‘BIG CHANCES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE CHANNEL’

A big weekend that I hope gives me big chances both at home and in France kicks-off with Al Aasy in the Geoffrey Freer Stakes. This 7-y-o has won at Newbury three times previously, so we know he goes well here, he stays the trip well, and he comes here off the back of a Goodwood win. That was only 14 days ago, but despite the traffic problems I encountered that day, he didn’t actually have a hard race, and he came out of it so well, we’ve got no concerns in backing him up here.

He's the highest rated runner in this race, and if he turns up in the same form he was at Goodwood, and he’s been so fresh and well at home there’s no reason to think he won’t, he should be very hard to beat here. 

I’ve won on this horse a couple of times, he loves to come off a fast pace, so in a field of this size that should be the case here. He may have just found the ground a bit too quick for him on his recent runs, so perfect good ground here will be ideal, and it would be no surprise to see him run a big race. 

Waleefy is a half brother to our stars Baaeed and Hukum, so he does have big boots to fill, but given his breeding, he did really well to win over six furlongs at Newmarket earlier in the season. I wasn’t on this horse when he won over seven furlongs at Doncaster last time, as I was at Glorious Goodwood, but he relished the step up in trip, he looks really progressive and he should have a very good chance here.

Another for Kuwait City’s trainer, John Butler, Dandy Arabian is having his third start but first on the turf. He seemed to improve from his first run to his second, so hopefully he can continue that progression and we’ll learn more about him here.

Mafnood is a bit of a funny character, he’s run OK at times this season, but overall you’d have to say he’s been a bit disappointing, and at Goodwood last time he ran too keen, he just didn’t help me or himself at all. We’re stepping him up another furlong here, which should be fine for him, and I do think he has the ability to go well if he can only show it.

Another Shadwell bred son of Kingman, like Mafnood, but I really like this fellow, and he didn’t disappoint at Newmarket last time, when beating a nice horse of the Gosden’s [Sword]. That was only his third start and was over a mile, but he should improve for the step up in trip here, and at this early stage of his career, I think this is a potentially very smart horse. 

On Sunday I make the trip across to Deauville, and it’s for a ride I’ve been looking forward to for the last month. I was lucky enough to get on Arabie at York in May, we won that day, and since then we’ve won a Group 3 and Group 2 at Chantilly, so he brings the best French form to this Group 1 Prix Morny.

His trainer, Karl Burke, also has the favourite, Shareholder, here. He’s a Royal Ascot winner but he is stepping up in trip, so has to prove he gets six furlongs, which my fellow definitely does. We’re towards the head of the betting, and he’s given me such a nice feel in his three wins, I have no doubt he’s more than up to the task of a top level victory, so hopefully that will happen here.