Buster and Shavansky At Kempton

After a quiet spell, we actually have runners on three consecutive days with Icebuster at Kempton on Wednesday evening and Shavansky there twenty four hours later. Both were last seen running creditable races in the Silver Cambridgeshire and these runs will put both spot on for the £50,000 London Middle Distance Final in December.

Icebuster came out on top at Newmarket, running a cracking race to finish fifth of twenty five (both Scottish Star and Silver Dixie were behind him) and this race this evening looks weaker. Although he hasn't won on the AW, he has plenty of solid form on the surface and Kempton certainly suits. However, he does need a strong pace to be at his most effective, as a slow start normally leaves him at the back of the field, while it's not ideal that he hasn't run for 54 days but there just hasn't been a suitable opportunity as he can't run on soft ground.

Shavansky was eighth at Newmarket, a solid effort as they didn't go quick enough for him and he seems better on the AW now he's well into the veteran stage. He was a course and distance winner two starts back and provided he gets a strong pace to chase, he has eachway chances with Shelly Birket taking off a useful five pounds.

Southwell wasn't too successful yesterday. Unfortunately, Madame Kintyre was slow to stride which made life very difficult from stall fourteen. She was only beaten four lengths in to seventh and with a better draw/break would have been placed. She showed she acts on the surface and in a slightly lower grade she should find a race this winter. While Blunos was plain disappointing, perhaps he just doesn't enjoy any AW surface. 

Back At Sunny Southwell

It's nice to have a couple of runners on the fibresand at Southwell, a surface which our horses tend to enjoy and the 465 mile round trip normally provides the yard with some prize money. Both Madame Kintyre and Blunos are having their first experience of the fibresand and while you can never be certain that they will handle the unique surface, especially the kickback, we are hopeful both can run well.

Madame Kintyre missed a very good opportunity at Bath when the weighing room flooded and this is the first race she has actually got in for over a month which has been extremely frustrating as she has been in good form on her most recent starts. Her dam Chorus loved the fibresand surface at Southwell and her half-sister Ishi ran up to her best when tried on the surface, so it should suit. It's a shame she is so wide in fourteen, although that is preferable to being stuck on the dead rail up the inside. A mark of 51 is still workable (has useful form in the 60s) and she should put up a good show and as long as she handles the fibresand, she should have a profitable winter on the surface.

Blunos shaped nicely on his third start at Windsor but has been very disappointing in two handicap outings at Wolverhampton. That surface has received a lot of criticism in recent weeks and rightly so, the mix of fibresand on top of polytrack is causing an inconsistent surface that a lot of horses don't seem to be handling. Hopefully that is the reason why he has run so badly the last twice but he has dropped to a mark of 50, this looks a very weak race and it will be disappointing if he isn't in the three.

We have been very quiet on the runners front recently but Galatian shaped much better when third on his most recent start. He has had a lot of issues with his feet but if his confidence builds, he is very well handicapped off 68 (last win off 72) and should do well this winter. Unfortunately, there are no opportunities at Kempton in the next few weeks, which is the AW track that will suit him best but hopefully there will be lots of races in the New Year.

Shahdaroba In Action On Champions Day

It's nice to be represented at Ascot on Champions Day, with Shahdaroba taking his chance in the apprentice finale, a twenty seven runner cavalry charge! Seven furlongs on soft ground is ideal and he has finally eased in the handicap, just one pound higher than when he won at the Craven meeting. It was a solid effort when fourth over a mile at Ascot two weeks ago and it would be no surprise if he nicked some minor prize money.

At Bath on Sunday, Madame Kintyre bids to go one better after finishing second on her two most recent starts. Somehow she just lost out in a three way photo at Windsor last Monday, beaten a nose by the winner and dead heating for second! She enjoys soft ground, so the more rain the better and Pat could take off a valuable seven pounds. She certainly deserves to get off the mark in 2013.

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.

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.

Plenty More Places!

A busy week and lots of solid performances from the horses meant we picked up plenty of place money. At Nottingham, Dovils Duel certainly enjoyed the slight drop in grade and he was the closest we got to a winner as he stayed on strongly to claim second in the nursery. It was a career best effort from the Clodovil gelding and with the penny starting to drop, it shouldn't be long before he's in the winners enclosure.

It was a case of 'thirditus' for the rest of the week. Madame Kintyre broke on terms and ran her best race of the season when third at Ffos Las, enjoying the soft ground and hopefully we can find a small race for her in the coming weeks. Meanwhile at Salisbury, Ivor's Princess ran her best race for over a year when finishing third in the apprentice race. She went up 18lbs (21 if you take in Sean Levey's claim) for winning twice early last year and struggled thereafter. She is back to a winning mark and will appreciate some easy ground in the autumn.

Tough two-year-old Urban Dreamer has been racking up more place money as we bid for that elusive £10,000 Racing Post Bonus and finished third at both Chepstow on Thursday and Pontefract Sunday. He's running up to his mark of 72 and it may be that we try for a nursery next time, he certainly deserves to win a race.

Drop In Grade To Help Dovils?

After posting a career best when finishing third at Lingfield three weeks ago, we were hoping Dovils Duel had turned the corner as he looked a slightly unlucky loser as he flashed home inside the final furlong. Unfortunately he ran too keen stepped up to seven furlongs at Newbury and he still isn't producing his homework on the track. However, he drops back to six furlongs at Nottingham, down in grade and has a stronger jockey with Andrea able to do the weight. Let's hope this helps as he definitely has the ability to win races and a bold show certainly wouldn't surprise.

There is a valuable two day meeting at Salisbury on Wednesday and Thursday and we're represented on both days. On Wednesday, Ivor's Princess returns to the track where she won twice last season and has first-time cheekpieces on in a bid to rediscover some form. It's a weak apprentice race and although the ground will be quicker than ideal, she's capable of going close. On Thursday, Seaham also bids to return to form having disappointed at Chepstow last time. The undulations probably didn't suit and he has useful form at Salisbury, the best on offer in fact and although he gives weight to some unexposed fillies, it's a race in which he should go close.

We also cross the bridge into Wales on Wednesday and Thursday with runners at both Ffos Las and Chepstow. Madame Kintyre makes a quick return to Ffos Las having blown a winnable chance when trying to break through the stalls last week. Her earlier effort when only beaten three lengths at the track gives her every chance if she's on best behaviour. On Thursday, the luckless Urban Dreamer bids to land a bonus maiden, having finished runner-up four times already in his short career. He hasn't done much wrong, he was nailed on the line at Ffos Las two weeks ago and proven experience of Chepstow's unique undulations will stand him in good stead.

Four At Ffos Las

It's a busy Tuesday evening at Ffos Las, with four runners at the Welsh track, although all four would probably be happier if some of the heavy rain showers hit the track. We have two in the fillies sprint, with both Ivors Princess and Madame Kintyre needing to find some form. Ivors Princess made a great start to her three-year-old career, winning her first two starts with ease at Salisbury but was absolutely hammered by the handicapper as she went up a whopping 18lbs. She then lost her confidence when racing in a higher grade and had a setback in the spring which has delayed her return to the track. Hopefully the smaller field will help her gain some confidence but she will probably strip fitter for the outing. Madame Kintyre has had a lot of problems since denied by a short-head at Windsor in June and although well handicapped, she has completely lost her way. Hopefully the small field will also help her gain some confidence as if returning to form she could certainly go very close but we will be happy if she just gets involved. Sweet Alabama went off too hard in first-time blinkers when fourth at Leicester, having looked likely to win entering the final furlong, which showed she's certainly capable of winning a race. She hasn't repeated the form on two subsequent starts and would prefer some rain today but off a light weight, she's capable of placing at least. Gaelic Ice has been in good form since the hood was applied, having a troubled run when second at Windsor and then got stuck a little wide when third stepped up to twelve furlongs at Ffos Las last time. Dropped into a weak 0-55 handicap, she should go very close and hopefully she gets off the mark as we could do with a winner, as we have found ourselves on the cold list, despite most of the horses running well recently.

Progressive three-year-old Astrum runs on the AW at Lingfield on Wednesday and although we would prefer turf, there are only eight runners and hopefully the weather isn't quite as hot as it will help reduce the kickback, which is particularly bad in the summer. As long as he handles the AW, he should go very close as it doesn't look the strongest of races and he was unlucky not to get his third win of the season when second at Pontefract last time as he was left with too much to do, having been hampered at the start. We also have Into The Wind at Sandown in the evening, the obvious question mark against her is the rise in grade as she is at her most competitive when racing at Class 6 level. However, she is progressing with age and her chance would be greatly increased if the thunderstorms hit Sandown as she loves soft ground. She had too much ground to make up last time and is better in smaller fields so she certainly won't be disgraced.