07/10/16 Straight From The Trainers Mouth

Richard Hannon

2:05 Newmarket – Groupie 66/1

She is a very tough filly who is obviously stepping up markedly in class but I am hoping that she can sneak a place in what is a very competitive affair for its kind. She won well at Salisbury two starts back and looks like the step up to seven furlongs shouldn’t be a problem.

★★★☆☆

3:45 Newmarket – Steel Of Madrid 16/1

For some reason he didn’t seem to get home in Turkey, Steel Of Madrid, but if he is ridden to get the trip he should have no problem. He has been in good order and I have kept him ticking over since his trip abroad and I hope down in class he can be competitive here having run some solid races at Royal Ascot and at Deauville.

★★★☆☆

3:45 Newmarket – Danehill Kodiac 11/1

Danehill Kodiac is in the form of his life and has kept on improving on his last few starts. He ran very well at Ascot last time but I expect this track to really suit him and he should not be far away.

★★★★☆

4:20 Newmarket – Heavenly Angel 20/1

She is a nice filly who has run well on her first two starts. She will appreciate the step up to seven furlongs but there are plenty of unknowns in this race.

★★☆☆☆

Hugo Palmer

13:35 Newmarket – Afandem 5/1
He is a 5f specialist, and this is the only race for him. He ran very well when fourth in the Flying Childers at Doncaster, and that was only eight days after his Group 3 win in Chantilly. He has a 3lb penalty for that victory, which equates to a length, so even if he gets beaten a length here then he has run very well.
He has come out of the Doncaster race in sparkling form - he is not tall but is a tank of a horse and has developed well - and at one stage we were thinking about supplementing him for the Abbaye last week. He could be hard to place next year but 3yos have a good record in the Palace House, and there is a good early-programme in France too, so there is a lot to look forward to.
★★★☆☆
13:45 York – Evergate 7/1
I wish this race was over 7f but there are not many nurseries, which is a massive irritation. This colt is an 86-rated winner, so options for him are very limited, but if he was rated 56 there would be three races a week for him. It needs to be looked at.
He fell out of the stalls at Chelmsford last time and did well to finish second, and the handicapper thought so too, and upped him 1lb. The ground looks be quickening up at York, which is in his favour.
★★★☆☆
14:05 Newmarket - Unforgetable Filly 11/1
This is a big and competitive field for a Group 3 but we are keen to have a go. She lost nothing in defeat when just touched off by Urban Fox over course and distance last time, when posting an improved performance against a filly with Group 2 form. She seems in good order at home.
★★★☆☆
14:40 Newmarket - Gifted Master 13/2
He has never finished out of the front two on this course, and he looks a million dollars at the moment. I couldn't be happier with him. He bumped into an in-form Cougar Mountain over 1m in the Joel Stakes last time and, although I am of the opinion that 1m is his trip, he is clearly fully effective over 7f and Pat Smullen has always thought that this is best trip.
★★★★☆
15:10 Newmarket – Fleabiscuit 20/1
She has been in training all season, so why not have a go at this Group 1 after her maiden success? She has nothing to lose. She is a big, strong, scopey but muscular filly, very attractive, and I don't think that we even scratched the surface with her when winning at Haydock.
We have paid all the money for her to be able to run in this race, so we take our chance, and it isn't as if there is a Minding in here this year. She has come out of the Haydock race in sparkling form.
★★★★★
15:45 Newmarket – Banish 14/1
We took Baydar out of this race as I don't think he is a weight-carrying horse and we decided to go to Goodwood on Sunday with Mengli Khan, so we rely on Banish. He was awkward and didn't make it easy for himself at Kempton last time but he won quite well.
He can be quite goofy in the stalls and fluff the start, so it was fortunate that there was a really strong gallop at Kempton as you don't want to be coming from last in a slowly-run race.
He carries a 6lb penalty, but is due to go up 7lb, so he is 1lb well-in here and Josephine Gordon takes off another 3lb, too. He has run well enough on turf before, and I think he should stay the extra furlong.
★★☆☆☆
16:20 Newmarket – Alouja 5/1
She is a beautifully-bred Raven's Pass filly who has pleased us in her work, and I'd be hopeful that she will run a nice race. But, as everyone knows, our 2yo newcomers come on a lot for the run by design. They are capable of winning small maidens first time up, like Castleacre and Tamayef recently, but it takes more to land "posh" maidens like this first time up.
★★★☆☆
16:30 York - Follow Me 14/1
She is better than she showed at Kempton on her debut. She banged her head in the stalls and had to be treated for an eye injury afterwards. She has come out of the race well though, and will be seen to better effect here.
★★★★☆
18:10 Newcastle - Paris Magic 10/11
He has been off the track with niggling little problems since finishing second at Windsor in May. He threw a splint, and then coughed, but he has largely remained in work throughout. It is just that we weren't able to do much fast work with him, which was irritating.
He is fine now though, and you would have to think that, as an 85-rated horse, he would be competitive in this 1m4f maiden. Wears cheek pieces for the first time, too.
★★

Ryan Moore
13:35 Newmarket - Courage Under Fire 6/1
This looks a competitive Cornwallis but the top three all carry penalties for their Group wins, so that levels the playing field a fair bit. My colt has run well in that grade too, and finally got his head in front when stepping down to the minimum trip for the first time at Naas a fortnight ago.
I haven't ridden him yet but he looks a pretty straightforward colt who likes to go forward, and hopefully he can be in the mix as he steps back up in class.
★★★☆☆
14:05 Newmarket - Glitter Girl 8/1
She showed a really good willing attitude when winning a Doncaster nursery for me off a mark of 85 last month, and took another big step forward when fourth in the Rockfel last time. She momentarily looked as if she was coming to win the race at the furlong marker there.
This race has a fair bit of depth in terms of numbers, and a few of them with form in Group company, but there doesn't look to be a stand-out filly amongst them, so I imagine a few of these will be fancying their chances.
As ever, the Andre Fabre filly catches my eye and he won this race with subsequent 1,000 Guineas winner Miss France a few years ago. You have to respect his Double Lady.
★★★☆☆
14:40 Newmarket - Cougar Mountain 7/2
He is a high-class colt on his day, and he was certainly at, or near, his best when beating Gifted Master by 3 ¼ lengths over 1m here last time. He may not be as effective over this furlong-shorter trip and carries a 3lb penalty, but he was close to a career-best last time - his stand-out run is probably his Queen Anne third - and clearly has a leading chance in a very competitive Group 2, especially on this ground.
★★★★☆
15:10 Newmarket – Rhododendron 10/3
I don't think you would be in a rush to rule out any of this field, even the maiden winners with plenty to find on form. And certainly Spatial gave me a good feel when winning a maiden on the July course which worked out very well, with the placed horses Unforgetable Filly and Sobetsu, who re-opposes today, winning their maidens by wide margins next time.
Rich Legacy saw this trip out well when winning the May Hill but Aidan's pair probably just about set the form standard, and there is little between them.
My mount beat Hydrangea a head in a Group 2 at the Curragh, but finished nearly two lengths behind her when that form was turned around in the Moyglare last time, which was quite a messy race. They are both Galileos and should be suited by the step up to a mile, and I just hope that I am on the right one. It's a pretty competitive race, though, and no result would really surprise me.
★★★☆☆
15:45 Newmarket - Steel Of Madrid 16/1
Won a Listed race over 1m2f here in May and has run creditable races in Group races since, though his fifth to Saturday's Ascot winner Move Up in Turkey last time was probably the worst of the lot. But his earlier fifth to Almanzor in Group 2 company before that gives him a fair chance, though a mark of 107 makes life pretty tough in here against more progressive types. He is a smart horse at his best , though.
★★★☆☆
16:20 Newmarket – Mittens 6/1
Highland Pass sets the form standard in here, and a fair one, too. But there are some well-bred newcomers ranged against her, including Mittens.
Like I always say, the boss doesn't believe in giving his 2yos a hard time first time up but if they are good enough, then great. She has shown us ability at home, but how that compares with the other debutantes is anyone's guess.
★★★☆☆
16:50 Newmarket - Playful Sound 7/2
Lady Of Camelot is the filly to beat in here but she is up against some improving and unexposed fillies.
This is the first time that I have ridden Playful Sound on the track but she is going the right way and that was pretty strong handicap form at Chester last time. That is some way off Lady Of Camelot's run here last time, or that of Laganore or Quebee, but who knows how much there is left in the tank.
Chester can teach horses a lot though, and I think she will go okay, for all that she is only rated 93 at the moment and needs to improve a fair amount
★★★★☆

Roger Varian
2:40 Newmarket – Certificate 15/2
We are backing Certificate up quickly, but he ran a tremendous race in the Guisborough Stakes and that looked an above-average renewal for the level. He looks well worth his place in this line-up and the ground is set to be in his favour. I don’t think he needs too much more on form to be a genuine win contender.
★★★★☆
2:05 Newmarket – Pichola Dance 20/1
Pichola Dance showed herself to be hardy and tough when winning a course and distance nursery last month and she is very much going the right way. This is clearly a significant step up in class, but we know conditions are perfect for her, and she boasts a pedigree whereby stepping into stakes company is the logical next step.
★★★☆☆
4:50 Newmarket – Dawn Of Hope 15/2
Dawn Of Hope has been off the track for a little while, but she is working nicely at home. Her profile is a thoroughly progressive one and on run style and pedigree she will be well suited by the step up in trip. She is unraced on ground quicker than good, but so long as it is safe good to firm, which I’m sure it will be, then she ought to be fine.
★★★☆☆

Fran Berry
4:50 Newmarket – Pure Art 14/1
I haven't seen a video of her last run in Toulouse but from what I hear things didn't go to plan; she was slowly away and ended up out the back and never got into the race. It's probably worth putting a line through that and looking at what she'd done before. Her form is solid and she ran really well at Sandown last time. It was only a handicap but it was a competitive race and she's been in good form at home since. She's got a bit to find in this race but 10 furlongs on good-to-firm ground at Newmarket should be perfect for her so I'm hopeful she'll step up.
★★★☆☆

Andre Fabre

2:05 Newmarket – Double Lady 5/2

She won her maiden in good style, the form of it isn't so great but she won it so easily I thought it was worth giving her a chance in a race like this.

She's a very good filly. She is good looking, has a nice temperament and the hope is she could be a Guineas type, it is why she is running. It looks a good race, though, stronger than usual.

I think she will run a very good race, whatever beats her will be a very good filly.

★★★★★

Charlie Appleby

2:05 Newmarket – Grecian Light 13/2

Grecian Light is a consistent filly that is putting together a nice record. She has run well at her two most recent starts and this race gives her a great chance of winning a Group race as a two-year-old. The ground will be in her favour and she has been working well

★★★★☆

3:10 Newmarket – Sobetsu 9/4

It was a big step from her first to her second run, and you could say this is a huge leap, to G1 company, But, we always had the Fillies' Mile in mind for her, it was always our intention to run here this week. We felt she had already proven herself on the Rowley Mile, and by coming here, instead of Chantilly last weekend, it gave her more time between runs

★★★★☆

Saeed Bin Suroor

3:10 Newmarket – Easy Victory 50/1

The ground was too firm for her in the Sweet Solera, and she came out of the race jarred up, But she has been working well recently, and I think she will run a good race. Any rain would help her

★★★☆☆

John Gosden

2:40 Newmarket – Richard Pankhurst 13/2

Richard Pankhurst did not act on the loose ground at Doncaster last time and will be suited by the faster going at Newmarket.

★★★☆☆

Fergal O’Brien

3:00 Newton Abbot – Luccombe Down 11/1

Paddy rides. He was very unlucky to get brought down in his last run at Sedefield when going well 3 out. That was after completing a 3 timer for us so we still don’t know his limits. 

★★★☆☆

Nigel Twiston- Davies

3.00 Newton Abbot - Goodbye Dancer  11/1
Steps up 2 1/2f after his very good second at Perth over 3m a couple of weeks ago. Up 2lbs to 135 for that effort, there is still room for improvement and today's ground should help there. Jamie Bargary rides and takes off 5lbs.
★★★☆☆
5.15 Newton Abbot - Scotchtown 16/1
Makes his bumper debut having arrived via the Irish point route where he managed a 3rd of 7 from his sole outing. Has shown good ability at home and should go well. Ryan Hatch rides.
★★★☆☆

Alan King
3:25 York – Master Blueyes 11/1
He ran a smashing race to finish fourth at York’s Ebor meeting, and the winner, Wall of Fire, went on to follow-up off a 12lb higher mark at Doncaster last month, so, fresh from a seven week break, we hope our fellow will again be competitive.
★★★☆☆
3:45 Newmarket – Cosmeapolitan 9/1
Cosmeapolitan is up another 2lb for an excellent second at Haydock last time, but he just got tired close home over the mile and six so the drop back in trip – he had bolted up over this distance at Newbury – should suit him.
★★★★☆
3:35 Newmarket – Sir Valentine 20/1
Sir Valentine is stepping into handicap company for the first time. He broke his maiden at Kempton and the second has won since, and his previous second at Ffos Las also received a form boost when the third won subsequently
★★★☆☆