It was a busy week with plenty of runners and on the whole they ran pretty well with the plenty finishing in the prize money.
On his hat-trick bid and stepping up to ten furlongs, SIR RODERIC travelled extremely well and looked the likely winner entering the final furlong at Salisbury on Sunday. However, whether it was idling in front or not quite seeing out the trip, he faded into third. It was still a decent effort stepped up in grade and he has been very busy recently so will have a short break. On the same day COTTON CLUB ran a solid race to finish sixth in the Channel 4 televised City Bowl but a mark of 86 is too high on turf against stronger competition.
After a mammoth thousand day absence, PRESENT ACCEPTED ran a cracker on his yard/chasing debut to finish fourth at Bangor. He travelled and jumped extremely well but ultimately paid for giving the well handicapped winner a race and tired in the closing stages. However, he should come on for the run and looks well handicapped off a mark of 83.
At Chepstow, BUKLE made his seasonal return and he ran a solid race to finish fourth in a competitive class four contest. It was good to see him settle and he should build on that effort.
While ICEBUSTER was second once again at Bath, the eleventh of his career and he is just extremely consistent rather than anything untoward with his attitude and he certainly deserves to win again soon. It was a much better effort from MARCANO in the first time hood as he finished fourth, having hit the front inside the final furlong and it was certainly a step in the right direction.
We had three two-year-olds making their debuts and the experience was certainly needed and all will improve in due course.
A much quieter week ahead but BIOTIC returns to Windsor today. He progressed again last season to win twice, including over course and distance but is 10lb higher than that success. He did not seem to handle Chelmsford last time out and seems to need a right handed track so hopefully he runs better today.