A pretty quiet weekend for us which is only to be expected as we come towards the end of the season but we’ve still got some nice horses to run in Maidens and Persian Force, who put up a massive effort in the G1 Middle Park at Newmarket last week, will now have a few days off before being prepared for a crack at the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint in Keeneland. He’s all about speed and has a great turn of foot so a track like that will really suit him.
Aristia had the option of running over in France this weekend but the ground at Longchamp is going to be very, very soft and I don’t want to risk her in such testing conditions. She’s already been a star this season, finishing second in the G2 Middleton Stakes and G1 Nassau before winning the G1 Prix Jean Romanet so it would be unfair to run her just for the sake of it.
Trillium was disappointing in the G1 Cheveley Park and to be honest she was never really ‘at the races’. She was quite keen and didn’t look to handle the track all that well – maybe she was ‘over the top’. Had she finished second or third, beaten fair and square, we’d have accepted it, but she ran well below par and is much better than that so she’ll now go off and have a nice long holiday and come back where we hope she’ll still emerge as our Guineas filly. All being well, her first port of call will be the Fred Darling at Newbury.
NEWMARKET
2:06
Land Of Summer (Sam Hitchcott)
She’s a tough little filly with a great attitude and a race like this will really play to her strengths because she can also be pretty keen, so the likely fast pace will suit and she ran well at Goodwood last time. The drop back in trip won’t be a problem, neither will the ground, and I think she has a rock solid chance in a race we’ve won before.
3:17
King Sharja (Jamie Spencer)
He’s from an impeccable family that goes back to Dubawi and is a colt we really like. He was due to run a couple of weeks ago but I wanted to wait for a bit of rain which he’s got here and I’m hopeful he’ll run well.
ASCOT
3:00 G3 Bengough Stakes
Ehraz (Dane O’Neill)
He hasn’t run since putting up a great effort in the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot because we had a few niggly issues so he went back to Shadwell and they’ve done a great job with him. He wouldn’t want the ground too soft but has won over course and distance and is still unexposed. He’s got plenty in his favour and I’d certainly be having a few quid on at 12/1 with Unibet!
3:36
Mums Tipple (Sean Levey)
He’s been in very good form all season but as a consequence is gradually creeping back up the weights and is now up to 99 which makes him a little bit vulnerable in a race like this; however, he likes this track, won’t mind the ground and seven furlongs is fine.
