Hugo Palmer Saturday runners blog: 'She's trained beautifully a home since Royal Ascot'

Hugo Palmer shares his latest blog with Coral readers, and it's a big one, with the leading trainer previewing all ELEVEN of his Saturday runners.

• King Of Thunder - Ascot - 13:10 race odds

• Kokinelli & Ridgemaster - Chester - 13:30 race odd

• Fitzella - Ascot - 13:40 race odds

• Chesire Dancer - Ascot - 14:20 race odds

• Arabian Cobra - Chester - 15:15 race odds

• Hawksbill - Ascot - 15:35 race odds

• Balon d'Or - Chester - 16:55 race odds

• Roman Dragon - Ascot - 17:15 race odds

• Asteverdi - Chester - 17:30 race odds

• Soldiers Star - Windsor - 20:15 race odds

A busy day for the team, with 11 runners around the country, so the biggest challenge is finding jockeys for them all.  We start with King Of Thunder in what is traditionally a decent maiden at Ascot, so it’s not a race we’d send one to unless they were pleasing us at home, and this horse has been doing it nicely, and has been away for a racecourse gallop.

I think he’ll get seven furlongs before the year is out, so a stiff six at Ascot should suit him well to start, as should a small field, and I hope he can show up well here.

Every time Kokinelli runs it seems she wants a different trip, and last time she did appear as if she wanted stepping back up to a mile and a half, which we’re doing here.  It’s also frustrating that we’re seeing good ground getting watered at this time of year, good to firm is acceptable in mid-summer, and there are plenty of horses who want it, and also plenty of opportunities in this country for horses who want softer ground!

I know I’m having winners on this watered ground so shouldn’t be complaining, Grey Cuban for example was able to win on it, but I’d rather have the quicker ground at this time of year.  Anyway, Kokinelli goes here, she hasn’t been done any favours by a draw of 11, but she’s overdue a win and we have to take our chance. 

Ridgemaster was a weak 2-y-o, he’s a big horse who needed time to strengthen, so we did well to get the three runs into him.  This is just a starting point, I hope he’s capable of competing off this sort of mark and there should be more to come after this return.

Fitzella is one of our most exciting horses and we’ve been looking forward to running her again.  We’ve had some discussion over where we would run her following her Albany Stakes fourth, the Sweet Solera at Newmarket was my initial feeling, I think she will get seven furlongs in time, but having watched the Albany back many times, she just did too much early on, and it was only her class and ability that helped her stay on to finish fourth. 

On debut here she showed so much speed over five furlongs, but I still think a stiff six is what she wants, if she did win here I’m sure we would then step her up to seven, but for now she could be vulnerable over the longer trip to a stouter stayer.  The Royal Ascot form already looks strong, she’s trained beautifully at home since then, and we retain all our faith in her.

This filly showed her liking for a stiff, turning mile when second in the Pipalong Stakes at Pontefract last time, a race that continued her upward curve of career best performances this season, and she will need another one here.  She looks fantastic, seems in great form, and rated 96, we’ve got to do what we can to win a Stakes race with her.  I don’t think this is any stronger as a Group 3 than the Listed Pipalong was, the winner won well that day but we were an excellent second. 

We’re drawn out wide here, but I don’t think that’s a negative, Billy [Loughnane] can drop her in mid division and ride his race, and if so, I think she can run very well.

This horse is ground dependent, so he could benefit from any watering of this track, even though I don’t approve of it!  That’s why he’s been declared, but if it does turn out to be quicker than good, he is likely to be a non-runner.  Six furlongs, a visor and cut in the ground has transformed this horse and helped him gain confidence.  He’s in great form, drawn well here, and if he runs, he should go close.

We were so disappointed this horse didn’t run a bigger race in the Britannia, everything went right for him that day, he settled, he travelled, it was all going to plan, and then nothing happened.  The jockey was unable to offer any explanation, he was happy during the race also, so we put it down as a funny result we can’t explain.

I thought a strongly-run stiff mile would really have suited him, and I still think that is the case, hence why we are back here.  We’ve scratched around for something to change, and so that means he’s been gelded.  I don’t think he was colty or ungenuine, but we had to change something, and hopefully this might bring about a return to the form of his very good first two runs this season.

Things just weren’t going this horse’s way, he didn’t seem to be enjoying life, so we’ve altered his training routine, he now just canters every other day and swims on the alternate days, and he seems much happier now.  As a further change I’ve switched his headgear from blinkers to a visor.

We know he goes well at Chester, he is fit, looks fantastic, and goes on all ground, so fingers-crossed for an improved effort, although a draw of eight is far from ideal over this minimum trip.

Roman Dragon just got no cover at all last time, and for a horse who needs cover more than anything, it meant he did not run his race, albeit he still wasn’t beaten all that far.  He’s come down a pound for that, and I think dropping him back to five furlongs might help him, as we can drop him in, get a good tow into the race, and give him a target to aim at late on.

We’re trying a new trip with this filly, stepping her to ten furlongs for the first time in her career.  She does need some cut in the ground, which explains why she’s only had the one run for us this summer, but if it’s suitable here, I think she’s tailor-made for this longer trip.

We end the day with Soldiers Star, who has been a bit disappointing, although it’s hard to pinpoint a reason for that.  Physically he is looking more and more like a sprinter, so he’s going over six furlongs here, we’re drawn well, and I don’t think it’s a particularly hot race, so I’d like to think he can run well.

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