Richard Fahey with his exclusive horse-by-horse guide to his Saturday team which includes four runners in Newbury's Super Sprint.
Kimbali looks ready to strike
We haven't got our largest Saturday team in action this week but it still promises to be busy with runners at five meetings.
In terms of prize-money the
Weatherbys Super Sprint at Newbury is the big race of the day and we've got four in it with
Lily's Angel probably our number one.
Coming back to five will be a disadvantage but the prize-money is so good, you have to go for it. That said she could be drawn better and I hope she gets going in time, she's been good at the stalls the last twice, but my fear is it could all just happen too quickly for her.
Alejandro is not the biggest horse in the world but is probably the toughest two-year-old we have in the yard and all he does is keep on improving. On reflection his run at Musselburgh two starts ago when third to Frederick Engels trying to give him three pounds was very good.
He then won nicely at Beverley and continues to work well. His form stacks up, he's as tough as old boots and the owner is coming over from Ireland to see him run. He'll be battling away, is the right man to have in a fight, and could run very well.
I think the occasion at Royal Ascot got to
Ebony Clarets. She won first-time-out at Pontefract and we were very pleased with her but she had a little setback between that and Ascot.
She wasn't really experienced enough for the big day, it was all just too much for her, but she's worked well since and the form of her Pontefract race has worked out well. She's entitled to take her chance.
Pen Bal Crag is a grand horse who looked like being one of our first two-year-old runners but got a touch of sore shins and we eased back off him. He was keen and gassy when we first started but has settled well and won nicely the other day. He's improving.
We haven't had
Wind Shuffle long and he probably did a bit too much in front at Ayr the last day but ran well at Ripon the previous time. He just got a little tired there but is in good form and there's a good pot on offer for the
totescoop6 Summer Hurdle at Market Rasen so he'll go there. He's entitled to run well too.
We've got half-a-dozen we're starting to school now and they will be our summer jumping team.
We run two in the
British Stallion Studs E.B.F. Stowe Family Law Maiden Stakes at Ripon.
Our Boy Jack was our Brocklesby runner and is a horse who came to hand early but then outgrew his strength a little.
He's a bit of a playboy but ran alright at Beverley yet still thought it was all a game. He needs to grow up.
Kimbali ran a nice race at Beverley on debut and did everything right bar win. He's been a little keen at home but behaved very well on the racecourse and has come on for the experience. We'd be very hopeful of a big run.
Take It To The Max is next in the
tyregiant.com Handicap at Ripon. He's won for us this season and has been running consistently well. The more rain we get the better for him and while he's sure to run well, if the forecast is right and the showers arrive we'd be even more confident of him running a very big race.
Arabian Spirit and
Viva Ronaldo both go down to Newmarket for the
ukunpublished.co.uk Handicap. The latter won at Chester last time and should have won at Catterick the time before when through no fault of Lucy Barry's he just didn't get the run of the race.
He's worked well since Chester while Arabian Spirit is also in good form and ran well down at Newmarket last week. He'd like more rain but both horses are in good form and worthy of their places in the field
Paul (Hanagan) felt
Bridle Belle didn't act on the track the last day at Musselburgh and she runs in the
Ripon Bell-Ringer Handicap. She was very disappointing last time but had previously run well at Newmarket and we're hoping she'll be back to that form here. She's working well and this is something of a fact-finding mission over the trip but if she stays she could run very well.
Our final two runners are at Haydock.
Double Cee makes his debut in the
Hattons Accident Compensation Maiden Stakes and is a nice, big horse who is ready to run but is sure to come on for the experience. This year we didn't just buy early two-year-olds, we got some nice later-maturing types and there are some lovely ones yet to run.
Nemushka won at Ayr and is a nice filly by Sakhee, Ladys First is another nice one who won at York and Mickdaam did well in a warm race at Newmarket. We purposely bought some second-half of the season two-year-olds and hope it continues to pay off.
Ventura Sands runs in the
Hattons Access To Justice Handicap and is his own worst enemy. He's just too keen. The last day he hit the traps and ran far too freely and if he could just learn to settle he'd win more races.
If there's plenty of pace on and Paul can get him to switch off he'd run well but just needs to settle and chill out a bit.
After the success of Ladys First lat week I'll put up
Kimbali as my best chance of a winner this Saturday.
