Our star columnist reflects on encouraging signs for his team in the Coventry Stakes and looks ahead to Sands Of Mali in the Commonwealth Cup on Friday.
My first three runners at the meeting finished fourth, sixth and ninth in the Coventry Stakes.
For two strides it looked like Vange might just go on and collect. On the dam’s side he wants a bit further and we’ll step him up to seven furlongs and he’s something to look forward to.
We were delighted with Ninetythreetwenty’s run as he definitely wants further and while Cosmic Law was a little disappointing, I think that was more down to how the race unfolded rather than anything else.
He made the running and PJ McDonald said when Calyx went past him he tried to go after him and maybe should have sat a bit longer. He didn’t finish the race as we’d hoped but we’re happy enough.
We’ll get them back home before making plans. They have hard races at Ascot and you need to keep that in mind but they’re all nice horses and we can make some exciting plans down the line.
The field for the Queen Mary split where Kodyanna was and it's one of those races you'd love to go back and try again with her. She did boil over beforehand a little and it might just have come a bit quick for her following the Hilary Needler at Beverley.
Red Balloons is a very fast filly as you saw there. She'll head for the Weatherbys Super Sprint at Newbury now where she has 8st 6lb.
Charming Kid is very clean-winded and in very good form. He did nothing wrong at York on debut when winning at the Dante Meeting and has plenty of pace.
He runs in the Norfolk on Thursday and it looks quite an open race. Any one of the ten could win it but I’m hoping they go quick up front as we’ll sit in behind and hopefully come home.
We'd only had him five or six weeks before York – he came from the breeze-ups – and he had a dirty nose after that run. He had a little break but I don’t think that did him any harm. He did a really good piece of work the other day and while he needs to step up here – he just might.
I’m quite frustrated Sands Of Mali has drawn 22 for the Commonwealth Cup – I’d have preferred to be a bit lower than that.
I’ve made it known I’d like to have taken a lead and while being out on that bit of the track isn’t necessarily a disadvantage, it’s not ideal for how I saw the race unfolding.
At least we know which side we’re on and where we’re going and we’ll leave it to Paul (Hanagan). I have no concerns over the ground whatsoever, he has form on it and we're very happy with him going into the race.
We think he's top drawer, he works like a Group One horse. He needs to prove that now and go on and do it on the big stage and I’m really looking forward to running him.
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