, she is now a Group 2 winner courtesy of her German 1,000 Guineas victory and she has twice been placed in Group 1 company, so this is the type of race she has to contest.

She ran really well under her 3lb Group 2 penalty when beaten ½ length and a short-head at the Curragh last time - she came out the best horse at the weights - and she has delighted me in her recent work.

Whether or not she will be good enough against Group 1 winners like Qemah is, to be honest, doubtful but she certainly deserves her place in the line-up. It is clearly a very strong renewal of the Matron Stakes, though, with three Group 1 winners and improvers like Persuasive in the field.

★★★☆☆

Daniel Tudhope 10/1

6:10 Leopardstown – Custom Cut

I’m delighted to be reunited with Custom Cut in the Group 2 Boomerang Stakes at 6.10pm. It would be even more thrilling to repeat his success of 12 months ago in Dublin, especially as my own sponsor, Clipper Logistics, is once again the race sponsor. In truth, the seven-year-old isn’t quite the force he was last year, but he ran really well to be placed in the Betfred Strensall at the Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival.
★★☆☆☆

Roger Varian

2:35 Doncaster – Double Up 12/1
Double Up has to shoulder top weight, but a mark of 105 looks reasonable judged on his Achilles Stakes third earlier in the season. He’s quite versatile in terms of ground, although I hope the course doesn’t catch too much rain, as he probably doesn’t want it soft.
★★★☆☆
4:10 Lingfield – Aljuljalah 13/8

Salem Rashid’s daughter of Exchange Rate finished a creditable fourth in a warm fillies’ handicap at Ascot last weekend and she is expected to be suited by the drop in trip. 

★★★★☆

6:00 Doncaster – Ajman Bridge 8/1

Ajman Bridge has been freshened up following his run in the Duke Of Edinburgh at Royal Ascot. He would act with some ease underfoot, but he is another for whom we will be monitoring the weather closely.

★★☆☆☆

Charlie Fellowes

3:35 Lingfield – Artful Mind 6/1

Has his first run for the stable tomorrow at Lingfield Park. It will very much be a fact finding mission as I am trying out lots of different things. His homework has been pleasing and I am hopeful of a good run.

★★★☆☆

Roger Charlton

4:20 Doncaster – Maths Prize 10/3

Today Maths Prize heads to Doncaster for the 1m Nursery. Bizarrely there was only 1mm of rain, having predicted biblical floods. The ground is good, good to firm in places. We were hoping for good. It won’t be as quick as it was at Ripon, which he didn’t enjoy, and the course is flatter. He is in great nick and should go well.

★★★☆☆

5:00 Chester – Blakeney Point 11/4

At Chester we run Blakeney Point who bolted up last weekend at Kempton in a poor race, having stepped up in trip. Today is a better quality race but he is in good form and hopefully he can get another win. He is wonderfully consistent.

Richard Hannon

2:00 Doncaster – Majeste 6/1

He won well at Newbury and will appreciate this step up to seven furlongs. I expect a big run from the son of Acclamation who will love this better ground.

★★★★☆

3:10 Doncaster – Toormore 9/2

The rain doesn't look like its come so he wouldn't want the ground too quick. He is in great form but he will be better in the autumn

★★★☆☆

3:45 Doncaster – Ventura Place 20/1

VENTURA STORM is another who appreciates softer ground but he should like the trip and am I hopeful he can run a place.

★★★☆☆