Hugo Palmer Saturday runners blog: 'He can run a huge race'

On May 24, Hugo Palmer has several runners at Haydock, Salisbury and Windsor. The leading trainer previews them all in his latest exclusive blog with Coral.

The going at Haydock is currently good to firm, and I’m hoping it stays like that for my two in the next race, but both of these fillies want softer ground, and as there is some rain in the forecast, I thought I should enter them so that if the going goes against the firmer ground pair, we would at least have the ground for these two. 

It will need to rain for them to run, but they’re both in good form at home. Kindest Nation ran well at Chester last time on ground that was as quick as she wants it, and Asteverdi is having her first run for us but clearly seems a better filly on softer ground.

It’s Britain so it will rain at some point, but I hope it’s after this race! King Casper is the better horse here, but with Joe Leavy claiming off of Triple Double A, he gets a stone from King Casper, which is a lot of weight to give away and he remains in great form after an unlucky defeat last time.

King Casper is favourite, and that’s fair enough as he won well at Newmarket, despite running a bit green, and Oisin [Murphy] saying the horse wasn’t entirely in love with the track. He's won at Haydock so we know he goes well here, but we just do not want any rain.

The Britannia at Royal Ascot is the target and so if the word soft appears in the going description, he’ll come straight home, as we don’t want to see him beaten and dropped in the handicap to the point where he doesn't get in at Ascot. He’s in great form at home, and on his preferred ground, I can see him running a huge race.