Hugo Palmer blog: 'I'd be very hopeful that he'll run well'

Leading trainer Hugo Palmer is back with an exclusive Coral blog, running us through his runners at Beverley and Haydock on Saturday.

It was fantastic to have another two-year-old debutant win at Haydock on Thursday in the shape of Dubai Bling, and while it wasn’t expected, it wasn’t a total shock either as he had shown us that he had ability at home. We don’t have a lot of first-time out winners, but we don’t run our young horses until they are ready to run well, so it’s never a huge shock to us when one of them goes and wins on their racecourse debut.

The time wasn’t spectacular, but he did seem to find something extra, and we knew he’d try hard based on what he’d shown us in his home work. It may be that he’s fallen in in a bad race, but he did win despite doing plenty wrong, so maybe he is a nice horse we can look forward to the future with. I’d say we’ll run again at a similar level under a penalty, and if wins again then we could aim a bit higher, but he did show signs of inexperience during the race, so I would be mindful of asking too much of him at this stage.

Order Of Malta just did a bit too much too soon on his reappearance at Chester last time, so we thought the drop back in trip was the right way to go, and hopefully he’ll be fine over a mile and a quarter here.

I was a little bit worried about the ground at Chester for him as it was on the fast side of good, but he handled it perfectly well, so I don’t have any reservations about the quick ground for him this weekend.

It is a stiff mile and a quarter at Beverley, so I think that will suit, and his work at home has been pleasing, so I’d be very hopeful that he’ll run well here.

Order of Malta odds

This will be the quickest ground Kindest Nation has encountered to date at Haydock, but I don’t think she’s a ground dependent filly if I’m completely honest. I actually think she stayed the mile on soft ground at Sandown perfectly well, but I think the step back in trip will suit her, and she’s well drawn in stall 3, so everything looks in her favour.

Oisin Murphy is back on her as well, which is never a bad thing, and he did ride her when she won at Southwell back in March, so hopefully they can keep that winning run going this weekend.

Kindest Nation odds 

He ran a solid enough race when fourth over the extended 7f at Chester last time, but Richard Kingscote got off him and said he’d appreciate going up in trip, so that’s what we are doing here.

This will probably be the quickest ground he’s encountered too, and the majority of his best form has come on the all-weather, so he just needs to translate that to turf now. Having said that, his run on the grass at Chester last time was perfectly fine, so I don’t expect it to be a major problem for him.

It looks quite a competitive little race, and most of them go there with some sort of chance, but Gunfighter has been in decent form at home, so he’s certainly capable of going very close indeed.

Gunfighter odds

Phone Tag ran really well on his reappearance at Yarmouth last time, and I could hardly have been happier with him that day. That was his first run since November, so although the handicapper has nudged him up a pound, I think he’s entitled to build on that effort. He’s ran well on quick ground before too, so conditions will be fine for him, and this speed-favouring track should suit him also. 

Oisin Murphy rides all three of ours at Haydock, and he’s actually won on all of them before, so a quickfire treble with Oisin on board would be just what the doctor ordered!

Phone Tag odds

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All odds and markets correct as of date of publication