The Marksman with news on Frankel, Picture Editor and why Workforce looks all set to head to the Breeders' Cup Turf after all.
Frankel fans must see the bigger Picture
Frankel was described by Henry Cecil as the best juvenile he has ever seen, let alone trained, following his victory in the Dewhurst but has the trainer got another colt at home with stronger Derby credentials?
Picture Editor had shown nothing to get the workwatchers excited before his Doncaster debut in a maiden with a good record of throwing up decent middle-distance performers like Coordinated Cut last year.
The Dansili colt was sent off a 10/1 shot but belied his weakness in the market to come home a clear winner in a race that has worked out well and there was also much to like about his next performance.
Although he had no more than an exercise gallop to beat two average rivals at Leicester, he coasted home by 30 lengths and it was the way he did it that really caught the eye.
He may have been flattered to have won by so far on heavy ground over 1m2f, but another two furlongs at Epsom next June will be right up his street and he could be anything according to my source.
The Zetland Stakes has been pencilled in as the next target for the 'forgotten' horse in the yard who is available at a much bigger price than his much-hyped stablemate.
Cecil, who has said from day one Frankel will not stay the Derby trip, fitted that colt with a special noseband at Newmarket to curb his free-running style but he got lit up anyway after taking a bump out of the stalls.
At the prices, I know which one the Marksman would rather be on and I can also pass on a good word for a potential Oaks filly, owned by Prince Khalid Abdulla, making her debut for the yard at Yarmouth on Tuesday.
Arizona Jewel is by Dansili out of a Rainbow Quest mare called Rainbow Lake who won the Lancashire Oaks for the legendary trainer and Cecil sees many of the same staying qualities in her 12th foal.
Talk of a ninth Oaks success for the stable may be premature at this stage, but the Warren Place handler is a master with fillies and introduces her in the first division of the 1m maiden on the card.
Dangerous ploy to follow Arc winners
Workforce is reported by my sources to be bang on course to make the trip to Churchill Downs for the Breeders' Cup Turf and is a red-hot favourite.
He completed an easy piece of work over seven furlongs on the Al-Bahathri gallop last Saturday under Ryan Moore, proving his wellbeing by pulling two or three lengths clear of his lead horse.
It was the first time Workforce had been seen in his faster paces since his brilliant win at Longchamp gave Sir Michael Stoute a long overdue success in the premier middle-distance race in Europe.
However, the Breeders' Cup Turf could be a step too far as Arc winners have a terrible record at the meeting and Workforce seems to need plenty of time between races.
He flopped in the King George after his brilliant Epsom Derby success and a chance conversation with trainer Willie Muir at Newmarket has alerted me to another British raider in the race worth backing.
The trainer's son-in-law Martin Dwyer, who is out injured until the end of the season with a broken thumb and shoulder, named Brian Meehan's Dangerous Midge as the one horse he had been most looking forward to riding in the States.
The Classic-winning jockey fancies this improving four-year-old for the Turf and it is not hard to see why after he showed a smart turn of foot to score in Group 3 company at Newbury last time.
He burst four lengths clear of Rainbow Peak off a steady pace and the runner-up has since franked the form by winning a Group 1 in Italy for Michael Jarvis.
Dwyer, meanwhile, had his spirits lifted when his beloved Everton sent Liverpool crashing down into second bottom place in the Premiership but I'm told he has been a very difficult patient at home.
His wife, Claire, delivered the ultimate put-down on a recent car journey to her 'back seat' driving husband after he issued his 100th instruction, saying: 'Why don't you drive? Oh you can't, can you!'
Modun a chip off the old block for Stoute
Sadly, a setback ruled out Patkai from his belated seasonal reappearance on Champions Day, but half-brother Modun is very much out of the same mould as the 2009 Ascot Gold Cup runner-up.
The Folkestone maiden winner got left leaving the stalls and hated the sharp track, but still managed to land some tidy bets on debut with a powerful late surge when the penny finally dropped.
A smart stayer in the making, he may have got in lightly off 79 for his handicap debut in the 7.40 on Thursday at Kempton, where he will relish the step up to 12-furlongs.
Jump to it for winners galore
Not many racing books pay for themselves, but The Dark Horses Jumps Guide by Marten Julian is a serious winner finding tool for punters seeking an edge during the 2010/11 jumps season.
The latest edition has unearthed some real gems and will be available within the next fortnight from the Racing Post/Raceform stable of publications.
Ballyburke, trained by the canny Philip Rothwell, was offered to the author to buy while researching the book in Ireland and I sensed a note of regret in his voice that he had let the horse slip through his hands.
From the family of good staying hurdler Mrs Muck, the Irish Point winner was then bought by JP McManus to stay in the yard 10 days after making a pleasing bumper debut at Limerick last January.
On his next start at Navan, wearing JP's colours for the first time, the five-year-old powered clear on the bridle to win going away by eight lengths from a fair yardstick and was put away for this year with a hurdling campaign in mind.
Rothwell has high hopes for Ballyburke to develop into one of the top novices in Ireland and his long-term aim will be the Baring Bingham Hurdle (2m4f) at the Festival if living up to his lofty home reputation.
The Gary Moore-trained Megastar, who is by Kayf Tara and out of a mare by Karinga Bay, is another smart bumper horse Julian recommended readers to follow over hurdles.
He has the size to make up into a decent jumper and defied his stout pedigree to win two of his four bumper starts last year, culminating in the Aintree version after finishing a respectable fifth at Cheltenham.
Among the novice chasers, our man predicted a bright future for Reve de Sivola whose trainer Nick Williams plays his cards close to his chest and has not ruled a World Hurdle bid rather than SunAlliance route.
Although not as good over hurdles as the stable's Diamond Harry, he may be the type to do better over fences if brushing up in the jumping department and is viewed long term as a Gold Cup prospect.
