Monday 8 June update

PERFORMANCE RATINGS

Zetland Gold Cup – Kingdom Of Fife 66
Hilary Needler Trophy – Don’t Tell Mary 62
National Stakes – Monsieur Chevalier 62
Henry II Stakes – Geordieland 79
Brigadier Gerard Stakes – Cima De Triomphe 75
John of Gaunt Stakes – Main Aim 83
Sandy Lane Stakes – Danehill Destiny 70

There were some serious performances regarding Royal Ascot during the past week, including Main Aim, Don’t Tell Mary and Monsieur Chevalier. Interesting also to note Geordieland’s improved attitude, with Jamie Osborne reporting that the eight-year-old now passes horses on the gallops and is a much happier horse – could this be his year in the Gold Cup?

Epsom is only days away, but don’t forget the Ballyogan Stakes at Leopardstown on Thursday from page 81 in the book.
As for Epsom, there is plenty in the book to get stuck into over the weekend, plus a horse I mentioned back in April – Sweet Lightning – is taking up the engagement I imagined.
Willie Muir’s gelding was given an interesting sighter of the Downs when running on into sixth in a competitive handicap last time and looks to have this fellow on course for the 1m2f handicap on Friday – a race he won with Shadoof in 1998.

TOP OF THE FORM

I hope some of you have been finding the daily entries from the Top 20 of use – I would say so judging by the increase in traffic on here – and what a week it almost was with placed runners at huge odds, including 100-1 and 25-1.

Anyone who saw Dazeen finish like a train into second at 100-1 would’ve been impressed with that as he came from way off the pace following a slow start and was unfortunate to bump into Rose Blossom, who amazingly for a juvenile broke the all-age record of dipping under 58 seconds over 5f – maybe Rose Blossom and Don’t Tell Mary for the Queen Mary forecast!

There were also several winners last week, including Kyllachy Storm at 12-1, while this week also got off to a profitable start with Stonehaugh at 10-1 on Monday, so let’s hope there are plenty to come in Derby week.

If I get the chance tomorrow – my wife and daughter are currently waiting for me by the front door to take them out for the day – I’ll add the new races currently outside the Top 20 on here.
Although only the top 10 were published in the RFO this week, owing to a couple of full-colour ads in the paper, all the new entries were given a mention in my copy.

Here are Monday's qualifiers from the Top 20:

3.15 Folkestone, Doubly Guest
3.30 Newton Abbot, Blush Tone
4.15 Folkestone, Carmela Maria
4.30 Newton Abbot, Kisha King
8.30 Windsor, Sign Of The Cross


(I'm afraid I've had no time to list the new races currently outside the Top 20)