Trio At Bath On Monday

It's a trip to Bath on Monday and despite the fact we're well into the autumn, the ground is still on the quick side, which might not be ideal for some of our horses. Kaizen Factor goes in the ten furlong nursery and the Azamour gelding was very disappointing on his first two starts before running much better when fourth on soft ground at Chepstow. Unfortunately we feel that the handicapper overrated the bare form and his initial mark of 68 seemed on the high side. He struggled from a bad draw on his handicap debut at Kempton and despite finishing a well beaten ninth, the handicapper only dropped him a pound. He may well be too high in the handicap but with My Anchor, runner-up from Chepstow in the field and raised twenty pounds in the process, we will at least get a direct guide to how strong that Chepstow form actually is.

Madame Kintyre ran her best race of the season when second at Ffos Las last time out, clearly relishing the heavy ground. While she won on firm ground as a three-year-old at Bath, she does seem to want some ease in the ground now she's a bit older and she will want some heavy showers on Monday to help her chances. In the finale, Winnie Perry has each-way chances, his last two efforts have been pretty solid when finishing third at Warwick and Ffos Las and the blinkers should help him travel in a 'Hands and Heels' contest.

Yet Another Second For The Dreamer!

In his third handicap, Urban Dreamer maintained his hundred per cent strike rate of filling the runners-up spot with a career best effort at Haydock on Friday, taking his career record to seven seconds and three thirds from fourteen starts this year! First time blinkers certainly helped the Intense Focus colt as he showed plenty of speed up the stands rail before being collared by the improving Deeds Not Words, himself on a hat-trick, inside the final furlong. With three lengths back to the third, the race run in a Juvenile Course record, it has to represent a cracking effort from Urban Dreamer, who takes his career earning to £11,666 despite no success. If he gets in, he could go to Redcar for their valuable Sales race and you certainly couldn't rule out more minor prize money if he repeats Friday's effort. We just hope we can get a win out of him before he goes to the Sales next month.

At Newmarket, both of the Link's Partnership horses ran solid races in the Silver Cambridgeshire. Despite the big field, there wasn't much pace which didn't suit either horse. Icebuster was ridden much more prominently and led the field three out before getting outpaced. He rallied coming out of the dip but got checked by the winner which probably cost him fourth but he still picked up around £700. The slow pace certainly didn't help Shavansky but he also rallied in the closing stages and wasn't beaten far in eighth.

Silver Cambrigeshire Duo

After a quiet week on the runners front, it's a busy Friday with both Icebuster and Shavansky in the Silver Cambridgeshire at Newmarket and Urban Dreamer bidding to lose his maiden tag in the nursery at Haydock.

Yard veteran Shavansky has a good record in the Cambridgeshire itself, finishing fifth in 2009 and seventh in 2011 (beaten 3.5L off 94, now 87 without including Pat's 7lb claim) and the straight nine furlongs in a big field really suits him. You normally get a strong pace and even if he misses the break and sits at the rear, the fact that the field is so spread out means you are not that far off the pace. He certainly isn't getting any younger but he's still capable of making an impression in such events. Icebuster also has a similar profile, his slow starts and keen going nature means he also requires a strong pace, although he ideally he prefers ten furlongs or more. However, it wasn't a bad effort when fourth over CD at the Guineas meeting and they didn't go fast enough that day so he too has each-way chances. Both are well overpriced at 40-1 and with one drawn on either side, we hope that at least one of them can bring some prize money back down to Devon.

While at Haydock, the consistent if slightly luckless Urban Dreamer has each way chances in the £15,000 Nursery. The Intense Focus colt has six seconds and three thirds to his name this year but that elusive win eludes him. He has blinkers on for the first time today, which certainly helped his sire find some improvement and while it's a competitive event, we feel he certainly has the ability to win such a race off 73. Stall twelve should suit as with stalls in the centre, he shouldn't get crowded up the stands rail, he is also cracking each-way value at 14/1.

Taws Makes Debut At Goodwood

Hernando filly Taws makes her debut at Goodwood this afternoon in the nine furlong two-year-old maiden. The filly is a half-sister to Tim Easterby's useful stayer Deauville Flyer, while we also trained her half sister Golden Valley to win a seven furlong maiden at Doncaster at two. Taws is much more of a three year old type than her sister and will definitely want twelve furlongs plus next season but this is a nice starting point for her career. The race itself looks a lot stronger than in recent seasons, with those to have run showing a decent level of form but she should gain plenty from this outing for the future.

Newbury Nursery Third For Carpenter

It was a good effort from Master Carpenter at Doncaster but the three pound rise he received for a three and a quarter length second was extremely harsh. With his fondness for soft ground, we decided to run him at Newbury ten days later in a small field Nursery, in case we had a dry time ahead. He again put up a solid show, although his efforts to challenge the easy six length winner Bow Creek meant he lost out on second place in the closing stages. Hopefully the handicapper will reassess him after this effort as things won't be easy in similar events in the autumn but we hope he will strengthen up over the winter and progress into an exciting three-year-old.

Fifth Second For Urban Dreamer

It was a successful day at Ffos Las, no winner but all four ran with credit and offered hope for future. Once again Urban Dreamer notched up another second in the nursery, he probably found the going on the soft side but he certainly deserves to win one soon. Madame Kintyre looked the likely winner entering the final furlong in the finale but got headed inside the final hundred yards. She clearly enjoyed the heavy ground and off a mark of 50 she is definitely capable of winning something similar.

On his debut, Modem shaped encouragingly, despite racing green in the early stages, he soon made up ground in the home straight before weakening in the final furlong to finish a very creditable third. Eugenic was also pretty green in the early stages and he too made up ground mid-race before getting very tired in the heavy ground.

Four At Ffos Las On Sunday

It's a busy Sunday at Ffos Las with four runners and two of them are newcomers making their first steps on the racecourse and it will be very interesting to see how they get on.

Eugenic is a Piccolo gelding that makes his debut in the opening mile maiden and this nice big sort will need time to be seen at his best. His dam Craic Sa Ceili won over a mile at two and as he isn't the sharpest sort in the world, we have decided to start him off at a mile. With experience, we expect him to want a shorter trip, more in keeping with his siblings but it's a nice starting point.

In the older horse maiden, John Deer's Modem makes his debut over a mile and he should go quite nicely on his debut and he looks to be running in a suitable race, with just five runners and three of his rivals have been seen under NH rules. He is by Motivator and does share some of his sire's quirks but he certainly has ability and should be capable of third prize at least.

Urban Dreamer has been very consistent this season, with five seconds and three thirds to his name from twelve starts but we still seek that elusive win. He ran very well when second on his nursery debut at Sandown and was chinned on the line in a CD maiden so he should be in the frame once again and represents our best chance of a winner.

It's a shame there are so many runners in Madame Kintyre's race as she has been running well in small field events at Ffos Las this year and off a career low mark of 50, she should run ok, especially as soft ground will suit but she has gone a while since her last success which is a concern as she still works well at home.

Have to make a quick mention about Dovils Duel who was a disappointing favourite at Chepstow under his six pound penalty on Thursday. With few options to run four pounds well in, raised ten for his Lingfield success, we had to go even though five could have been on the sharp side. Unfortunately, more of a problem was the soft ground, which combined with the drop back to five and Chepstow's unique undulations could have contributed to a below par effort. We're sure he will be back under more suitable conditions, although life will be harder under his new mark.

Hat Trick Bid For Dovils Duel

After a very disappointing start to his two-year-old career, it was a relief that Dovils Duel finally got off the mark at Leicester, even if it was only off a mark of 60. However, his confidence was clearly boosted by this initial success as he won convincingly off a five pound higher mark at Lingfield, travelling strongly before powering clear inside the final furlong to win by two and a half lengths. The handicapper has put him up ten pounds to 75 so our hand is forced to run him under a six pound penalty but he's had eight days to recover from Lingfield and he certainly didn't have a hard race that day. The way he travelled over six suggests that five furlongs with a bit of give in the ground should be fine and it will be disappointing if he doesn't go close in the hat-trick bid on Thursday.

Runner Up Slot For The Carpenter

After disappointing in the Chesham at Royal Ascot and seemingly outclassed in the July Stakes, it was good to see Master Carpenter running a solid race when second on his handicap debut at Doncaster on Thursday. The Mastercraftsman colt had shown some useful early season form but hadn't progressed as expected in those high class races and given plenty of time to recover from Newmarket, we were unsure how he would fare off an opening mark of 89. However, he enjoyed the rain-softened ground and stayed on strongly inside the final furlong to finish a clear second, showing there are races to be won off his current mark and as he enjoys soft ground, he should have a profitable autumn.

Penny Dropped With Dovils Duel

After proving extremely difficult earlier in the season, Dovils Duel has finally grown up and has taken advantage of a lenient handicap mark to rack up two successes in recent weeks. With Andrea back on board in a handicap, he settled in the early stages before staying on strongly to finish second in a competitive Class Five Nursery at Nottingham. Dropped into Class 6 company at Leicester a week later, he travelled strongly and despite wandering in the closing stages, he was always doing enough to record his first victory. Raised five pounds to 65, he was still eligible for Class 6 company and we took him to Lingfield, where he was made favourite for a big-field nursery. Again he travelled strongly but this time he powered clear inside the final furlong, looking much more professional. He has always worked extremely well and we hope he will continue to progress this autumn and make up into a lovely three year old.

Gaelic Ice Off The Mark At Chepstow

Lightly raced Iceman four-year-old Gaelic Ice got off the mark at Chepstow on Bank Holiday Monday. She only had three starts at three, showing ability when second at Kempton and has strengthened up over the winter. She has been consistent this year, finishing placed in handicaps at Windsor and Ffos Las but dominated her rivals dropped into selling company under a competent ride from Pat. Hopefully this confidence boost will enable her to win again back in handicap company.