Richard Fahey: On the Growl - guide to Saturday runners including Stewards' Cup

Big chances

Growl 1535 Goodwood
Six Strings 1350 Goodwood
Queen Penn 1440 Newmarket
Carnageo 1600 Thirsk
Sinaloa 1800 Hamilton

Ribchester came out of the Sussex Stakes in great form, he’s eaten up and trotted up sound.

It was a strange race. He looked beat – then William Buick said he found his feet again and came home well.

If a mistake was made then it was probably the decision to make the running – and that was down to me. It worked in the Lockinge but I probably didn’t respect the conditions enough at Goodwood. It wasn’t just the testing ground but the driving rain and strong headwind he was running into.

So we’ll look forward now. He’s in the Prix Jacques Le Marois and another Group One in France on September 15th. I’ve also left him in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown over ten furlongs and we could have a look at that too. We’ll decide nearer the time.

Moving on and we have a big team heading to Goodwood on Saturday.

We’ve three in the Qatar Stewards’ Cup.

Brian The Snail flies at home and we’ve never made a secret of that – but he hasn’t been reproducing it on the track of late. He had an issue with a soft palate and now we’ve put blinkers on him in the hope they have the desired effect. We know this fellow can gallop.

We decided to go low with our runners here but Eastern Impact owner wanted 11 as that is his mother’s lucky number. I hope it works again for her.

He is what he is – a very capable sprinter – and while he has nothing in hand of the handicapper, we’ve stuck some cheekpieces on here to try and find a pound or two of improvement.

Growl is the class horse in the race and I’m happy to be in stall eight with him – although I could be eating those words after the race. He’ll love the ground and it would be no surprise at all to see him run a big race with Conor Murtagh taking seven pounds off – that’s a huge advantage.

George Bowen is one of four we run in the Qatar Stewards' Sprint Handicap. He’s a disappointing horse and we’ve stuck a visor back on him now. He showed three runs ago what he can do on a good day – but hasn’t been at that level the last twice.

We’re running Gin In The Inn back quickly from Pontefract last week but he’ll love the ground and that’s a big plus.

I’m a little worried about the draw for Six Strings, they didn’t seem to want the stands’ rail on Thursday. He’s an improving horse who did his best ever piece of work this week. If the draw hasn’t done for him he could run a big race.

I’m a little worried about the ground for The Wagon Wheel as she’s never run on it. She couldn’t be in any better form going down there though.

Spring Offensive keeps running well so the handicapper doesn’t drop him. He’s consistent and would have a small chance in the closing Qatar Apprentice Handicap.

Lady Grand is our first runner at Thirsk in the Keep Calm - Miss Smith's Getting Hitched! EBF Novice Stakes. She’s been a disappointing filly but we’ve put a hood on her here as she shown a little bit of temperament. Hopefully it will help.

I was a little disappointed with Vaulted at Redcar last time, she’d been progressing nicely before that. The draw hasn’t been kind to her in the Mark Brown 50th Birthday Celebration Handicap and she’ll do well to win from out there.

Northwest Frontier is progressing mentally and physically. They went no gallop at Hamilton last time and that didn’t suit him, but I don’t think that will be an issue in the Bet totequadpot At betfred.com Handicap. I think he’s still going the right way.

Blinkers have brought about a big improvement in Carnageo and I’m delighted he’s got a good draw in the totepool Thirsk Summer Cup Handicap. It’s a £30,000 race and he must have a chance.

Ludorum has been slow to mature mentally and we’ve been minding all the time but he’s going as sweet as anything right now. It’s a a watching brief ahead of his debut in the Breeders Backing Racing EBF Maiden Stakes but we’ve managed to work him a few times and he’s shown a bit. I just hope he gets his mind around the job and runs well.

Our final runner on the card is Scofflaw in the closing Bet toteexacta At betfred.com Handicap and on his best form he’d have a chance.

We’re double-handed in Newmarket's British EBF Fillies' Nursery. Maybe seven furlongs will prove to be Paramount Love’s optimum trip but it’s a £40,000 pot and she has to go. I think cheekpieces, on for the first time here, will help.

Queen Penn is quite a nice filly and we like her. She’s potentially well handicapped too but we’ll find out here.

We run three in the Unison Defending Your NHS Novice Auction Stakes at Doncaster.

Narcos is a big horse with loads of scope for the future but the run will do him the world of good here.

Amazing Michele is another who will benefit from the experience and is probably one for handicaps later in the season, a comment that also applies to Normandy Blue who hasn’t been showing up as a debut maiden winner at home but has ability.

I’d love to see Mr Lupton win the Unison Essential Cover Wherever You Work Conditions Stakes but he has two ways of running. On a good day he could land this – on a bad one he wouldn’t.

Sinaloa showed us a bit early on but has disappointed a little the last twice. However don’t draw a line through him in the BB Foodservice Nursery at Hamilton and it would be no surprise to see him bounce back.

You’re better off asking Royal Connoisseur how he’s going to run in the Andrail Ltd Handicap as he does his own thing. What I can say is this trip at Hamilton on soft ground will be ideal for him.

Heatongrad is another for who ground and trip are ideal in the MacGregor Flooring Co Ltd Handicap. He just needs some luck.