Coral ambassador and leading trainer Hugo Palmer shares his latest Saturday blog, previewing all 13 of his runners across September 20 for horse racing fans.
Hugo Palmer Saturday runners blog - September 20, 2025
Flybar has shown more promise at home than on the track so far. Stepping up to 7f in slightly tougher company, she wears a visor for this outing and benefits from a favourable draw. While her previous runs have been inconsistent, she remains capable of winning if she puts it all together.
Dubai Time may prefer slightly better ground, but her form indicates she could run a strong race, and is arguably our best chance in this contest.
Looks Lively shaped liked she wanted this step up to 7f on her last run. The draw has done her no favours but hopefully she gets some luck in running.
Ayr 2.25 – Nariko
Nariko has enjoyed an excellent season and thrives on soft ground. Any rain ahead of this race would likely suit her, and she has been narrowly beaten only once in her last five starts.
People seem to think that she's drawn in the right place. The betting reads 19, 18, 24, 21, 16, 23, 14, 20, which possibly tells you a story about where you want to be drawn in this race.
I am delighted that Oisin Murphy can maintain the partnership with her. He's got a lot of faith in her, and I think we'll be going to stakes company after this. This is a good pop to have a go at. She's the winner of the Scottish Stewards’ Cup, and it would be lovely to add the Ayr Silver Cup to that.
Chester 2.30 – Hello It’s Me
Hello It’s Me makes her debut at Chester. She has been given a favourable draw, and provided she jumps cleanly and handles the soft ground, I think she should run well. Her pedigree suggests she should cope with these conditions and produce a respectable performance at the first attempt.
Newbury 3.15 – Watcha Snoop
Firstly, I think Rock on Thunder should be a favourite in the Mill Reef based on his second-place finish in the Gimcrack Stakes. Watcha Snoop is a horse we've always liked. He shows bags of speed at home. He's got a good attitude. Rock On Thunder is rated 108, and I think a fair mark to aim at.
Into The Sky was wildly impressive on debut, but I am not sure the form of that race has worked out well. He now must back that up in a much stronger race.
Chester 3.40 – Ran Amok
Ran Amok faces a tricky draw at Chester but he prefers soft ground. The race is likely to be run patiently, giving him a chance to finish strongly despite the track bias. If allowed to settle, I think he could run well.
Newbury 3.50 – King Of Thunder
King Of Thunder was hugely disappointing last time at Kempton. He ran with such promise on debut, and then he was scratched by the vets at York after a bad journey up there, which was frustrating. We had to go through the rigmarole of proving that he was ready to race and not a danger to himself which obviously means he did less work in the run up to Kempton, and I just think that might have just caught us out.
I hope very much that he will handle the ground, although there's no certainty until we try it. His work this week was really pleasing, and I hope that he can leave his Kempton run behind him.
Chester 4.15 – Balon d’Or
Everything went right for Balon d’Or on his last run. He's been handed a brute of a draw this time. The widest horse is already a non-runner. I expect this will be his last run before he goes to the sales, and we'll just see how he gets on. He goes on the ground, and he knows Chester very well. He's not going to be able to jump and lead like he did the other day. I think winning seems to have given him a little bit of a buzz and a boost, so maybe he can carry that into his last run for us.
Chester 4.45 – Cheshire Belle
Cheshire Belle is off bottom weight in this handicap contest. She did run well once, in a maiden at Lingfield but she has shown little since then. She is going up in trip and is off effectively 52 with Aiden Brookes’ claim. She is one of our rare horses with a nice draw. She looks very well in herself and seems to be in good form at home.
Chester 5.20 – He’s A Gentleman, Asteverdi, Condotti
He's A Gentleman has got a good draw. Condotti needs to be ridden patiently anyway, so I am not too concerned about his draw. I suppose Asteverdi is our best chance of winning the race. If she can just jump and get herself in the midfield, I will be confident she will be in the mix at the finish.
