Bad news on Lilac Moon. She has a small hole in a suspensory ligament – we’re waiting for the vet’s verdict but she’s unlikely to run again this year, which may mean an early retirement to stud. If that is the case it’s a terrible shame, as she was better than ever on the gallops.
I get the sense Nicky’s horses may be coming back to form after a lean spell. Maryolini makes the long trip down to Lingfield today – that’s not a tip in itself as she was supposed to be coming down with Lilac, but she has a decent apprentice on board and I fancy her for a place.
In the 5:00 at Haydock Josh Moore takes the ride on Quicuyo and he looks like decent bet material. Josh, I’m told, has a lot of talent, but there are other good reasons for looking at Quicuyo. His last two wins have been on heavy ground – not soft but heavy, and I think there’s a big difference – and he gets that today. The wins have also been on a left handed galloping track, which is what he has today. The weights are higher across the board which favours the hurdlers in the field, but he’s a stone well in with all those that have run over hurdles. A lot of plus points and a clear nap for me.
Not as strong but I like Red Lily in the last at Yarmouth. Her mother was decent on the track, which is a plus for a filly, and like a lot of the family she matured a bit later on. This was around the time her mother got moving – the conditions look ok today.