Andy Ayres picks out his Saturday racing NAP and has all the latest paddock gossip
WATER, WATER everywhere and not a drop to drink…..
A monsoon lashed us this week but poor old Kempton had to abandon after a faulty stopcock left them drier than the Gobi Desert.
Windsor could have loaned them a drop or two after being hit by a deluge that would have had Noah begging for mercy.
Mind you, that was right up soft ground specialist Tawny Port’s (11-2 to 7-2) alley and he landed a proper touch for Stuart Williams.
This one had been well beaten at Goodwood the day before, which says plenty for his powers of recovery and wily Williams’ eye for an opening.
Far Above was the star turn here and had James Tate purring after he bolted-up.
TWO TO TANGO Don't miss our in-depth guide to the big two-year-old races at Royal Ascot
Now James wasn’t at the head of the queue when they dished out modesty, but he can train and might just give this big boy a spin in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot on Friday.
William Muir’s fan club nicked a few bob when Diligent Deb (25-1 to 14-1) got up on the line to win the two-year-old novice.
That cash infusion was essential as they got one badly wrong when Newyorkstateofmind (12-1 to 7-2) fluffed his lines at Lingfield a couple of days earlier.
It takes more than that to dampen Willy’s ardour and he’s adamant his colt will be a different kettle of fish on quick ground.
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By the way, Lingfield’s Clerk of the Course George Hill played a blinder to get Tuesday’s meeting on.
Flipper would have felt at home there on Monday night, but courtesy of some clever rail movements George and his team of grafters managed to keep the show on the road.
Richard Hughes’ crew had it right off with Creek Harbor (9-4 to 5-4), but gave a chunk back when newcomer Caspian Queen (50-1 to 9-2) dropped anchor in the two-year-old heat.
One face reckoned this filly was a bigger certainty than Boris Johnson and was still whacking lumpy cash bets down as the stalls opened.
Well, she needed breathing apparatus fitted from the turn and her cheerleader exited looking paler than Casper.
He worked smashing for Dane the other day and it'll take a good one to beat him...
You can’t miss `Big Bob’, who acts as nursemaid and minder to Charlie Hills’ star sprinter Battaash.
Now, Bob is calmer than the Dalai Lama and will be doing his utmost to keep a lid on the gelding’s powder-keg temperament prior to Royal Ascot’s King’s Stand Stakes on Tuesday.
He reports his pal in blinding form and has a cunning plan to get the job done, saying: “We reckon two laps in the paddock, a quick wave to Francesca Cumani and then let him go to post first.
“He worked smashing for Dane (O’Neill) the other day and it’ll take a good one to beat him.”
You’ll pay a nice few quid for any racecourse catering at the Royal Meeting, but back in the day there was a character named Tommy The Cab who swerved that little problem.
Now, Tommy would head for the self-service café and load his tray up with enough food to feed the five thousand.
Then he’d stroll past the queue at the till and shout, “Go on then, you pay and I’ll get us a table….”
The cashier didn’t have a Scooby who he was talking to, no-one in the queue knew him, and Tommy would nip off to enjoy his grub in peace!
Andy's Saturday Selection
MEKONG (3.00, York) He’s from a family of late-developers, ran a personal best last time and is happy as a hippo on sloppy ground.
Alan Whicker’s got nothing on Oisin Murphy.
He rode at Newbury on Friday afternoon before being helicoptered off the track by Martyn Meade’s son Freddie, who whipped him across the channel to ride Technician for them in Longchamp’s 6.35.
Mighty Murph duly arrived like Bond, got the horse home in a photo and then nipped back across the water and off to work at Sandown on Friday.
There’s a cracking card there today, where Fantasy Keeper (2.35, Sandown) and Cristal Breeze (4.25 Sandown) both have massive chances.
Best bet up at the York is MEKONG (3.00, York).
He’s from a family of late-developers, ran a personal best last time and is happy as a hippo on sloppy ground.