Falmouth Stakes preview: Ed Walker and Saffie Osborne team up with Random Harvest at Newmarket

In 2021, Lambourn handler Walker cut a frustrated figure after Primo Bacio suffered defeat in the July Festival contest (1m) when hampered at a crucial stage. However, he now hopes he can enjoy better fortune in the £291,565 race with the daughter of War Front.

Proving key to much of the improvement in Random Harvest over the past 12 months has been her relationship with jockey Saffie Osborne, daughter of former jockey turned trainer Jamie Osborne, who has ridden the five-year-old mare on her last 10 starts.

And although Random Harvest will be required to pull out more if she is to score for the first time since claiming a Group Three at San Siro under Osborne on her final start last year, Walker believes she is more than capable of finding the necessary improvement.

He said: “Primo Bacio got flattened by Snow Lantern at a crucial stage in the Falmouth Stakes two years ago and of course if Random Harvest could win the Falmouth it would be great.

“In hindsight that was probably Primo Bacio’s day as she was thriving then and didn’t for some reason really kind of match that level of form afterwards which was more of a disappointing thing.

“Random Harvest has done nothing but improve. To think she was beaten in a handicap at Royal Ascot last year off 81, narrowly, to then being narrowly beaten back there in a Group Two shows she has made giant strides.

“She seems to get better the better the company she is in. She hasn’t won many races along the way, but she has been very consistent and run some big races in defeat. She is just getting better and better.

“Saffie has got on well with her since riding her for the first time in the Kensington Palace at Royal Ascot. She is a massive believer in this filly which is a big help.

“She gave her a peach of a ride in Italy on her first ride on that track. She is a very talented young rider and we use her a lot, but she is in that difficult period at the moment when a jockey rides out their claim and life becomes a little bit tough.

“I could see how gutted she was not to have got that first Royal Ascot win and first domestic Group win last time out. She deserves it and it would be great if we could pull it off for her.”

When it comes to drawing comparisons between the two fillies Walker believes there are more differences between the pair than similarities.

He added: “I think Random Harvest is more robust mentally than Primo Bacio. She takes her racing very well and is a very straight forward ride. Primo Bacio was a bit complicated. She could be a bit keen, and we were often struggling to settle her. Random Harvest doesn’t have to lead. She can sit wherever she wants to sit in her races.

“Random Harvest is good from the front and she is good from behind. I think longevity will be her game and open up more options to her.”

While Random Harvest’s failure to show her best on her seasonal debut in the Group Two Howden Dahlia Stakes at Newmarket was in some ways expected, Walker admits to suffering an element of frustration with her two subsequent second place finishes.

After finding only Prosperous Voyage too strong in the Group Three Princess Elizabeth Stakes at Epsom Downs in June, Random Harvest was consigned to the same spot last time out back at Group Two level in the Duke Of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot.

He added: “Her four-year-old season was almost like her three year old season, which she missed most of following a bad bout of pneumonia, which she did incredibly well to come back from.

“Her first run as last season as a four-year-old was shocking and we half expected that might be the case at the Rowley Mile on her return.

“She is so laid back and she doesn’t look impressive at home. She is not lazy but she is just so relaxed and therefore it takes her a run or two to sharpen her up.

“It was a big relief when she ran so well at Epsom, but we also knew she would get better again and I wouldn’t be surprised if she stepped forward again from Ascot. She just seems to thrive on her racing.

“However, there was an element of frustration on both of her seconds this year, especially the one at Ascot.

“Her owner Lady Bamford was there and gave us all lunch on that Wednesday so it would have been cool to hit the back of the net for her.”

Random Harvest might have surpassed the level of form Walker expected her to reach but his assistant trainer Jack Steels felt she was a bit special from an early age, something he now hopes she can demonstrate once more on debut at the top level.

Walker added: “She surprised us on debut when she won at Yarmouth and she won well that day. If one of mine win first time out they have to be pretty good.

“She has surpassed what I thought she would achieve. Never at any stage did I think we would be running this filly in a Falmouth Stakes with a live chance.

“If you ask my assistant Jack (Steels) he would disagree. He has, interestingly, always thought very highly of her.

“To the eye she probably looks like she is just laboured, but he rode her a bit in her younger days and he always felt she was doing everything so effortlessly.

“She has been a real pleasant surprise and hopefully she can continue being just that for us and her owner Lady Bamford who has been very patient with her.”

Time for handicapper to Pop up?

While excited about the prospects of Random Harvest, Walker intends to send several other members of his stable up to the Boodles July Festival including Popmaster, who could make an appearance in the bet365 Bunbury Cup on July Cup day.

He said: “We are going to aim for the Bunbury Cup with Popmaster providing he gets in but he is also entered at Ascot the day before.

“He deserves to win a nice race. He was mugged in the Wokingham last year at Royal Ascot, but he is such a cool horse although he is a little bit of an underachiever if I’m totally honest.

“He works like a Group horse he just needs everything to go right in his races. I really thought we had that Wokingham home and hosed then Ryan Moore and Rohaan managed to thread the eye of a needle through 30 runners and mug us.

“We might aim Aurora Dawn and Peony at the seven-furlong fillies’ handicap on the Saturday. Both I think are well handicapped and progressive three-year-olds.

“We could have Hafeet Alain, who won nicely at the July Course the other week, in the mile handicap on Thursday and Key To Cotai might potentially go for the six-furlong fillies maiden on the same day having run well to finish second at Salisbury last time.

“I’ve always loved the July Course from my days of living and training in Newmarket. There is always a great atmosphere there and it is just a nice place to go racing.”

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