I returned from a week's holiday to reports of a record crowd at Newbury, explained by the fact that Simply Red were playing after racing... Godolphin's Kite Wood took the Geoffrey Freer in fine style and is now quoted second favourite with most firms for the St Leger which is set to be run on September 12th - William Hill offer 5/1. Godolphin's other high profile runner at the meeting, Evasive, was sent off the 10/11 favourite for the Hungerford Stakes but disappointed, trailling in a well-beaten sixth behind the quirky but talented Balthazaar's Gift.
At Newmarket sixteen grey horses contested the snappily-named 'Win £100,000 With Soccer Saturday Super 6 Grey Horse Handicap'; Sarah's Art, trained by Steph Liddiard, collected the spoils. The same trainer had provided something of a shock two days earlier when 25/1 shot Mac Love took the Group 3 Sovereign Stakes run over a mile at Salisbury, beating odds-on hotpot Confront one and a half lengths.
York will be the centre of attention this week. On Tuesday Sea The Stars faces just four rivals in the Juddmonte International while current St Leger favourite Harbinger doesn't appear to have the easiest of tasks in the Great Voltigeur. Wednesday's main feature is the Ebor, in which I'm looking to have an each-way bet on Alan King's Manyriverstocross. In the Darley Yorkshire Oaks on Thursday Michael Bell's Sariska could make her reappearance after winning the Irish Oaks in sensational style. I think regular pilot Jamie Spencer is set to serve a suspension so it will be interesting to see who gets the ride if the filly is allowed to take her chance. The Nunthorpe run over five furlongs is Friday's highlight - Kingsgate Native won the race two years ago when trained by John Best; Sir Michael Stoute will be hoping for a repeat in this year's renewal.
I'm not keen on holidays for a variety of reasons, one of which is that when you return from the horror of it all, you then have to wade through hundreds of emails, thousands if you're popular but I wouldn't know about that, the vast majority of which are of no interest whatsoever. Two from this year's trawl...
Firstly, Ashley Rumney's Trainers Jumps Statistics 2008-2009 was published on Friday (according to Amazon) and is available with a 15% discount from that supplier. Secondly, readers may be interested to learn that the Racing Post continues to pursue my custom. A fortnight after helpfully bringing to my attention the fact I could subscribe to their Members' Club at the price of a third of a loaf of bread a day, the RP has been shopping down Sainsbury's again. This time I'm informed the cost of the Members' Club is half the price of a bottle of water a day - the water in question being the 500ml Highland Spring Sportscap (June 2009 price). Bread, water, whatever will be next on the RP's shopping list? And will they continue to shop at Sainsbury's? To find out the answers to these burning questions, I'm deliberately going to refrain from subscribing. Rest assured though, I shall keep you informed of all developments.
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Who was the most chilled out on his holidays? No prizes for guessing the answer but being able to whittle down your 'excess' emails, with your fancy phone, while on holiday seemed to help... that plus the bottles of beer! YKH
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