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A delayed update on today’s runner. It didn’t look likely we’d be here yesterday morning. When Gordon Elliott’s runner was withdrawn we were able to take our chance. To get stall 4 and Lisa O’Neill was something of a result and after throwing in a few plaits we were on the road. It’s a seriously competitive race but being a €100k Galway handicap that’s not a huge surprise. Our lad has been terrific since we have got him but if he maintains his flat form it won’t be good enough. We’re hopeful the extra distance will bring about improvement. He loves to gallop and 12 furlongs on quick ground is top speed for him so the slightly easier tempo should be right up his alley. It’s dream stuff so far with him. Hopefully it continues…..

A mixed few days, kicked off with a couple of big efforts in Killarney but tempered by the loss of a gorgeous 2 year old filly this week. This game is cruel and puts you through the ringer on a regular basis. Clinging to perspective can be easier said than done. Cue Rudyard and Alistair Down putting their heads together for the next bit. We’re not running many at the moment for whatever reason. Whether it’s a pre Galway lull I’m not sure but we send 2 to Naas tomorrow to keep things ticking over. Khabaray runs in the mile apprentice race and he’s drawn in Goffs carpark. He’s been drawn 14, 11 and 19 in his last 3 runs or something close to those numbers. Crap draws anyway. He’s not helping in his races and on what he’s showing at home it’s hard to see him involved. Rory will get him out as quick as he can and try and get him involved late on. He’s dangerously well handicapped if he could rediscover his form. Alcatraz goes next and he has landed on a 7 runner event. Not bad for €17,5k total pot. He has been running well and the last day he was quite close up in a valuable handicap without being able to fully hit top gear at any stage. 6 rivals makes Chris’s job a fraction easier and if they went quick and he could get drawn through horses late he could run well. He’s in great ol’ shape and despite a busy 7 months I’d safely say he’s at his heaviest now. The mile should be fine and the Naas hill should help late on. It’ll be batten down the hatches after tomorrow and prepare for Galway. We haven’t a well handicapped, in form horse in the place so we could have a quiet few days.

If I had written this last evening I would have given the whole thing over to extolling the virtues of the favourite, his trainer and jockey. As it is, he’s a non runner and we’re favourite. Favourite! In a chase! Worth 50k! Pressure’s on now. I don’t know what to expect. He should be razor fit from his flat runs. He had a pop with us to get his eye in. Funny to see him, his usual casual self, spots a fence and away. He loves it. Fingers crossed he can reproduce his Dan Skelton form. No easy task given what Dan is achieving on the other side of the pond. We’ve had a bit of luck with a forward going son of Azamour at Killarney this week, it would be almost spooky if this lad could repeat the feat. As always everything crossed, I’ll be watching from between my fingers!

We’re heading to Killarney tomorrow. We have 2 declared but as of right now we’re unlikely to have Indian Eye travelling. I wasn’t fully happy with her this morning. Beach Bar is our sole contender therefore and it’ll be interesting to see how he goes. I had hoped he was spot on for his recent Curragh run but the result would suggest he wasn’t. Wayne felt the straight of the Curragh didn’t suit him. He locked on and never gave himself a chance to take a breath until it was too late and he was on fumes. I was happy enough immediately after speaking with Wayne but was interested to see Beach Bar take an enormous blow after the race. He didn’t appear to be fully fit. He’s older and a bit bigger and may be proving harder to get fit than previously. If Wayne is right or I’m right or we’re both a bit right then he should run well tomorrow. If he’s just out of form then I’m stumped. A mile, drawn 4, left handed, 7lb claim and 2 runs under his belt should add up to a good run.  Sean is back on board for the first time since he last won on him so fingers crossed.

Just the one runner today at Navan. Serabrina is a 3 year old filly that arrived at the beginning of June. She has some good French 2 year old form but has failed to win thus far. As with all these fillies it makes a big difference to get a winning bracket and that’s the ambition for this lady. She has plenty of work done and hopefully shows enough to suggest there’s a day in her shortly. I haven’t got caught up overly assessing her but if she’s going to give us a day there would want to be signs today.

One runner tonight and he’ll be going in my absence. We’re trawling through the July Sale in Newmarket trying to find likely candidates. They’re here, locating them is the tricky bit. We bought one thus far, a horse called T For Tango. He has one snippet of form from his distant past but at the money he was worth a chance. Alcatraz goes tonight and he has snippets from more recently but he’s up against it. Chris will more than likely take his time and if they go good and quick hopefully he can threaten at the business end. He appears in terrific form, taking his busy schedule at his ease and it’s great to be going for a race of this value.

A quick turnaround for Maths Prize after winning 8 days ago. Seeing what Aidan’s are squeezing in to short timeframes would make you rethink what’s excessive. This fella took his last run well, not leaving a nut nor missing a day’s exercise. His performance the last day meant his next run was always going to be tough and he’s probably our first legitimate contender at this level. We have had reason to attempt stakes company with fillies on 2 occasions but the criteria for trying it with a filly are obviously different than a gelding. I was hanging over the rails at Tattersalls Horses in training sale last backend when I overheard Roger Charlton recommending this fella to a prospective purchaser. He was very positive about him but most importantly (from my perspective) he felt he may not be expensive as he hadn’t had many viewers. We followed him in, bought him and started him January 2nd. He was grumpy as bedamned for the first few weeks and while he moved well, his hind legs would often slip out from underneath him. Time passed, we trained him away and without noticing much, gradually he got happier, stopped slipping and started to thrive. Core strength is the buzz phrase in human conditioning and it’s as if this is what has come in to him. Whether it’s training or maturity that has caused it I’m not sure but right now it feels exciting as he’s on an upward trajectory. He can pursue his flat career to it’s limit over the coming months. He is all athlete, breathes, moves and settles. He handles heavy ground and quick ground and would appear, to me at least, to have limitless potential in the NH sphere. A WPM paddock sheet may help.

Another baking day and another nice run. Nothing to shout about unfortunately. Dianthus found the ground too quick, in that company. It’s fast ground and hopefully the 3 boys tomorrow should be ok on it.   Beach Bar goes first in the 7f handicap. He has been dropped 4lbs since his last run and scrapes in at the top of this race. He ran 15 days ago and ended up needing it. He has had plenty of graft since and appears on good terms with himself. He’s difficult to assess as he’s a total lunatic and a hair raising ride every morning. He’s a lunatic in his races when he’s on his game and we’ll know our fate after 50 yards. If he’s skipping along in the red zone early doors he could run well.     Captain Cat next and he’s a total lunatic.  Very different mind you and I’m starting to get fond of the oddball. He’s started (out of nowhere) to exert himself at home and the power that had him highly rated is occasionally in evidence. If that translates to the track he could prove well handicapped. My reservation would be that this turnaround is very recent and we may not have had enough time for him to come forward sufficiently. We’ll see. We’ve started riding him in blinkers and he seems to like them. They appear to act like a comfort blanket for him and we’re going to try them tomorrow.   Maths Prize is last and he bumps into one very easy to fancy favourite. He’s in terrific form and he’s running in this rather than the mile due to the fast ground. I didn’t think he did too much wrong the last day. Halfords’  controlled the race that day bringing the field up the middle of the track. He got trapped in amongst them and would have needed to be a fast horse (he’s not) to get involved even if he didn’t get knocked over.   Good runs are fine but, Christ, a winner would be welcome!

A peculiar evening, much delight to see both run so well mixed with the irritation of finishing second. A brief word on tomorrow. Dianthus has changed hands since her last run and it would be nice to get the new arrangement off to a good start. A relatively small field with 10 runners it’s easy to make a case for several. Dianthus is gradually developing in to the filly we hoped she’d be and tomorrow is another step in her career. I don’t see her as a handicapper in the long term but she’ll have to prove herself before stepping up. A repeat of her last run without the early gassiness and a furlong shorter should get her to the next level sooner rather than later. Her career best was the last day but part of me thinks that she’ll be better still once the ground gets a bit of juice back in it. One swallow nor two, for that matter, make a summer but today was a relief. It’s extraordinary how quickly the wind gets taken out of your sails in this game.  Hopefully with time and experience it’ll be easier to shake off disappointments. Tomorrow is another day…

• We head to the Curragh for the first day of Derby weekend full of trepidation. A few have run contrary to expectations and it steals your confidence. Hopefully just the ebb and flow of a standard season. A run like Tuesday is a kick in the guts but she’s fine since and merely a blip, hopefully. It’s awkward, dusty, highly allergic weather and it’s hard to know what impact, if any, it has on them. Everyone is dealing with the same thing so it’s probably simplistic to hang your hat on that.Nothing for it but to get up earlier Wednesday morning and knuckle down.
• Anyway on to tomorrow, we run 2. First is a Lilbourne Lad filly With Herself that starts her career tomorrow in the mile maiden. She’s likeable, has a wonderful temperament and has been a model citizen since she arrived. She has taken all the graft and hopefully she’ll show a bit for the future. She breathes and moves, can quicken and find plenty off the bridle. Describes a racehorse really and if she’s not caught star gazing a run with promise would be lovely.

 

• Azzuri runs next and he’s the first important one for the weekend. His 2 runs have been good but he’s going to be vulnerable if he just repeats them. He needs to step forward. Time may tell we bumped into one the lastday. He appears well since and if he disappoints it could make for a long weekend.