Short and sweet this week as I am officially still on holiday but racing never stops - and neither do I! Its all kicked off once again (nothing new there) with jockey Dylan Kitts taking pelters from all sides after a "questionable" ride on Hillsin at Worcester which saw him finish third after looking the likeliest winer some way out, but at this stage he is innocent until proven guilty as far as I am concerned, and hands up who never makes a mistake at work, I dare you? I am hoping it was simply a mistake and that it will not derail his career in the years ahead and until anyone proves there was anything going on via betting patterns, I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt - though I may have thought differently had I backed him in running, of course. As for trainer Chris Honour receiving death threats, that just shoes the mentality of some in our sport (sadly) - once he sends the horse out on to the track there isn't a lot more he can do that I know of!
On to the racing...
Most people in racing have a soft spot for the William Muir and Chris Grassick yard who bring modesty and a solid work ethic to everything they do, and I am yet to hear of anyone who begrudges them any victory they have. This afternoon they appear to be clutching at straws with Maggie’s Way in the Listed race for fillies over the mile at 3.00pm (Sandown), but they must feel she deserves a place in this field to give her an entry. She didn’t show anything much as a juvenile but returned to action with an easy win on a softer surface at Nottingham, and at 25/1 early doors, if she improves again for her first start in six months and handles the quicker ground, she could go well at a monster price and maybe even hit the frame.
It would be remiss of me not to at least comment on a field of four for the Coral Elcipse at 3.40pm and somewhere, someone needs to be asking a lot of very serios questions. Good ground, Group One, and over £400,000 to the winner yet a miserly turnout in a race that ought to see Paddington keep his unbeaten record this season for Aidan O’Brien, who now relies on the three-year-old after taking his other runner out at the 48 hour stage. He comfortably beat English 2000 Guineas winner Chaldean by over three lengths in the Irish equivalent, and with enough stamina on the dam’s side to suggest he will get the mile and a quarter, he should prove hard to beat. On official ratings he has 10lbin hand of Emily Upjohn with his age allowance, and with his stable continuing in fine form, he really ought to come out on top.
I simply refuse to believe that Honiton (4.15pm Sandown) gave anything like his true running at Epsom last time out when coming home 23 lengths off the winner off this mark, but whether that was down to the track or the very quick ground, only time will tell. I still feel he could be better than a handicapper in time, and if that is the case, now is his chance to prove it. The Gosden string remain in among the winners which is a positive, as is William Buick in the saddle for the first time, and if he gets the Good ground currently predicted, I am hoping we will see a very different beast this afternoon.
Sean's Suggestions: Honiton each way 4.15pm Sandown
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