Racecourse side this morning.
Warm and sunny this morning with a glorious day in the offing.
We took 15 horses to the watered gallop on racecourse side first lot – they completed an easy piece of work over six furlongs.
Manndawi was not declared to run in Brigadier Gerard on Thursday with the good to firm ground too quick for his first run back after 18 months.
However, Trip To Paris will take his chance in the Henry II Stakes and this will give us an idea of where we stand for the rest of the summer. Graham Lee stays aboard with Clever Cookie not in the line-up.
Ejbaar and Ted’s Secret were also declared to run in the 1m maiden at Lingfield.
Rock Lobster ran a reasonable race at Windsor yesterday, finishing fifth. He travelled quite sweetly until the two pole but then didn’t find as much as expected and just looked a little one-paced in the closing stages. He seemed happier back on better ground and Pat Cosgrave suggested he is still a little weak – he will be given a short holiday now.
Five runners this afternoon. Kafoo, a Dansili half-brother to our former good sprinter Burwaaz, debuts in the 6f maiden at Leicester. He goes nicely at home but the experience will do him the world of good.
Justice First, off the track for over 100 days following a gelding operation, returns in the 7f handicap. He’s drawn closer to Kempton than the winning line and will probably need this.
Europa and Shurfah, two unraced three-year-olds owned by Sheikh Hamdan, run in division one and two of the fillies’ maiden. Both will probably need time to learn their jobs.
Lastly, Sporting Prince steps up to 1m4f in the 0-70 handicap that closes the card. He’s bred to do better faced with this sort of test, but his two runs this year haven’t suggested a mark of 64 is a gilt-edged opening.
Seven handicap changes to report with Scrutinise, up 5lb to 79 after winning a Chelmsford maiden, the most irritating and Kitten’s Red, plus 2lb for his Bath success, the most amenable.
Pretty quiet on the entries front today although we have put four in the Northumberland Plate. Red Galileo, Oasis Fantasy, Trip To Paris and Times Up form that quartet.
Finally, we have been largely incident free over the past few weeks but Luke, grandson of the legendary Willie Carson, was unceremoniously thrown to the floor by Field Of Light on Long Hill this morning. His fellow riders assure me that he proved rather adept at rodeo for a few seconds, but he failed to keep the partnership intact. Thankfully he remains unscathed, if a little embarrassed.
Ed.