9 winners in 2 days for Andrew Balding

Andrew Balding was responsible for 17 winners in June and has already matched that tally for July before the halfway point. The stable sent out 6 winners on Friday across four courses and then produced another three on Saturday. Alsakib recorded his first Pattern race success when taking the Group 3 Silver Cup Stakes at York having run well under top weight in the Copper Horse Handicap at Royal Ascot on his previous start. The son of Kingman came off the bridle before the hometurn but his stamina came into play in the homestraight and he stayed on powerfully under P.J.McDonald to win going away by a length and a half. On this evidence, the four year old will stay further and has a couple of options at the same track's Ebor Festival next month, namely the Sky Bet Ebor and the Group 2 Lonsdale Cup. 

The Kingsclere handler introduced a smart looking type in Royal Playwright in the seven furlongs maiden at Salisbury later the same day. A colt by Lope De Vega out of Group 1 winning mare Arabian Queen, he is a half-brother to stablemate See The Fire and had been well touted prior to his first racecourse appearance. Partnered by Hayley Turner, he showed signs of inexperience when jumping the path but was always in control and was pushed out to register a three lengths win from a more experienced runner-up. A race such as the Group 3 Acomb Stakes at York (21st August) could be next - Balding won the seven furlongs contest with Chaldean a couple of years ago and the dam won the Juddmonte International at the same fixture in 2015.

Despite the weather doing its best to spoil things, I had an enjoyable day at York on Saturday - I can't recall going to the John Smith's Cup (or Magnet Cup for those with good memories) meeting before. The highlight was getting my photograph taken with veteran trainer M.W.Easterby. Mick is a remarkable man and regularly attends the Knavesmire even though he is over 90. Based at Sherriff Hutton, he was there to see Atomic Mass run in the six furlongs nursery. Having backed the gelded son of Havana Gold following an eyecatching run at Newcastle on his previous start, I asked Mick what he thought of his chances and he felt the trip was too sharp - and so it proved with him finishing third. Rated 67, he is one to keep an eye out for in a seven furlongs nursery. There is one on the second day of York's Ebor Festival (22nd August) but the bottom weight last year was rated 72.