Martin Dixon of The Horse Watchers gives his verdict on the team's runners across a busy couple of days.
Friday runners
Cymbidium - 16:15 Carlisle
She didn't get a great position through the race on her comeback run at Wetherby. She proved herself on testing ground towards the back-end of last year, so a testing mile on soft ground should be suitable for her. We're hopeful she'll take a step forward from her comeback run and she's got an each-way chance, but there are one or two in the race that might be improvers. She should run better than she did at Wetherby but a place would be a good result.
Forest Caper - 19:50 Haydock
He's a really well-bred horse. He'd had a couple of setbacks - one as a two-year-old and one as a three-year-old - which meant he didn't make the track for Sir Michael Stoute. He came as a colt and wasn't the easiest to handle at the yard, but he was gelded at the turn of the year and seems to have settled into everything nicely over the last few months. We're expecting that he'll need the experience and it will probably be a few runs down the line before he really clocks on to what he's supposed to be doing. He seems quite an immature horse so might take a bit more time and it's all a learning curve for everyone at the moment.
Saturday Runners
Baldomero - 13:48 Haydock
He needed the run at Windsor on his return and the ground was too fast for him. We've put the blinkers back on, the ground is going to be more suitable than it was at Windsor and he's had a run so should have taken a step forward fitness-wise. It's a very competitive race. We're drawn high so we're just hoping high numbers are at a bit of an advantage - you never really know which way it's going to be at Haydock with the draw. If things like the draw work in his favour he'll have a chance, but he's an older horse now and it might be that he needs another run or two before he's really thriving.
Rhoscolyn - 14:10 Chester
We've tried Chester a couple of times in the past and it's not really worked out, but one of them was in a listed race and last year he ran in this race and got quite badly hampered up the home straight. We're hopeful Chester can be a track that works for him if things go right. He's got a handy draw in stall 5 and we're taking a bit of weight off his back with David's apprentice jockey Cian Horgan. Whether the ground is going to be soft enough for him to be at his very best is open to doubt, but he thrives on being kept busy and he hasn't run for a while so we need to get some races into him. He'll also have an entry for Epsom next Friday for the race he's won a couple of times before.
Daring Legend - 17:00 York
He was unlucky at Yarmouth as he was in front a bob before the line and a bob after - it was heads-up, heads-down and he met it on the wrong stride. It was good to see him back to something like his best form and he's still on a winning rating. Tom Kiely-Marshall, who was on him for his last win, is back on as we're keeping an apprentice jockey taking a bit of weight off his back. We've never tried him at York, but we think a flat seven furlongs is quite important to him - he doesn't seem to be at his best on undulating and turning tracks - so this should be ideal. This is very competitive and you're going to need things to go your way, but he's got a workable draw in the middle of them and goes into it in the best form he's gone into any race this year. We're hopeful of another good run.
Sanat - 17:25 Southwell
He won at Nottingham and then ran creditably at Newmarket in a race that didn't work out ideally for him. He wasn't in love with the track at Newmarket and Fred [Larson] felt he didn't really handle the undulations on quickish ground. He was quite an easy winner on his only previous run at Southwell for us, when he was suited by a fast-run five furlongs and getting covered up amongst horses. We're taking 7 lb off with Mason Paetel who has ridden us a couple of winners recently and is very good value for his claim. Sanat's slightly quirky as he can hang a bit left off the bridle and needs to get cover and be ridden for a bit of luck, but if they go a fast gallop and he gets the gaps at the right time he's well capable of winning a race like that.
Elenaya - 19:10 Lingfield
She's our first runner with Jamie Insole and Richard Newland. We've got a couple of two-year-old fillies with the stable this year. She's a very recent purchase but she's a filly that Jamie likes and she's been showing the right signs at home to be ready to run. The stable has made a bright start with its juveniles this season and has had a couple of winners. It's not a big field and we'd be hopeful she can be on the premises. She's a nicely-bred filly by New Bay and from an old Aga Khan family.
Recent winners
We've had two of our cheaper buys from last year win recently, both of them partnered by Mason Paetel. Cooperation got off the mark for us at Newmarket, which was a nice performance from him, and he then turned out quickly at Chepstow where he ended up stuck out on a wing when you wanted to be towards the stand side in a messy race.
Stella Hogan notched her third win since we bought her for £6000 when she won at Kempton on Wednesday. Mason gave her a nice ride and is likely to partner her again next week at either Chelmsford or Lingfield, where she'll be able to run without a penalty.
More from Sporting Life
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.
