Friday
Mustazeed (17:15 Newbury)
He’s entered on both Friday and Saturday at Newbury, and we’ll wait and see what the weather is going to do before making a call. He loves soft ground, so if there’s rain ahead of tomorrow he’ll probably run then, but if they look like missing the showers and it looks like rain on Saturday, we’ll wait for that.
Amor Vincit Omnia (17:15 Newbury)
He’s obviously had his issues and is returning from quite a while off the track. He ran really well for fifth at Chester back in May, when he actually reared at the start and gave them eight or 10 lengths, so that was a good effort. He likes soft ground, and hopefully this race will put him right to go and enjoy the soft ground at the end of the season. He seems in good form but I’m sure he’ll need the run, and this is a nice place to start him off.
Saturday
Duke Of Verona (15:55 Newmarket)
He’s run well the last twice. He was just denied at Goodwood and that form has been franked since. It was a typically messy all-weather race last time at Kempton, but he boxed on well at the finish and shaped very much like 2m2f would be no problem. He ran well in this race last year, the ground will be no problem, and he doesn’t have much weight, so he looks set for a big run.
We actually didn’t enter him in the Cesarewitch at the time and I’m not sure we would get in. Funnily enough I’m not sure he stays 2m2f on very soft ground. There are plenty of other options for him.
Uppercase (17:55 Wolverhampton)
He ran well first time out. I hoped we’d be competitive here, but we’ve drawn stall 12 of 12, which over 7f at Wolverhampton is never easy. There are a couple of interesting newcomers in the race plus a couple with similar from to us. Conditions wise it looks a good spot for him but he’s up against it from his draw.
Jazzy Angel (18:30 Wolverhampton)
She ran well for a long way last time, shaping as though the step back to 7f would suit her. I suppose she’s relatively unexposed compared to others in the field. It may depend upon how well-handicapped Tom Ward’s filly [Whoop Whoop] is.
Stable Stars Update
Divine Comedy
The plan is very much to go to the Irish Cesarewitch, rather than the Newmarket version, at the moment. It’s worth a lot more, and I think the track and hopefully the going will suit. She loves soft ground, and she stayed 2m4f well at Ascot on better ground, so I think 2m2f on softer ground should be ideal conditions for her. She hasn’t really had her conditions since winning at Haydock in May and hopefully there is a bit more to come from her with some cut back in the ground. She’s been great for us this year.
Docklands
He’s heading to Australia in a week’s time, where he’ll go into quarantine in preparation for his run in the Cox Plate. We’ve just got to mind him now and keep him happy and healthy before the race on October 26th. He’ll be quarantined at Werribee, where they have a training facility for the international horses. Moonie Valley is a tough course, but Docklands has always been a strong-travelling horse and usually if you travel around tracks like that then you can handle it. We’re hopeful that it won’t be a problem.
Sea King
Sea King will travel over to Australia with Docklands. He’s a horse that is relatively new to us having come from Sir Mark Prescott’s. It was an encouraging run from him in the Ebor last time and he shaped there as though he’d stay further – he was keeping on all the time, and I think he galloped out well to the line. Being a good strong stayer will make him competitive down under. He’s fit and ready to go after his run at York and we’re just keeping him ticking over now.
He’ll run in something like the Geelong Cup or the Werribee Cup, which are win-and-you’re-in races for the Melbourne Cup and that will dictate where he ends up. He’s been bought to stay in Australia once he’s run for us a couple of times, whereas the plan is to come home with Docklands.
Have a great weekend,
Harry