Friday 3 July 2015 17:00, UK
Richard Fahey has runners at six meetings on Saturday. Find out what he makes of his team's chances up and down the country.
I understand why 48-hour declarations were introduced, and what they were supposed to bring, but making declarations on Thursday morning was as hard as it's ever been.
At this time of the year, you could get hot sunshine or heavy showers, both of which can have a massive effect upon the state of the going.
Who could have guessed that Haydock would get so much rain during racing on Thursday that the going would go completely from one end of the spectrum to the other? What will the going there be like on Saturday? It's impossible to say at this stage, but already having declared on good to firm, it's now soft.
I've got five horses declared at Haydock and one who will love any juice in the ground is Jumeirah Glory in the opening Bet365 Handicap. It will be interesting to see how it rides on the day. He's gone up 10lb for winning by just a short-head last time at this track, but he's a nice horse.
Gabrial's King and Gabrial's Star both ran in the Plate last weekend and they both ran okay races. They've come out of the race fine and Marwan is keen to go again so they're both in the Old Newton Cup.
It looks a very competitive race, not surprisingly given the prize money, and they're both coming back in trip which is a question for them to answer. But they both seem in good form.
Royal Connoisseur hasn't been given much help by the handicapper but he's in good shape and he'll like any cut in the ground in the six-furlong bet365.com Handicap. It would be nice to see him get his head in front again because he's a likeable sort of horse.
I'm going to sound like a broken record but Khelman is another who I have declared in the hope that the going is on the soft side, because he's in great form and he has been waiting for a bit of juice. He's in the Bingo at Bet365 Handicap and it looks quite a tough race but I'd like to think he can run well.
With the Eclipse, Sandown is the day's main meeting and we've got three going down there.
Gabrial's Kaka is going to win again soon. He's on the way to being dangerously well-handicapped and he keeps showing bits of form, but I put him in the Coral Challenge in the hope that he might get a decent draw and some give in the ground and it looks like he's going to get neither.
Can he win this from stall 16? I'm struggling to see it. But one of these days he'll win and win well.
The owner of La Dorotea is understandably keen to go for some black type in the Coral Distaff, but it looks hot for a race of its type and I'd be delighted to see her make the frame. If she doesn't, and she doesn't go up in the weights, we might still be able to go back to handicaps.
Angel Gabrial ran a solid race in the Plate and if the cards had fallen differently, he might have got a bit closer. He seems to have come out of the race in good shape and if he can run the same sort of race he's not without a chance in the Coral Marathon. It looks a fairly tough race though.
Chiswick Bey has been a bit of a revelation this year and I'm hoping for another big run in the Sandicliffe Motor Group Handicap at Leicester. He ran quite well last time in a race in which not many from off the pace got into it.
He'll need them to go a fair pace again here, and the handicapper has done his best to stop him too, but if the race goes right, he could get involved again.
Liberty Sky is my other runner at the track in the East Midlands Ceramics Handicap. She's been disappointing as we really do like her, but she hasn't delivered. She ran better last time though, the headgear is on again, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if she ran a good race.
Bahamian Sunshine is our first runner at Beverley in the British Stallion Studs EBF Leisure Furnishings Maiden Stakes but he's more of a long-term project.
He's been a little bit of a handful, to be honest. He's done everything wrong in his two starts, cocking his jaw, and we're dropping him out and trying to teach him to be a racehorse. He's got a bad draw again here so I'll imagine he'll have to be dropped out again and we'll just be hoping to see him evidence that he is learning.
Thirty-five minutes later it's the turn of his big brother Bahamian Sunrise in the Coachmans Caravan Quality Handicap. He's had a pretty busy time of late, but he's taking his races well and he's in the sales next Wednesday so we thought we'd let him take his chance.
Normandy Knight runs in the CGI Handicap. He stayed the trip well when he won the other day and I don't think the little bit of extra distance at this track is going to trouble him. I think he'll go very well.
On to the evening meetings and Inaam makes his debut in the 'Team Story' Auction Maiden Stakes at Carlisle.
He goes all right at home and he's ready to start but he looks to have the top one trained by the Duffields to beat.
Imshivalla runs in the Bookies.com Handicap under Sammy Jo Bell. She's a hard filly to predict, but she looks very well. I think the problem is that she had a very good time last year, went up a lot in the weights, and has lost of bit of confidence now. When the confidence comes back, I think she'll start winning again.
Johnny B Goode has been banging on the door and we have to hope it will open in the Compare Best Odds Handicap. He got the trip okay last time and he should run a solid race.
Last it's on to Nottingham, where we start off with Scarlet Pursuits in the Goldeva Maiden Fillies' Stakes. I suspect she's going to struggle to win one of these contests, but that's why we have the handicap system and we'll have a better idea of where we stand after this race.
Montefalcon runs in the Barbara Ward Memorial Classified Stakes. We're stepping him up in trip here. It looks like he'll stay, I think he'll stay, but obviously he has that question to answer.
Loom Of Life has been extremely disappointing, given the hopes we had with him. He runs in the Ladies Day Handicap but he's been schooled over hurdles and he'll be running there for us when we find the right race for him.
