PERFORMANCE RATINGS

DIOMED STAKES
Blythe Knight 71

ROSE BOWL HANDICAP
Emirates Skyline 70

CORONATION CUP
Soldier Of Fortune 82

OAKS STAKES
Look Here 81

HERITAGE HANDICAP
Conduit 71

DASH STAKES
Holbeck Ghyll 63

DERBY STAKES
New Approach 88

Prior to the weekend I mentioned having three good memories of Epsom. There wasn't to be a fourth.

Two of Friday’s trend races couldn’t have worked out much worse, including the 33-1 winner of the Oaks who stood in the way of my ante-post duo, Moonstone and Katiyra.
I was obviously disappointed in getting so close, but also proud of the bets struck in April at 40-1 and 25-1 respectively. I use results like this as a positive rather than a negative and if all my ante-post punts run like that I will be in clover – unlike Tajaaweed.
In the build-up to Epsom he reportedly lost a shoe, but I’m not into excuses and I don’t think it mattered in the end as he simply didn’t stay. I mentioned Tartan Bearer last week as the danger after winning the Dante Stakes, and while it’s easy to get lost in the result and the fact it finished runner-up, it has to be remembered what a great trial the Dante has now become, with the last five winners returning form figures of 11102 in the Derby.
The Derrinstown Trial winner also supplied this year’s third, but what of the winner, New Approach? I have to say I wouldn’t have put him on my short-list of five or touched him in running either as he pulled hard and it looked as though he’d burn out. To have quickened up the way he did was impressive and I awarded him an above-par performance rating of 88 - fast race-time - which fits in well with some of the other top Irish-trained winners.
After last week’s uproar surrounding New Approach’s participation, it’s anyone’s guess where he’ll go next, though Jim Bolger seems sure it will be the Irish Derby, where the last three Irish-trained winners followed up.
The King George VI could come after, where he would stand a good chance of making the frame as the last five Derby winners to line-up finished 32013 at Ascot, and odds of 4/1 now would appeal if that race was confirmed as a target, but whether he’ll take up that engagement is another matter – abandon all faith ye who hope here!

Looking ahead to this week and there is a breather, thankfully, before the next race in the book which comes at Newbury on Thursday in the shape of the Listed Ballymacoll Stud Stakes. Well, that’s the registered name anyway, which is more than can be said of the William Hill Trophy at York on Saturday, which is this year called the Betfair Sprint – don’t you love these name changes!

Moving over to Top Of The Form and things improved last week with a hatful of winners from the chart including the fourth-placed from Great Leighs, Twilight Star, who obliged at 16/1. Smokey Storm was another to go in at surprisingly inflated odds of 4/1 at Epsom on Saturday, while Bijou Dan scored at the second time of asking on Friday.
Some of you may recall Choose Your Moment from the Newbury race (number two in this week’s chart), who I gave a good mention to in the Racing and Football Outlook a few weeks back, and was a gallant second at Doncaster on Saturday.
I was surprised Michael Hills chose to go to the front on this fellow as he has won twice from behind, and despite the fact he will go up around 4-5lb for this, he is still one to stay with as he is a real consistent battler that seems to handle most conditions – my sort of horse. I’d love to see him held up for a late run in a monster field next time.
Similar comments apply to Smart Instinct, who I short-listed for the Rose Bowl at Epsom on Friday and was surprisingly ridden from the front. He was fifth in last year’s John Smith’s Cup off a mark of 99 on unsuitably heavy ground, but a return to patient tactics off 93 could see him take a big-field handicap over 1m2f.

Here are the Top Of The Form runners I’ve mentioned in recent weeks along with entries.

Capucci (Thursday)
Choose Your Moment
Coleorton Choice
Colony
Full Speed
Galactic Star
Jocheski
Karoush
Looter (Friday & Saturday)
Otaared (Saturday)
Pacifism
Ready To Crown
Swop (Thursday)
Thorny Mandate (Tuesday)
Tighnabruaich
Top Seed (Wednesday & Saturday)
Virtual

I'll be blogging again later in the week