Week at home

Last week was a busy one with trips to Carlisle, Pontefract, Thirsk and Haydock. Not for the first time this year, the weather did its best to spoil things at the last named track on Saturday but it was still an enjoyable day with William Haggas landing both feature events courtesy of Miss O'Connor in the Listed Dick Hern Stakes and Addeybb in the Group 3 Rose of Lancaster Stakes. Both horses revelled in the testing ground and could taste more big race glory, if the rain continues in the remaining months of the season. Well done to William's son Sam who purchased the unbeaten Miss O'Connor after only one run. Unraced at two and three, she won on her debut at Gowran in May this year for John Joseph Feane before being snapped up. A wide margin winner on her UK debut at Nottingham in early August, she is now a black type winner and a valuable commodity.

On the same card, Last Empire made it three from three in 2019 with an easy success on her handicap debut in the six furlongs event. Racing off an opening mark of 80, the daughter of Pivotal was always travelling strongly and only had to be pushed out to register a four and a half lengths win. Kevin Ryan's filly could herself develop into a Pattern performer, granted similar conditions in the future. I saw her trainer at Thirsk on Friday and he said the softer the ground the better for the Clipper Logistics owned filly.

I am not racing this week until Sunday when a return trip to Pontefract is in the offing. Therefore it is a good opportunity to continue to work on the York Ebor Update, which will be emailed to clients this time next week (Monday 19th August). Please head to the Publications section if you haven't already done so. In addition to the four days on the Knavesmire, I will be highlighting some unraced two year olds to watch out for between now and the end of the season. The same feature last year unearthed five first time out juvenile winners, including Kadar (5/2) and Prince Eiji (4/1).

I am also continuing to work on the forthcoming edition of One Jump Ahead - I have spent most of Monday emailing and ringing around various contacts, including a couple of bloodstock agents, regarding new recruits from France and Ireland, and others in some of the stables which aren't covered in the Talking Trainers section of OJA. The French Revolution section, which included Cheltenham Festival winners A Plus Tard and Klassical Dream last year, is packed with some very exciting prospects this year.

Just a reminder, I will be sending out letters to previous clients with full details of One Jump Ahead and the Updates towards the end of August. I will also be updating the website so clients can order on there. One Jump Ahead is £10.99 and it is £40.99 for OJA and the 5 Updates during the course of the season.

Finally, I have just watched Caradoc (11/10) win for the second time this season at Windsor on Monday evening. Featured in the Handicap Snips section of Ahead On The Flat, Ed Walker's gelding scored at Newmarket in June off a mark of 89 and followed up at the Thames track off a three pounds higher mark under Oisin Murphy.