Fran Berry column ahead of Arc weekend including his thoughts on the big race
Fran Berry looks ahead to his weekend rides, provides an update on a switch of agents and gives his views on Sunday's Arc de Triomphe.
It's been great to bag another couple of winners since the last update, with Thistimelastyear and Beyond Equal at Kempton and Salisbury respectively, while I think it's worth reflecting on last weekend's action at Newmarket.
I was quite keen on Danceteria dropping back slightly in trip in the Cambridgeshire and although he was completely outpaced by the way the race unfolded - they went extremely quick - he's definitely not one to be giving up on.
The ground was riding very firm and it did probably just find him out a bit, as it did for History Writer in the consolation race the day before, but don't put a line through Danceteria by any means.
If you think back to Thundering Blue in last year's Cambridgeshire, he was seventh from a mark of 93 and Danceteria was ninth off 103, so it can happen and I'd have thought Danceteria will want to go back up in trip, and maybe even over a mile and a half at some stage too.
I've got a change of agent to report as from next week I'll be working alongside Gareth Owen, an experienced agent with a proven track record. He's been out of the game for a little while after looking after Silvestre De Sousa four or five years ago but PJ McDonald is with him and I'm looking forward to trying somebody else.
I'd like to thank Tony Hinds for all of his dedication and hard work in the past, I just felt that it was time for a change and hopefully it all works out for the better.
Looking ahead to this weekend and it's a quiet start for me numerically with one ride at Ascot on Friday. Darksideoftarnside could be a really interesting one, though, as he looks to follow up his impressive Ayr win in the Canaccord Genuity Gordon Carter Handicap.
He clearly likes an ease underfoot as he won on soft at Pontefract last October so some rain would be nice but I do think he'd be fine on good ground, which it is currently.
I'm under no illusions with Wilamina in Saturday's Kingdom Of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes but I'm delighted to pick up the ride on Martyn Meade's filly. She won a Group Three at Epsom in June and has found it tough up in class since, but it looks an open race aside from Laurens.
She'll be extremely hard to beat after her Matron win last time confirmed she is a top-class performer and the thing with her is that she's just so tough. But you can get the odd turn-up in fillies races towards the end of the year and I'd give mine an each-way chance if she's on-song.
I know there are 30 runners and you need a ton of luck but I like the look of Lihou in the £150,000 Tattersalls October Auction Stakes. I'm looking forward to him as David (Evans) has been aiming at this from some way away and the horse ran a great race when second to Dirty Rascal at Newbury.
He's hardened, doesn't mind a big field and stays this trip really well. He could just be underestimated as he won an early two-year-old race but he's filling out nicely and goes well at home.
Spirit Of Appin is pretty unexposed going into the British EBF Breeders' Fillies' Series Handicap and if you write off her Doncaster run she'd be in with a massive chance. I'd be surprised if the trip was a problem last time, given her pedigree, and she's only 4lb higher than when winning at Ffos Las the time before.
The big race of the weekend is obviously the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and Enable is a real star filly.
It was great to see her return in top form at Kempton and all being well she's going to take the world of beating at Longchamp on Sunday. What I would say is that the three-year-old fillies are massively favoured by the weights and it's a big ask giving 7lb to an improving one like Sea Of Class.
William Haggas has been watching the weather but it looks like they're going to get decent ground which will suit the Yorkshire Oaks winner, whereas it will probably be against Enable if anything, and the weight should bring her right into the reckoning.
Her draw (15) doesn't look ideal on paper but James Doyle has been riding her cold all year and he's just going to drop her in and hope for a bit of luck. I'm told there won't be the same cut-away there as there has been in the past so there's bound to be traffic problems in the straight but if James can get the splits then maybe Sea Of Class can emulate her sire, Sea The Stars.
Either way it's a race to savour.
As things stand I'll be heading back to Ireland on Sunday to ride Chief Ironside in the Coolmore Stud Home Of Champions Concorde Stakes. There's a very strong entry but the intention is to run and I think the seven and a half furlong trip on a flat, turning track like this should suit him ideally.
He ran a good race when third behind Lord Glitters at York last time, essentially replicating his Goodwood form of the time before, and I'd say there might just be a bit more to come from William Jarvis's three-year-old.
He obviously runs in the Clive Washbourn silks of Thundering Blue and fingers crossed it's all systems go for him to head for the Canadian International at Woodbine next Saturday. Best of luck in the meantime and I'll return with another update on David Menuisier's stable star next week.
WARNING: This video contains explicit language...
What does it mean to own a racehorse?
— World Horse Racing (@WHR) September 30, 2018
This video of Thundering Blue owner Clive Washbourn says it all 👊pic.twitter.com/CjR6GIyNOl
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