JULY REVIEW

We added 25 winners to our tally in July, including four Listed/Group successes and we were delighted to finish the week at Glorious Goodwood as leading trainer, with four winners and several placed efforts.  We remain in second place in the Trainers’ Championship title race.

Never So Brave is a high-class four-year-old firmly on the up and, three weeks on from looking the archetypal ‘Group horse in a handicap’ when landing the Buckingham Palace at Royal Ascot, the son of No Nay Never took the step up in grade in his stride, landing the Group 2 Summer Mile at Ascot in great style. Given a good waiting ride by David Probert, he quickened smartly to land the spoils and now has plenty of options open to him, including at the top level.  He is a hugely exciting prospect for the yard.

While Never So Brave is a relatively new arrival to us, Coltrane feels as though he has been part of the furniture for many a year and the evergreen eight-year-old was a hugely popular winner when landing the Listed Coral Marathon for the second time, having also won the race back in 2022.  He has now won over £1,000,000 in his career and hopefully there will be more to celebrate in the months ahead.

Coltrane was one of four winners on a memorable Eclipse weekend at Sandown Park, with Blue Bolt and Windlord both also scoring at Listed level under Colin Keane.  The former has now won all three of her starts since finishing fifth on debut and the daughter of Blue Point will now be stepping up into Group company, with entries in the Matron and the Sun Chariot further down the line.  Windlord had appreciated the drop in grade to return to winning ways, albeit the win was gained by the narrowest of margins.  He didn’t seem to get home upped to 1m4f at Glorious Goodwood, but remains capable of making his mark at Group level.

Fox Legacy was another to join us over the winter and he is making giant strides.  A ready winner of the Suffolk handicap at Newmarket in May, he provided us with a memorable win in the John Smith’s Cup at York this month, with P J McDonald doing the steering.  He looks a high-class individual and has since added a hugely impressive success at Glorious Goodwood, which has ensured his days in handicap company are over!

Plage De Havre has improved throughout the season and landed the Old Newton Cup in fine style under P J McDonald, coming home clear in what had looked a highly-competitive handicap, and he is a horse we have always held in high regard.

Kassaya made a winning return from 13 months off with a taking success at Sandown Park in the hands of Colin Keane and she is a filly we have always thought plenty of, having started favourite for the Queen Mary last year.  She can go on to better things in time, as can fellow Sandown Park winner Tarriance, who is fast developing into a very useful colt.  The son of Frankel is bred in the purple and made a successful handicap debut under Oisin Murphy.  He has plenty of scope to progress and is one to follow.

Mount Atlas had run a very good race in defeat in the Duke of Edinburgh and he recorded his second win at Ascot from three starts with a classy victory under David Probert, coming from off the pace to win with a good bit to spare.  He has the ability to step up in grade, but could have another run in handicap company at the Ebor meeting first.

Captain Harry made it seventh time lucky with a comfortable success at Haydock Park under P J McDonald and backed that up with a good third at Sandown Park.  He is very much going the right way, as is Topteam, who hasn’t looked back since switching to handicap company and stepping up in trip this summer, supplementing his two wins at Chester with a very game, all-the-way win at Thirsk under Oisin Murphy.  He is a colt with plenty of natural ability and he can make his mark in a nice handicap in the weeks ahead.

Runner-up on seasonal reappearance at Doncaster, The Cursor had faced a couple of tough tasks, first at Listed level and then in the King George V at Royal Ascot, where he had shaped better than the result suggests.  It was very pleasing to see him get off the mark in great style at Doncaster in the hands of Jason Watson and he looks a smart prospect, as does Fantasy World, who scored at Yarmouth under David Probert in a Racing League handicap on what was his first start out of maiden/novice company.  Like Fantasy World, Belgravian is a son of Make Believe and he made it two wins from his last three starts with a straightforward success at Doncaster for P J McDonald.  That was his first attempt at two miles and there should be more to come at the trip.

King’s Lynn retains so much enthusiasm for his racing and it was fantastic to see him back to winning ways at his favourite track Haydock, which had been the scene of his previous victory, in the Group 2 Temple Stakes three years ago.  He is a real favourite in the yard and hopefully he can add to that success in the coming months.

Express Train took a significant step forward on his third start, dropping back to 6f for the first time.  He made all at Leicester for a facile success in the hands of Callum Hutchinson, and was likely unsuited by the testing ground on his handicap debut in a Racing League contest next time.  Star Chorus got back to winning ways in a four-runner contest at Chepstow and was another to find the rain against him next time.  He remains on a fair mark and can bounce back.

It was pleasing to see Hatysa get off the mark at Southwell, also showing much-improved form on her handicap debut.  That was an important win for her future career as a broodmare, but it also suggested there is plenty more to come on the racecourse, as is the case with Golden Thorn, who shed her maiden tag at Windsor on the same day.  Both fillies have been raised 4lbs by the handicapper and can go on to further success this summer.

Boubyan made his final start for us a winning one with victory at Newbury under Hollie Doyle, before selling at the Tattersalls July Sale.  We wish his new connections the best of luck with him.

The two year olds have continued in excellent form and contributed five wins this month, including two successes at Glorious Goodwood.

One of those came from Sir Albert, who supplemented his Chester success in mid-July under Jason Watson with a narrow victory in a valuable nursery under Oisin Murphy, rallying once headed to get up in the final strides.  The handicapper has had his say with a 6lbs rise, but this beautifully-bred son of No Nay Never has plenty more to offer.

Our other winner on the Sussex Downs came courtesy of Stellar Sunrise, who had placed on his previous two career starts and shed his maiden tag in great style under Oisin Murphy.  He has plenty of options and is another exciting type.

Gewan looked a very smart prospect when scoring on debut at Newbury, with Billy Loughnane on board, in a race won by Dewhurst/2000 Guineas winner Chaldean in 2022. He has a Champagne Stakes entry and the son of Night Of Thunder is another to look forward to.

By contrast, Berkshire Boom had looked in need of the experience on debut at Salisbury, but showed that he had learned plenty when getting off the mark at Chester under Jason Watson, winning with a bit in hand.