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


 


 

Speed Machine wins nicely in France

We are going to France this week with five runners in Claimers; Circumvent, Skaters Waltz, Meritocracy, St Paul De Vence and Stormbound.  

We have three runners at Deauville over the all-weather, all in Claimers; Circumvent runs in a mile one, to be claimed for 22,000 euros, ridden by L. Mendizabel; Skaters Waltz runs in a seven and a half furlong to be claimed for 17,000 euros, this is an apprentice race, for apprentices that have not won more than ten races; St Paul De Vence runs in a mile one, to be claimed for 20,000 euros.  With the great prize money on top, we are hoping for a profitable week.

Stormbound may run at Longchamp in a Claimer over one mile, to be claimed for 22,000 euros, but the race looks too hot for him at the moment, so we will wait for the first forfeit stage.

We have some nice newcomers at Newbury; Dusty Blue, It's Lady Mary, Fast Romance - who are all nice fillies in the making and Rotherwick and Rock Around The Clock who are both by Starspangledbanner and both go very well.  As we all know, Starspangledbanner had two winners at Royal Ascot.

Gipsy Doll will start at Warwick, she seems to have some speed and should put up a good account of herself.

The horses have been running as expected the last couple of weeks.  We had quite a quiet Royal Ascot but it is so competitive anyway.  Gifted Girl has not been running true to form but we are going to continue to try with her and find an easier race if possible, she may have lost her confidence but it is not over yet.  Complicit was not suited by the large field and may be too high in the handicap.  Expensive Date was run off her feet and probably needs six furlongs.  It was nice to see Stormbound win under a seriously strong ride from Luke Morris.  Dutch Art Dealer got too tired at Newmarket and faded out in the last half furlong and Skaters Waltz did not like the ground.  We always thought highly of British Art and first time out he was very disappointing, but since his gelding he has turned a corner and probably got beat by a very good horse of Godolphins at Newmarket.  It was nice to see Circumvent win since his last win in 2011, we ran him very quickly after Nottingham because he came back sound and he did not run a race so going to Leicester proved us right.

Runners


We have some interesting runners coming up, the two year olds which have been slow into their stride because of some bad scopes are back on line.  We start tonight with British Art, who has already run once but came back with a bad scope. We have always liked him and since his run he has been gelded and this seems to have straightened him up a bit. We also have RockAroundTheClock who is due to run at Chepstow, he is very quick and is by the dual Royal Ascot winning sire Starspangledbanner, the draw ruined his chances at Sandown where he had nothing on his outside and he swung right coming out.

Secret Success is in great form and has come out of his last win at Lingfield in great form. Skaters Waltz and Dutch Art Dealer both line up at Newmarket, they are both really well, we are just hoping for safe ground, which Newmarket tends to provide. St Paul De Vence may run at Chepstow, he is a very tricky horse to get right on the day, he retains his ability at home. Dark Days will probably run next week, he probably still needs to come down the handicap but has been working well since his last run where he was unlucky in running. There should be a race in Meritocracy and he heads to Windsor on Monday.

Results

It was great to see Circumvent win after such a long time since his last win in 2011. The owners have really been very patient and from his handicap mark he clearly performs better on the all-weather than the grass.  The Goodwins whom own him were absolutely thrilled. There are so many horses in this bracket, maybe it is time to bring back more condition races like we had a few years ago. We hope he has regained his confidence and hope he can step up from this.

Cafetiere got claimed down at Lingfield so best of luck to her new connections.  

Royal Ascot

Gifted Girl will now have a bit of a break and will come back later in the year, we will have to find a weaker race to try to bring her back as she may have lost her confidence. The ground was a bit too firm for Complicit and the trip was probably questionable; he looks badly handicapped so he may head to France next.

Lyfka ran ok at Nottingham, she may need five furlongs and fast ground. Lisamour has now won twice for her connections, she will have a month off as she has had some quick races, she is quite well bred so could be a nice mare prospect for her owner.

Gifted Girl ran a gallant race in the Dahlia Stakes at Newmarket to come third, we thought the pace wasn't strong enough for her to lengthen and felt she needed the race to sharpen her up.  She will now head to the Middleton Stakes at York on Thursday if the ground is suitable, the track will suit her more as it is a galloping track, we expect her to improve.  Gifted Girl's full sister, Finagle, has arrived at Whatcombe, she is very similar, has size, scope and strength - an exciting prospect.  It is also good to have The Rogers Family, Airlie Stud, as new owners.

Tioga Pass won nicely at Kempton, she is a half sister to Circumvent and we expect her to improve throughout the season.  It was hard to watch Cape Arrow get beat at Bath as we really fancied him, but it was nice to see him win at Southwell.

Lisamour had a very bad draw at Kempton, this made her gallop on the outside and she was too free, which ruined her chances at the end, so we will ignore that and find another race in a couple of weeks as she deserves a little break.

St Paul De Vence who has had a long layoff ran very well at Pontefract, he has come out of his race very well, we expect him to run a huge race at Newmarket.

Grecian who has been working well, runs at York and we have potentially booked an apprentice and he will go there fit.

We are running a couple of nice two year olds at Newbury on Friday, one is a Dutch Art called Dutch Portrait and the other Expensive Date, in the five furlongs conditions race.

British Art, our only two year old runner, who ran disappointingly at Pontefract, came back with a dirty scope so we have drawn a line underneath it.  We have some nice two year olds to come out.

Berkshire has come out the Greenham well, we could see his chances were doomed as soon as he came out the stalls in front and started pulling and he was never going to get home. Last year first time out he did the same at Newbury, had no cover pulled and ran out of steam. He will do a bit of work on Saturday on our Woolley Down grass gallop for the first time this year and he will go the full distance. We are obviously hoping the race would have brought him on mentally and if we are happy with his work on Saturday a tilt at the Guineas is not out of the question. We would hope for a fast pace which would suit us.



Circumvent ran well again at Kempton in a 1m 0-105 handicap he finished very fast and we will look for another race shortly. 1m is too short for him, 1m 1f is a perfect distance for him but they are few and far between I think we may have to go back to France where he won his Group 3.



Complicit's race was far to rough for him and getting bumped finished him off. When you have the maximum field size like that a smooth passage over that distance is beneficial. Silverheels may have not had the easiest runs around although at the same time it was a very competitive field.



Gifted Girl is in great form and all being well she heads to the Dahlia Stakes, she did a nice piece of work last Saturday and is due for another piece this weekend.



Dark Days is due to run at Doncaster on Friday over 1m 4f he ran encouragingly at Newbury and will need further in time but he has improved from his last run.



Bluegrass Blues may need a pair of blinkers to help him he still maintains stacks of ability. Meritocracy had bad luck in running at Newmarket and will probably head to York he has obviously trained on and should be capable of picking up a couple of races this year all being well.



Grecian is fit and will run at Sandown over 5f we have not done too much finding out work here but he heads their in good form.



We have some nice two year olds to come out starting with a Starspangledbanner colt called Rotherwick that seems to be going nicely a race is yet to be found.

Springing Off For The New Season

Our 2014 season got off to a fantastic start last night with Secret Success winning at Kempton. We are now looking forward to our first big weekend at Newbury where we have 5 horses running on the Saturday.

Most notably Berkshire heads for the Greenham, he is fit and has been working well. We think he has improved from last year and we are hoping for a good run. For the first time we have a good draw! Fingers crossed!

Bluegrass Blues runs in the Spring Cup, he's in great form and is working really well. He's got a good draw and is fit and well.

Fort Berkeley and Dark Days two of our three year old maidens they run in the 4.05pm. Fort Berkeley is a half brother to First Mohican and we think he is a really nice horse in the making. Dark Days is a very good looking, stoutly bred horse and we expect him to run well and come on for the run.

Our final runner is Circumvent. He ran very well in the Winter Derby, he's a different horse on grass but all being well we expect him to run a big race.

Here's to a fantastic weekend racing and the start of a great season!!