France

Skaters Waltz - is running on Friday in a 40,000 Euro claimer over 7 ½ furlongs.  He won a 26,000 Euro claimer last time in France and we claimed him back.  This time he is running at Clairefontaine and goes in there with a great chance.

Fort Berkeley - won a 26,000 Euro claimer in France, 11,500 Euro to the winner, he was claimed for a bit more than asked and we came back with 42,000 Euro.

Speed Machine - the ground turned to soft for SM and he didn’t move or run well at all.

Meritocracy - ran really well to come 4^th in a 40,000 Euro claimer over 6 ½ furlongs, he did not quite get the last ½ furlong.  He went out front running but the other horses would not let him take a breather to get the last ½ furlong.

Britain

Gifted Girl - ran very well at Salisbury finishing 2^nd beaten by 2 lengths, she had too much ground to make up from last to first, got stopped a couple of times, then had to pull out and got beaten by a couple of lengths.  The winner made all from the front and ½ furlong spread the field.

Rotherwick - ran very well at Kempton, the plan was to go out in front, he did not have enough early speed to get to the front, which could have cost him the race.

Blue Grass Blue - ran a great race at Newmarket coming 4^th but the ground was too soft.

Dutch Art Dealer - ran very well finishing 2^nd, he just hung slightly which cost him the race.

Kubeba - ran really well, he will come on from this race and hopefully improve again.  He looks like there is a race in him.

Runners

Ssafa – is running in a fillies handicap, she works well at home, this is her first time out for us and she looks in good form.

Dutch Portrait – is going to run at Goodwood, he has come on from his last race at Kempton where greenness probably beat him and he should run really well - all being well with the draw down there.

Secret Success - also runs at Goodwood on the same day and is in great form.

Russian Reward - is a 2 year old we have always liked and may run at Windsor.  He is quick from the stalls and all being well should run a good race.

Gifted Girl - is entered in The Winter Hill Stakes taking on some very good horses but she might just be back to her best so could be competitive.

Complicit - takes his chances but we think he likes the soft ground.  He ran very well last time in France and we also think he is back to his best - he might be out of his depth.

Tioga Pass – is entered in the Fillies handicap at Goodwood, she is in great form and we hope the ground has no firm in the description.

Our horses have been running very well, we could have been a bit luckier with our draw's which have cost us a handful of races, but they look like winners in the making, if everythig falls right.  Expensive Date ran a huge race at Lingfield, coming third, the winner was 1,600ths of a second outside of the course record, so it was a very hot race.  She is entered in the St Hughes Stakes at Newbury next Friday.  Gipsy Doll and  Arthurs Way both came third at Brighton, they will both now go the handicapping route, we just hope that the handicapper is fair in his judgment of third at Brighton.  Dutch Portrait was very green going into the race at Kempton and behaved like he had never run before, he ran very encouragingly to come second and we have always thought highly of the horse and think that by the end of the season he could win a nice contest. 

The next couple of weeks we are going over to France with several horses, kicking off with Silverheels today in a claimer.  The ground has gone soft, so this will not be in his favour.  He is in good form but we think he prefers the faster ground.  

Fort Berkeley is running on Friday in Deauville in the Prix de Petit Cotil which is a 26,000 euro claimer and 11,500 euros to the winner, which is on the sand.  He is in great form and we expect him to run a huge race.

Meritocracy runs next Sunday in a 40,000 euro claimer, 13,500 euros to the winner, called the Prix de Bonnet Bosq.  We think that the draw beat him at Kempton last time out.  He is in great form, the only question mark is the that the race is 6.5 furlongs, not 6 - the extra half furlong might catch him out.

Speed Machine has been entered in the Prix Etalon Muhtathir which is a conditions race over 6.5 furlongs, with a value of 17,000 euros to the winner.  He has also been entered in the Prix Francois Boutin, which is a listed race.  These races are both at Deauville.  He won a maiden in France first time out this year and went over again but Mendizabel reported that he was not the same horse on the soft ground.

Complicit has been entered in the Prix Pelleas which is a listed over 9 furlongs at Clairefontaine.  He ran very well last time out at Deauville over a mile in a listed event, coming third.  We think the step up in trip to 9 furlongs will be to his liking.  

We have four runners at Deauville on Friday, 22 August; Skaters Waltz (who won a claimer at Deauville by 7.5 lengths) is entered in a 40,000 euro claimer and 13,500 to the winner, called the Prix Des Fuschias over one mile, we expect him to run very well.  Speed Machine and Rotherwick are entered in the Criterium Du Fondes European De L'elvage which is a two year old listed over one mile.  Rockaroundtheclock is entered in a 40,000 euro claimer, 13,500 to the winner, called the Prix De Valmont over 6.5 furlongs - the ground was too soft for him at Deauville when he came thrid earlier on this week.

The French trainers have been complaining about the all-weather track in Deauville because it is too soft and the kickback is horrendous, so they have moved a lot of the races on to the grass, including Silverheels today.  

The above entries are not set in stone, they are a rough plan of the up and coming two weeks.

Our next runners in England are on Wednesday at Kempton and at Salisbury.  Rotherwick runs in a maiden over 7 furlongs and goes there in great form.  He came second at Goodwood, beaten by a very smart looking Dutch Connection, he seems to be a slow learner and improving with every run.  Secret Success also runs at Kempton, he really likes the track and goes there in good form, he was just caught up last time out at Newmarket, but is game and consistent and turning into a real professional.  Dutch Art Dealer will probably run at Salisbury over a mile, the ground should be perfect for him.  Blue Grass Blues may run on Thursday at Newmarket in the 7 furlong race in which he is one of the highest rated, we believe that he didn't come down the hill at Goodwood and is in good from at home.

Dark horse: Russian Reward

The horses are running well, but keep on hitting the cross bar.

We had a pleasing Goodwood.  Fast Romance was unlucky not to have come fourth, she got wiped out by Fallon within the last furlong and Crowley had to stop riding - momentum stopped so she had to settle with fifth. Rotherwick ran a very good race in coming second to a very nice horse of Charlie Hills called Dutch Connection. We will try and win an ordinary maiden now.

We have been out to France a fair bit in the last month and Skaters Waltz won a claimer by seven and a half lengths. Speed Machine has been over there twice and on his first appearance he won a Maiden over 6 1/2 beating a nice horse of John Claude-Rouget. We took him over for a second time but the ground went soft and his Jockey Loritz Mendizabel reported that he was not the same horse on the ground especially over a furlong further.

Complicit came third in the Prix de Tougeville which is a listed over one mile, he ran nicely but was a bit free in the early part of the race which may have then blunted his speed. He will head out their again in a couple of weeks. We always thought a lot of him and we feel he has just come right. He may also be suited by a smaller field.


Dutch Portrait is a nice horse in the making, he has a bad draw tonight but we feel since his gelding he has come together nicely he may need further in time but has a lot of speed.

Meritocracy is back on a surface he likes - we will probably try and make the running. He did not like the ground at Ascot last time because it was too much on the soft side for him.

Its Lady Mary has been running well and was unlucky to bump into a good filly of Jaimie Osbournes on her last outing. She will run at Brighton tomorrow and should give a good account of herself.

Expensive Date may head to Lingfield on Friday but she may also head to the St Hughes Stakes (it is in the air at the moment). She has really grown and worked very well this morning over five furlongs.

Fort Berkeley is in great form at home and heads to Lingfield either on Friday or Saturday all being well. He may go to France the weekend after and run in Deauville - we feel he could be a nice stayer next year.

Blue Grass Blues and Silverheels are entered in a 32,000 Euro claimer on Sunday in Deauville. At the moment Blue Grass Blues is going and Silverheels is running on Monday at Windsor, they are both in great form. Blue Grass Blues was not suited by the down hill at Goodwood. He has come out of the race bouncing.

Berkshire is in great form and is taking his work very nicely. We are forced to step up his work as he gets very fresh, so he is doing easy routines for 4 furlongs and then routine for 4 furlongs on our 1 mile 2 furlong woodchip gallop.  His work rider is very happy with him.


Dark Horse: Russian Reward