Gosden - heaven sent?

The stories which emerge from horse racing must be entertaining to watch from afar, none more so than this week's war of words between John Gosden and Adam Kirby. Gosden claimed that Kirby's riding was not appropriate for Royal Ascot and compared his style to 'winter all-weather tactics'.
Looking at the specific incident, Kirby did nothing wrong in holding his position throughout the race at Ascot which meant Gosden's horse, ridden by Frankie Dettori, was slightly unlucky in defeat. What really rattled me though was Gosden's patronising manner towards Kirby, calling him 'boy'. What kind of man is this?! I think his high horse has got a bit too big and yes, training this year's Derby winner gives you a certain amount of respect, but there is no need to make yourself look ignorant.
As to the all-weather comment, I had to laugh - Gosden's Derby runner-up Jack Hobbs won a Wolverhampton maiden in December last year so racing on an artificial surface can't be that bad!

You can be guaranteed that the fame and glory wouldn't go to my head should I train a winner at Epsom at anytime of the year - never mind the Derby! So onto this week's runners we go.
We have a trio of raiders hitting the track tomorrow including two at Windsor. Silver Alliance was an easy winner in the fog at Brighton last time and the handicapper hasn't take any chances by hiking him up to a career high mark. Silver is hardly getting any younger but he is more than capable on his day, as he showed last time. Whether this will be his day again is probably a question you should ask the horse as he decides when he wants to win!
Accompanying him to the Royal track will be Harry Bosch. He won well at Bath three runs back but hasn't had the rub of the green since. He is still well handicapped and has good course form so I expect him to be thereabouts come the business end.

Limerick Lord (Ross)

Completing the trio is Limerick Lord at Wolverhampton. He made a pleasing debut for us at Newmarket last week and I have no worries about running on the all-weather as his best form seems to be on it. He is in top form and the small step up in trip will be ideal. I hope he can be in the frame.

We then have a few easier days before heading to Doncaster on Friday.
Veeraya has been badly handicapped for a long time now so it makes sense to try him in a claimer where he should have a better chance at the weights. Having said that, at the entry stage there is a horse rated 95 in the race so maybe claimers aren't an easy option. He is a bit of an enigma as he has plenty of ability but doesn't often show it at the track, however, Adam Beschizza seems to get the best out of him and he will hopefully be on board.
Also travelling up the A1 to Town Moor is The Ducking Stool. She has dropped to a good mark now and seems as well as ever so I think a return to form isn't far away. All her wins have been at Yarmouth but she is more than capable at other flat, left-handed tracks.

Duke Of Diamonds (Adam) & Veeraya (Caitlin)

Although running better last time, Dakota City has been a bit disappointing for us this season. I think he is being a bit lazy and riding him at the front last time certainly helped. As a trial, I galloped him in a visor yesterday and it showed instant results with him travelling very well and galloping a lot better than usual. Hopefully this is the key to him and I'll be putting them on him next time he runs.

Dakota City (Mark) & Attain (Ross)

We have had a couple of two-year olds run already and the later maturing types are now catching up by doing some faster work. Little Orchid is a filly I've always liked and she continues to please me. Seven furlongs will probably be her starting point and she is only a few weeks from making her debut.
Big Bang has come on leaps and bounds over the past month and will be ready sooner than I once thought. He is still pretty green but is learning all the time and will visit the racecourse in the near future.

Big Bang (Caitlin), Veeraya (Ross) & Little Orchid (Megan)

Although it's nice to have a proper summer for once, the dry period is delaying Vastly's comeback as he needs some juice in the ground to protect his fragile legs. He is just ticking over at the moment and is ready to run as soon as there's some suitable ground about.

Vastly (Tess)

Moment To Dream is another who has been on the sick list recently but her comeback is slowly coming together. I'm very grateful to her owners for being so patient with her as I don't want to rush her and knock her back again. She is improving with every day and it won't be too long before she is doing faster work.

Moment To Dream (Caitlin)

THREE TO FOLLOW UPDATE
Bethan's second place means Steve Moore strengthens his position at the top of the rankings but there are still plenty of others hot on his tail.

Steve Moore	17
Malc Shields	14
Mark Rimmer	14
Ros Cousens	13
Megan Digby Baker	12
John Birkett	12
Julie Feilden	9
Geoff Roberts	7
Barbara Walton	7
Gordon Hill	7
Shelley Birkett	7
Adam Beschizza	7
Jim Stevens	7
Poppy Feilden	6
Brian Reilly	6
Eddie Partridge	6
Jonathan Kinge	6
Rita Aspland	6
Sam Feilden	6
Steve Springford	6
Ryan Moore	6
Julia Feilden	6
Liz Moore	6
Dave Morris	6
Paula Smith	6
Jason Coote	6
Sophie Collington	6
Steve Clarke	6
Chris Shirran	6
Phil Collington	6
Rachael Shucksmith	6
Rob Weston	6
Dave Barnett	6
Allan Forster	3
Bill Burgess	3
Linda Wright	3
Stephen Broadley	3
Martyn Clark	3
Trevor Fuller	3
Dominic Lisle	3
Barry Hine	3
Lee Cousens	1
Tina	1
Carol Bushnell	1

PLUS 29 OTHERS ON ZERO POINTS

No badge for Newmarket

Unfortunately we didn't get lucky, lucky, lucky at Newmarket's Kylie Minogue night last Friday but I was pleased with how they all ran and we learnt plenty for next time. I wasn't as happy with the racecourse itself as they seemed reluctant to let even the owners in on what was a sell-out night. Usually owners are allocated a set amount of badges and are then allowed to buy any additional ones at half-price, no matter what the raceday. However, Newmarket refused to do this which left some owners, who pay thousands of pounds a year to have horses in training, unable to see their horses do what they are meant to - run. Plenty of others were in a similar situation and the matter was taken up with Newmarket Racecourses' MD Amy Starkey so hopefully this kind of embarrassment for the course won't happen again. Holding music nights to attract new racegoers is all well and good but it shouldn't be to the detriment of those who keep the sport going.

Rant out of the way, let's move on to the week ahead.
Kicking off on Tuesday, we're heading down to Brighton. Honeymoon Express has been struggling to find her form for a while now but as a result she has dropped in the weights and now gets into 0-60 handicaps. I think this level is what she will be able to be competitive at again. She is in good form but I just have some reservations about her ability to handle the track. It's a unique place and you don't know how you'll go until you run there.
The same could be said for Dark Diamond who accompanies her. He's a well-balanced horse though who went round the sharp bend at Salisbury last time like he was on rails so I think he'll be alright. He too has dropped to a good mark and the trip looks to be ideal for him.

Dark Diamond (Caitlin)

Bethan has been a really consistent mare since returning from a winter break and she looks to continue her run at Wolverhampton on Friday. She finished second over the course and distance two starts back and seems to be very happy at home. Her optimum conditions are soft ground on the turf but with all the dry weather, rain is hard to come by so we're running on the dirt to keep her ticking over.

Bethan (Megan)

Silver Alliance went up six pounds in the handicap for his Brighton romp and I feel the handicapper could have been a lot harsher. He is on a career-high mark though so needs to up his game but he showed last time that he certainly has plenty of ability on his day. I was planning to send him to Chester but there looks to be a better opportunity at Windsor on Saturday. He is a bit of a law unto himself so I couldn't tell you what he will do!

Veeraya (Adam) & Silver Alliance (Ross)

Go On Gal has got two runs under her belt now and has improved with each run so I'll give her another at Windsor on Sunday. She will be in her element when the juvenile handicaps start in August and we will get a handicap mark after this run so then she will be in business.

I'm delighted to say that Vastly is finally ready for a run after his list of injuries. He could have gone to Leicester on Tuesday but the ground would be a bit too firm and I couldn't risk his legs on that kind of surface. We'll have to be a bit more patient with him to wait for the right day but he is going great at home and seems to have come back an improved horse. He is still lightly raced for his age and won the lat time we saw him so there should be more to come.

Vastly (Adam)

Another horse we've had to be patient with is Duke of Diamonds. Now three-years old, he is starting to get the hang of things and I've penciled him in for his debut on July 1st. He is still very immature mentally so the experience will do him plenty of good.

Duke Of Diamonds (Mark; centre)

The foals play around

THREE TO FOLLOW UPDATE

Steve Moore 14
Ros Cousens 13
Megan Digby Baker 12
John Birkett 12
Malc Shields 11
Mark Rimmer 11
Julie Feilden 9
Geoff Roberts 7
Barbara Walton 7
Gordon Hill 7
Shelley Birkett 7
Adam Beschizza 7
Jim Stevens 7
Poppy Feilden 6
Brian Reilly 6
Eddie Partridge 6
Jonathan Kinge 6
Rita Aspland 6
Sam Feilden 6
Steve Springford 6
Ryan Moore 6
Julia Feilden 6
Liz Moore 6
Dave Morris 6
Paula Smith 6
Jason Coote 6
Sophie Collington 6
Steve Clarke 6
Chris Shirran 6
Phil Collington 6
Rachael Shucksmith 6
Rob Weston 6
Dave Barnett 6
Allan Forster 3
Bill Burgess 3
Linda Wright 3
Stephen Broadley 3
Martyn Clark 3
Trevor Fuller 3
Dominic Lisle 3
Barry Hine 3
Lee Cousens 1
Tina 1

Carol Bushnell 1

PLUS 29 OTHERS ON ZERO POINTS

At home with Kylie!

The good run couldn't last forever I suppose and, after winners in each of the last three weeks, we drew a blank this one. That's not to say they ran badly, far from it. Dark Diamond ran a much better race in a visor and looks sure to win soon on only his second start for us. Dakota City also ran an improved race at Newbury on Thursday when finishing fourth. We rode him more forcefully and that looks the way to go as well as running him over a few furlongs further.

Dakota City (Phil Collington)

I'll be able to enjoy watching most of Royal Ascot for once this year with no runners entered until Friday. I love watching the Royal meeting and I certainly look back with fond memories on Spirit Of Sharjah's fine third place finish in the Norfolk Stakes a few years ago. A small yard like ours rarely has anything good enough to run there so it makes the moments you do even more special.
Instead on Friday we will be represented at Newmarket as the track hosts its first music night of the year. I think most people will be at the course to see Kylie Minogue perform after racing but I'll be more interested on what's happening on the track!
I'm looking forward to seeing what Limerick Lord can do on his first run for us. He seems to be a pure sprinter on his homework and its hard to think why previous connections only tried him over five furlongs once - and he won. The run will tell us more about the horse but I hope he can show some promise.

Limerick Lord (Adam) & Honeymoon Express (Megan)

Also at HQ on Friday is Meddling. I've been waiting for ages to run her at our local track as she doesn't like travelling and usually gets quite upset when going racing. Hopefully the short trip to Newmarket will help her stay calm and she could show an improved performance.
Also entered that night are Harry Bosch and Go On Gal but it looks unlikely that they will get a run with lots of horses entered in their respective races.

Meddling (Ross) & It's A Sheila Thing (Mark, hidden)

The following day we will have little travelling again with a couple at Newmarket.
The Ducking Stool has been coming along nicely in her first two runs this season and has dropped a few pounds in the weights too. The step up in trip will be ideal for her and, although she will be taking a right hand turn which she usually doesn't handle, it does come with almost a mile to race so she should hopefully cope with it. Ducky is a horse we all know and love and it'd be great for her to be back in the winner's enclosure soon.
Another with a good chance has to be It's A Sheila Thing. She ran encouragingly on her debut last month and the step up to seven furlongs is just what she needs. The form of her debut race isn't working out very well but she is better than she showed that day and I hope she can make a good impression.

The Ducking Stool (Kelly) & Harry Bosch (Ross, hidden)

As you may know, we like to keep the horses mentally and physically active so now and again we will give some of the older horses a pop over some jumps to give them a bit to think about. It was Guising's turn this time and he was a natural, making a great shape over the jumps and looking like a pro. His owner Carol has made it very clear though that he won't run over hurdles so jumping will remain a recreational hobby for the horse! Hopefully this experience perks him up as he's in at Chelmsford on Thursday.

Guising (Adam)

I'm pleased to report that Vastly is making good progress on his comeback from injury. We have been travelling him over to the world famous Warren Hill to get plenty hill work into him and he seems to be loving it. His enthusiasm is still all there and if his body holds up, he should be back on the racetrack in a couple of weeks.

Vastly (Tess)

Seeing Silver in the fog

You get used to unpleasant surprises in this game but now and again a good one will come along and luckily we had one of those on Tuesday.
Brighton is known for suffering from very thick fog when it decides to blow in off the sea and last week it experienced just that. With the rain falling and the ground turning soft, I thought everything had gone against Silver Alliance's chances. As he set off for the start, I was fully expecting him to trail in last by the time he came back. However, the fog can do funny things to horses and, despite barely being able to see any of the race, by the time in came into view at the most important part - the finish - Silver was six lengths clear in front, being eased down! I couldn't believe my eyes and jockey Adam Beschizza said he did it so easily. Silver is a wise old owl nowadays and the fog must have perked him right up. Hopefully the handicapper doesn't take the win too seriously.

Silver Alliance storms home in the fog

Silver's success made it four winners in the last ten days so it's fair to say that the horses are in good form. Hopefully it can continue this week.
On Tuesday, Dark Diamond and Inauguration make the long trip down to Salisbury.
Diamond ran a promising race on his debut for us last time and the step up in trip will certainly suit him. Adam felt he was a bit idle too so the visor should wake him up and he worked well in them at home this morning.

Dark Diamond (Mark)

Accompanying him west will be Inauguration. She hasn't been disgracing herself recently and there is definitely a race in her. It is just a case of finding the right opportunities and making the most of them.

There's a bit of pressure on Thursday as it sees the running of the Newbury handicap which I have dominated recently with five wins in the last eight years. Automotive has won it the last twice and he goes back to make it a hat-trick. He seems to save his best for this day and has dropped a couple of pounds in the weights after a few quiet runs. He will need a career best to win off this mark but I hope he is in the right mood on the day.
Just in case he isn't I'm likely to run Dakota City in the same race too. He was disappointing last time when not trying very hard at Nottingham. Maybe he didn't like the head gear that day so I've taken it off and booked a strong jockey in Phil Collington who is a multiple champion on Arabian horses and won the race for me a few years back on a similarly lazy type called Night Orbit.

Automotive bids for the hat-trick

New boy Limerick Lord is building things up nicely in his preparation and isn't far off running. After initially thinking he is a five furlong horse, I'll probably try him over seven furlongs first time as his faster work suggests that will be his distance. His first run will be a learning curve for us but hopefully he can give a good account of himself.

Limerick Lord (Ross)

Vastly has been on and off the sick list quite a bit in the last few months but he seems to be well now and is doing plenty of work. He seems more enthusiastic than ever and his legs are holding up too so it could be just a couple of weeks before he is back on the race track. I still think he is unexposed and there should be more to come from him as he is well handicapped on the turf.

Vastly (Adam)

Our two year olds are a decent bunch this year who will be improving all season and now that a couple have run, we have a gauge by which to compare the rest. Little Orchid is a home bred filly out of Dick Creese's tough mare Bushy Dell and she is coming along very nicely. She had her first gallop at the weekend and took it all in her stride. Seven furlongs will be her starting point and I hope she can follow in her mother's footsteps by winning as a juvenile.

Little Orchid (Adam), Go On Gal (Caitlin) & It's A Sheila Thing (Mark)

THREE TO FOLLOW UPDATE
Silver Alliance was one of this year's most popular selections so his win means a huge chunk of people have climbed up the leader board. However, Bethan's second place finish sees Steve Moore become our new leader.

Steve Moore	14
Ros Cousens	13
Megan Digby Baker	12
John Birkett	12
Malc Shields	11
Mark Rimmer	11
Julie Feilden	9
Geoff Roberts	7
Barbara Walton	7
Gordon Hill	7
Shelley Birkett	7
Adam Beschizza	7
Jim Stevens	7
Poppy Feilden	6
Brian Reilly	6
Eddie Partridge	6
Jonathan Kinge	6
Rita Aspland	6
Sam Feilden	6
Steve Springford	6
Ryan Moore	6
Julia Feilden	6
Liz Moore	6
Dave Morris	6
Paula Smith	6
Jason Coote	6
Sophie Collington	6
Steve Clarke	6
Chris Shirran	6
Phil Collington	6
Rachael Shucksmith	6
Rob Weston	6
Dave Barnett	6
Allan Forster	3
Bill Burgess	3
Linda Wright	3
Stephen Broadley	3
Martyn Clark	3
Trevor Fuller	3
Dominic Lisle	3
Barry Hine	3

PLUS 31 OTHERS ON ZERO POINTS