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.

Another Placing For Dreamer

Once again Urban Dreamer has continued to run well without winning in the last two weeks. He stayed on well for tenth in the £150,000 Redcar Two-Year-Old Trophy and we were confident of another big effort at Haydock on Friday. He didn't disappoint with a solid third in a £14,000 Nursery, the rain softened ground probably wasn't ideal but it was still a cracking run off a five pound higher mark than his second over the same course and distance three weeks previously. He's now had sixteen runs, seven seconds, four thirds and two solid tenths in big Sales races. Despite no win, he's picked up £13,000 in place money and we have one more chance before he goes to the sales at end of the month.

Two Year Old Trophy Task For Dreamer

Consistent two-year-old Urban Dreamer goes to Redcar for the £150,000 Totepool Two Year Old Trophy and has outside chances of picking up some minor prize money. He's an incredibly tough two-year-old, from his fourteen starts he's racked up seven seconds and three thirds and has run consistently well throughout the year. Blinkers seemed to bring about some improvement when second to Deeds Not Words last time and he wasn't stopping at the line, so six furlongs could help. He ran very well in the Super Sprint, showing good speed before getting badly hampered and in a better race, it would be no surprise if he ran a career best and nicked fifth or sixth prize.

It was another solid effort from Shahdaroba when finishing fourth at Ascot yesterday. He again stayed on well enough to suggest that he has enough stamina for a mile but also confirmed that he's a tad high in the handicap.

Shahdaroba At Ascot

Shahdaroba goes in the 0-90 Classified Stakes at Ascot on Friday. The Haatef gelding has struggled with the handicapper since winning at Newamarket's Craven meeting back in April but this is his first run at 0-90 level this season. The trip of a mile is a query, he has won both his races over six furlongs but has run well enough in two attempts at today's trip, a second at Chepstow and fifth at Kempton to suggest he has the stamina. Although very soft ground wouldn't be ideal, the excellent drainage system at Ascot means it rarely gets too heavy and he certainly has each-way chances.

Eugenic ran a nice race on his second start at Warwick on Thursday, finishing seventh of thirteen and running much better than his odds of 100/1 suggested. He is still on the weak side but should make up into a nice three-year-old next season.

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.