Hamilton runner Prince Gagarin and Ed.
Overcast and quite gloomy with some light drizzle this morning.
Field Of Light ran well at Lingfield yesterday, it’s just a shame Harry didn’t tell me how well handicapped his was! He got the mile and a half well and there are plenty of races for him in the coming weeks.
No runners this afternoon but six declarations split across five meetings on Friday. Prince Gagarin heads for the Listed race at Hamilton and, after a long wait, it finally looks like we are going to get some ease in the ground for him.
We had intended to run in yesterday’s Grand Prix de Paris but the surface scuppered us there. Mind you, Erupt quickened impressively off a dawdle and this unbeaten colt will need plenty of respect in the second half of the campaign.
Manndawi had been an intended runner in Prix Maurice de Nieuil earlier on the card but he also wants some give. He now runs in the Challenge Stakes at Leopardstown tomorrow evening and we hope the forecast rain materialises. The race has cut up somewhat and we are very keen to try him over a mile and six – he has always shaped as if he would stay.He was also given an early closing entry in the Irish St Leger Trial this morning.
Five domestic entries for Tuesday at Chelmsford and Wetherby and I am intrigued to see how the track rides at the former following the re-waxing process. Hopefully it will not be as deep.
Finally, this morning’s announcement that Golden Horn is King George bound is simply brilliant for the sport. For a race with such a prestigious history and deep prize fund, the King George has not been as high on the agenda for Derby winners as one might have expected in recent years, so kudos to Anthony Oppenheimer and John Gosden for taking such a bold route with this horse.
Ed.