A big week just gone as my stud farm finally got moving after a three year wait. Paul Coombe started as stud manager last Friday and the first horses came down. Three more mares came down today, all in foal.
In total I now have nine mares, all in foal, in my biggest paddock (Baldovina, Bea Menace, Lilac Moon, Park Acclaim, Peintre D’Argent, Quaker Parrot, Teia Tephi, Transvaal Sky, Valandraud). They are in foal, respectively, to Areion, Winker, Major Cadeaux, Zamindar, Winker, Winker, Panis, Major Cadeaux and Pastoral Pursuits. I have three foals in another paddock – Winker/Baldovina, Winker/Teia Tephi and Compton Place/Max One Two Three. Photos to follow.
I’ve had a run through of tomorrow’s cards – there are four bets I like. Poet’s Voice is a horse of quality, and he looks to have conditions to suit in the Celebration Mile at Goodwood. He isn’t the longest price but he might be a class apart. Police Force runs in the 3:00 at Newmarket, and he caught my eye last time. He looked a certain winner at Ascot when cruising up to take the lead, but he didn’t appear to last home and finished fourth. He showed a lot of speed and looks to have some of the physique of his brother, Dream Ahead. Dream Ahead may be happiest at six furlongs and he is definitely happiest with cut in the ground. If Police Force is a similar animal he will take all the beating over six on the soft tomorrow.
In the first at Beverley I’m looking at Scarlet Whispers, trained by Pam Sly. On the face of it this is very hot for a Beverley maiden – a daughter of Simply Perfect, a fourth at Royal Ascot to Maybe, a Godolphin daughter of Authorized – but these classy looking types are all here looking for an easy option and may not live up to their billings. Pam Sly may only have a small operation but she’s a classic winning trainer. Scarlet Whispers has been tenderly handled to date and has shown ability – I imagine Micky Fenton will ask a little more of her today.
Bet of the day for me is Golden Destiny in the Bullet Stakes at Beverley. Year in year out Peter Makin seems to do best in August. Golden Destiny clearly has ability but she looks like a nervy type and she may not be the most resolute – she’s capable of sustaining a gallop once she is at the front but may not be the type to push her way through a field. She’s drawn one at Beverley which is the place to be for a front runner – if she can break well she can grab the rail and hold on to it for the length of the stiff five, which is probably the ideal distance. She’s a working man’s price.