Strictly on form you’d say Ribchester should probably win the Queen Anne Stakes.
I’m just a bit frustrated to be drawn one with our pacemaker in ten. If they’re not drawn close to each other it doesn’t work. I’m not comfortable with the gap between the two. I won’t be using it as an excuse but it would be nice to have him there to give us a good tow into the race.
I’ll leave it in William Buick's capable hands. He’s a top class jockey and will have a plan in his head that’s for sure.
The horse is in great form. We’ve been very, very happy with him since the Lockinge. Everything has gone well and we are very comfortable where we are with him.
I thought he had quite a tough race on slowish ground at Newbury, they went a good gallop and I planned to give him a few days off – but he didn’t give me the opportunity to do so. He was back cantering two days later, he’s taken it well and bounced back very quickly.
I have no issues with the ground on Tuesday. It’s rare a trainer says that, we use it as an excuse at times, but at the moment I’m comfortable on any going with him and it’s a good place to be.
I’m really looking forward to running him.
Toscanini is in there as a pacemaker – I don’t think he stays a mile – but we might not get the opportunity to use him. I hope it somehow works out.
Forest Ranger has got to step right up on what he’s shown so far in the St James’s Palace Stakes but it’s a great race to be involved in.
Churchill, Barney Roy and Thunder Snow are three top class horses in there but there are pieces to be picked up and the race could suit my colt. They’ll go a good gallop and the return to a mile will help too. I’m not saying he didn’t stay in the Dante – it was a strange race and anything that was dropped in, as he was, never got into it - but I’m happier at this trip for now.
Suegioo bounced back to form and ran a good, solid, race at Haydock last time. He’ll definitely get the trip in the Ascot Stakes which is a big plus and he’s back down to a rating now from which he can be competitive.
He’s a funny old horse but on a going day would have a small chance.
We’re double handed in the closing Windsor Castle Stakes.
Simmy’s Copshop ran ok in Ireland last time and I might be wrong but I think the run can be upgraded. They went very fast there, were racing very early, and the winner and second came from the rear of the field. Our colt was the only one up with the gallop to hang in there.
Whether he’s good enough to win this I don’t know but he’s in great form and is entitled to take his chance.
So is Areen Faisal who isn’t the 100/1 chance the bookmakers have him down as. He’s a horse I really like and while his form isn’t good enough for this, I still have faith in him.
I was extremely disappointed with him at Beverley last time but he was drawn out on a limb and through nobody’s fault could never drop in. By the time he managed to, he’d got himself out of the race and could never land a blow.
This is competitive but he’ll run better than those odds suggest.
