A week to forget!

Have to say I’m glad to see the back of last week as I was ill for most it, while it was the worst trends week from the book, mainly at Newmarket where a few trendsbusters emerged, but with a quiet spell around the corner things will hopefully get back to normal when the next busy spell starts on July 26 – the King George meeting at Ascot and Glorious Goodwood – 20 races in eight days.
The Flat season seems to be whizzing by - you’ll notice the thicker part of the book is now on the left-hand side! – while the countdown is on to me becoming a Dad in late-October, along with completing the jumps version of the book for earlier the same month that will include the winners’ official rating, along with winning style of the winner – front, prom, held. I have exciting long-term plans to expand both the book and this site in the coming years, where there will be plenty of new ideas and developments, and if anyone has a query or suggestion, just drop me a line here.

Anyway, for now, here are the performance ratings from last week, although I didn’t think it was a vintage July meeting with several below-par figures being returned and I think the form from this meeting should be treated carefully. It was refreshing, however, to see most of the races run fairly with the larger fields sticking to one group, and it would be good to see more of the same at the other main meetings, especially on the Rowley Mile in the autumn.


HERITAGE HANDICAP 6f – Spanish Bounty 60

CHERRY HINTON STAKES – Please Sing 63

FALMOUTH STAKES – Nahoodh 79

JULY STAKES – Classic Blade 66

HERITAGE HANDICAP 1m2f – Jedediah 67

PRINCESS OF WALES’S – Lucarno 80

SUPERLATIVE STAKES – Firth Of Fifth 62

BUNBURY CUP – Little White Lie 70

JULY CUP – Marchad D’Or 84

SUMMER STAKES – Our Faye 63

JOHN SMITH’S CUP – Flying Clarets 71

IRISH OAKS – Moonstone 79


I have replaced the old Top Of The Form list prior to my holiday with a fresher version including only those horses that were mentioned in my Racing and Football Outook copy from the last three weeks.
One horse I don't think was mentioned who comes from a race that has fallen out of the Top 20 is Silver Blue, who runs at Bath on Thursday. He was unlucky when third to subsequent winner, Paraguay, at Goodwood in mid-June – a race that produced plenty of runners-up and a few winners – before flopping in the mud next time. He has shown improved form since joining Keith Goldsworthy earlier in the year and should get his favoured fast ground at Bath.
Finally, I have given Sylvester Kirk’s Opera Prince two consecutive mentions in the RFO now following his good fourth from a wide draw to Shifting Star at Goodwood – a race that is now bombproof - and I would like to be with this fellow back over 7f next time, especially with the yard in such good form.

Aggravation (Friday)
Berry Baby (Friday & Saturday)
Bulwark
Drawn Gold
Handsinthemist (Sunday)
Honolulu
Kyllachy Star
Many Welcomes (Friday)
Navajo Joe
On Offer
Opera Prince
Prospect Court
Sharp Sovereign
Sundowner
Visions Of Johanna (Friday)

More form me later in the week.