A day to forget

The featured horses in Ahead On The Flat have been in very good form in the last fortnight but Thursday 7th June will go down as one of the more frustrating days of the season. Eyecatcher (Handicap Snips) was denied by a nose in the opening three year old handicap at Haydock, Storm Ahead (Significant Sales) was beaten half a length in third in the one mile handicap at Ripon and Sharja Silk (Top 40) was carried across the track in the closing stages before finishing second in the one mile six handicap at Sandown.

On a positive note, Storm Ahead, who was having his fourth start for Tim Easterby, looks tailormade for a race such as the Carlisle Bell later this month (27th June). Rated 81, the one mile event at the Cumbrian track is a 0-85 and the stiff track ought to play to the five year old's strengths. His stable couldn't be in better form with 14 winners in the last fortnight.

Owen Burrows, who is featured in the Talking Trainers section of AOTF, looks to have another hugely promising three year old on his hands in the shape of Elwazir. An impeccably bred son of Frankel, who is a half-brother to Group 1 winning mare Speedy Boarding, he showed plenty of ability as a juvenile last year but left that form behind with an impressive success in the ten furlongs novice stakes at Sandown on Thursday evening. Overcoming a wide draw in stall 16, he always looked in control in the homestraight and was a ready two and three quarters of a length winner under Jim Crowley. It will be interesting to see if he is fast tracked to Royal Ascot for the Hampton Court Stakes. Sir Michael Stoute's former assistant has a trio of above average three year olds in Elwazir, Tabdeed and Wadilsafa.