No joy but running well

It was always going to be tough to keep up our winning run this week with just three big-priced runners but they kept up the good form of the horses by all finishing in the money and better than their odds suggested. Thursday was a busy one for owner Carol Bushnell as all three runners were owned by her. She opted to watch Highway Robbery and Winter Snowdrop run their hearts out at Epsom whilst Noble Account stepped up on his maiden form to run a promising race at Newbury. All three should be in for more success this year.

Finding a winner this week might prove a bit tricky again but we will go to the races hopeful anyway, starting with New Expo at Wolverhampton on Monday. I would ideally want to run him on the grass but there wasn't a suitable race for a while so he can have a run here to keep him ticking over. His last run was a waste of time after he dropped himself out and never got into the race so we will get him up the front this time and hope he stays there. He is a beautiful-looking horse who has ability as he showed the time before at Yarmouth but we are still figuring him out at the moment.

On Tuesday we will be at Nottingham with a pair of runners and hopefully Telekinetic has a good chance. Like New Expo, she was never involved in her last race and you can forget that run as she likes to be up with the pace too. She ran well over this course and distance earlier in the year so fingers crossed she can get back to near somewhere like that form.
​Sir Fred will be going with her but he needs soft ground. He's unlikely to get it but he can't sit in his stable all summer so a run will help him keep fit while we wait for his optimum conditions.

Telekinetic (Ross) & Sir Fred (Sam)

Last week's meeting at Yarmouth was the first this year that we haven't had a runner at due to the firm ground but we should be there this week with a couple of chances.
Exning Queen ran ok in her three novice races and has been given a sensible handicap mark. I think she'll be better over seven furlongs but there isn't a suitable race for a while so she will have to have a go over six furlongs this time.
Raha would ideally want the ground a bit softer but this looks a perfect race for her so she will run anyway. She is one of the highest rated in the race so hopefully she can show her class despite the ground.
Oud Metha Bridge is also entered here and at Haydock at the end of the week but we will see how he is feeling after a couple of hard races before making a decision to run. Sarah rides him every day at home and knows when he is back to his best so we will listen to her.

Raha (Chloe)

A Michael Jackson tribute is playing after racing at Newmarket on Friday and I'm looking forward to seeing that after Spanish Mane runs there earlier in the evening. She has been lacking confidence since her crashing fall at Yarmouth a few months ago but there are signs that she is regaining it now and she is very well handicapped as soon as she does feel good again.

You may have noticed that Shelley is jocked up on a few of our runners again after her injury two months ago and I am pleased to say that she passed the doctor last week and has been passed fit to race ride again so expect to see her at the races very soon.

I was busy at the end of this week at Tattersalls July Sale where it proved very hard to buy anything which was good value as the weak pound meant that plenty of foreign investors were in town to buy horses for their own countries. We looked at loads of horses but continually found them fetching double what they are worth and that really wouldn't be good value for my owners. It wasn't until the evening of the final day that I found a bargain in the form of a three-year old filly called Any Smile. Trained by Michael Bell, she showed promise when placed in her first couple of runs on the all-weather before disappointing recenty in turf races. It might just be that she is better on the sand and her trainer recommended her to me as a decent buy. She will be a good, fun syndicate horse who only ran last Tuesday so is ready run again soon and details of how to get involved will be released as soon as I finalise them.

Any Smile