Hugo Palmer Saturday runners blog: 'He can run a huge race'

On May 24, Hugo Palmer has several runners at Haydock, Salisbury and Windsor. The leading trainer previews them all in his latest exclusive blog with Coral.

The going at Haydock is currently good to firm, and I’m hoping it stays like that for my two in the next race, but both of these fillies want softer ground, and as there is some rain in the forecast, I thought I should enter them so that if the going goes against the firmer ground pair, we would at least have the ground for these two. 

It will need to rain for them to run, but they’re both in good form at home. Kindest Nation ran well at Chester last time on ground that was as quick as she wants it, and Asteverdi is having her first run for us but clearly seems a better filly on softer ground.

It’s Britain so it will rain at some point, but I hope it’s after this race! King Casper is the better horse here, but with Joe Leavy claiming off of Triple Double A, he gets a stone from King Casper, which is a lot of weight to give away and he remains in great form after an unlucky defeat last time.

King Casper is favourite, and that’s fair enough as he won well at Newmarket, despite running a bit green, and Oisin [Murphy] saying the horse wasn’t entirely in love with the track. He's won at Haydock so we know he goes well here, but we just do not want any rain.

The Britannia at Royal Ascot is the target and so if the word soft appears in the going description, he’ll come straight home, as we don’t want to see him beaten and dropped in the handicap to the point where he doesn't get in at Ascot. He’s in great form at home, and on his preferred ground, I can see him running a huge race.

This horse continues to get no luck with the draw, I think you want to be drawn high here and he’s in stall two, the reverse from Chester last time! He’s in really good nick, hopefully they will come up the middle and he can tuck in and finish his race off well. He certainly deserves some good fortune for a change.

I would say Ardisia has been unlucky too, but in his case it’s largely his own fault, as if he could perfect his starts, he’d probably be three from three. I felt he was the best horse in the Lily Agnes at Chester last time, but he looked the wrong way when the stalls opened and missed the break. 

He does carry a penalty here, but I’d like to think he’s good enough to give weight away here, we’ll try him with the blinds on in the stalls, hopefully that will sharpen him up, and if he can get away on level terms, I think he can go well and we can get him back in the winners’ enclosure.

I think this filly was unlucky at Chester on debut, she got squeezed at the start, and but for that I think she could have finished second to our Tricky Tel. She’s come forward a lot since then, she’s really improved, and providing she jumps out well, she’s drawn well in stall one here. I’m looking forward to seeing her run, and the quick ground should suit her better than Chester.

Little Saver didn’t run badly at all on debut, to finish fifth, and with that run under his belt, and stepping up in trip, in what doesn’t look a particularly strong race, I think he can go well.

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