Threat
SATURDAY
ROYAL ASCOT
12:40 Silver Wokingham Handicap
Magical Wish (Ryan Moore)
He’s tough, consistent and a fast run 6f is right up his street which he will get here. I’m not convinced he’ll be in love with the ground but he won last time out, which was his first run since being gelded, and we’ve just kept him ticking over so he’s fit and ready to go again. His work has been very good and if he copes with the ground, I think he’s got an excellent chance from stall 1.
Embour (Thore Hammer-Hansen)
He only ran last week and put up a solid performance at Doncaster over 5f but I think the return to this trip will help as he’s won five of his six races over this trip and Thore’s 5lbs claim is a big plus too. He’s another who would prefer quicker ground but he will have improved massively for his first run back and I’d say he represents great each way value – if not better!
1:15 G2 Queen Mary
Happy Romance (Sean Levey)
She won what turned into a bit of a procession at Sandown last week when the race fell apart after two horses, including a well backed horse of Clive Cox’s, got taken out at the start, so it would have been a massive shock if she’d got beaten, but she still showed that she’s a very good filly and had improved mentally and physically from her debut at Newmarket. Ideally I wouldn’t like to back her up as quickly as this but there’s nothing we can do about it and she’s a tough filly who will have a bit of a break after this. We’ve always liked her and I’m hopeful she can go extremely well.
Risqué (Pat Dobbs)
She improved from her first run to her second when winning at Lingfield last time and while she has to continue on an upward curve, I’m more confident that she’ll handle the ground as her sire, Estidhkaar who we trained, coped with it well enough, so there is hope on that score. It’s obviously a very tough race but she’s getting better all the time and could quite possibly outrun her big odds if getting some luck.
2:25 G1 Coronation Stakes
Cloak Of Spirits (Andrea Atzeni)
She ran a stormer in the Qipco 1000 Guineas which didn’t surprise me as she had really come to herself in the three weeks leading up to it so everything really worked out well for her when the race was put back a month. Andrea got off her and said she didn’t handle the track that well at all so to finish where she did was a mighty performance and she’s come out of it absolutely bouncing. They’re all good fillies and there’s hardly anything between them but I cannot find a reason why she won’t be capable of running a massive race at a track she has already won at.
3:00 G1 St James’s Palace Stakes
Threat (Oisin Murphy)
The plan has always bend to come straight here, primarily because we wanted to bring him to this race fresh unlike his other rivals including Pinatubo and Wichita who both may have had a hard race in the Guineas. Threat has always been a very good horse and one we continue to hold in the highest regard and on what he shows at home I have absolutely no reason whatsoever to think that he hasn’t trained on and that a mile will be a problem. If anything, another year on his back has made him even stronger and he has settled down quite a lot at home. He’s been away a few times to work so shouldn’t be found wanting too much fitness-wise and I wouldn’t swap him for anything else in the field.
NEWMARKET
12:30 Novice Stakes
Lexington Dash (Rossa Ryan)
He should have won at Chelmsford on his last run in January but got a bump which affectively cost him the race but he’s a colt with plenty of ability and we’ve given him a small wind op which will help his breathing and he looks to have outstanding claims in this.
2:15 Handicap
Katzoff (Rossa Ryan)
He was a little bit of a character last year so we gelded him a few months ago and it seems to have settled him down a bit as he was quite a lad, but we’re keeping the hood on to get him to relax and he’s been in good form at home so will hopefully have a decent chance.
3:20 Novice Stakes
Al Mutathar (Rossa Ryan)
He’s a well bred son of Night Of Thunder who has already been gelded because he’s such a big horse who was never quite ready last year, but he’s been showing enough at home to suggest he’ll be winning races, although he’ll definitely come on for this run.
3:55 Handicap
Mafia Power (Rossa Ryan)
He made his debut on very soft ground last October and put up a very good performance to finish fourth but we always had an eye on his three-year-old career and I was extremely pleased with his first run back (at Kempton) when we stepped him up to a mile and a quarter and I’ve no doubt that he’ll get further in time but this could be a very good opportunity for him to get his head in front. I like him.
We’ve got a few runners elsewhere including Spark Fury in the Kempton 4:50 who should have improved for her first run at Lingfield and Genuflex is a capable colt up to going well in the Maiden at 6:25
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