David Marshall's Blog, July 24
24 Jul
Today’s racing at Ascot, Newcastle, Newmarket & York
Ascot’s summer showpiece has suffered somewhat from the lack of Derby winners in recent years but with the Epsom and Curragh winners taking each other on it promises to be a cracker. Confront,as pacemaker ought to make it a true run event with the race likely to unfold from the two furlong marker. As much as I admire Harbinger I do think this is a massive step up in class on what he has achieved so far, it has to be Workforce for me, with Cape Blanco to chase him home. As usual a good mix on the card, though the ladies race used to be easier to solve when it was a non handicap, the Princess Margaret can often throw up a class act and the Hannon juvenile Sweet Cecily was mightily impressive at Newmarket last time, hope she can take the step up to group class in her stride.
Likely to be a massive crowd on the Knavesmire for their third saturday afternoon meeting of the summer,the meeting a big success since it’s inception,the group two over ten furlongs the feature, with a mixture of difficult handicaps to solve with every race sponsored by Sky Bet.with the John Quinn yard hitting a bit of form after a lean spell I was hoping Nick Luck might mention his horse Hawk Mountain on the morning line,gradually dropping down the weights I am expecting a decent run from him today.
Rattling fast ground at York but just further north Newcastle race on ground with some cut in it,once a group race the Beeswing is now a handicap,of which today there are two divisions on an eight race card,with every race on the sprint course,though the rail has been dolled out which hopefully will negate the massive advantage to the golden highway the Plate meeting produced for stands side runners.Newmarket completes the afternoon cards where there are some progressive three year olds on show,a particular favourite of mine the big scopey staying type Trovare trained by Amanda Perrett.
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