Our columnist provides a horse-by-horse guide to his Saturday team including recent course scorer Maywake who bids to follow up at York.
SATURDAY RUNNERS
YORK
2.35 Maywake
He did well there when winning at York last time and we've been very pleased with him. We'd like to think that he could run well again - horses for courses and all that. I felt when he hit the front he half pulled up a little bit and is entitled to come on for the run. He is improving overall, he's won his last three now so I'm hoping he runs another big race.
3.40 Admiral D
It's his second run for us, his best form is definitely on very soft ground which he's not going to get by the looks of it. It's extremely competitive race and I'd be a bit surprised if he could win on drying ground over six furlongs.
3.40 Vintage Clarets
He's been extremely disappointing. He's got himself very well handicapped now as was third in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot last year. We've tested him and turned him upside down, and we can't find anything wrong with him. He's got a great racing weight here and I would like to see him relax a little better on Sasturday. I just felt last time he hit the gates and did too much too soon. But he's well at home and it'd be nice to see him putting it on the track.
4.15 Craven
This could be a nice maiden as a lot of them at York tend to be and there's a horse of Karl Burke's in it [Cold Case] who looks the one to beat after he was second at Carlisle first time out. Craven is quite a nice horse and will win his maiden at some stage but whether he can quite do it on debut here is another matter.
4.15 Frank Ross Is Out
We just need to get a run into him and I said the same thing when sending him to Chester the other week only for the meeting to be cut short unfortunately. It's a similar situation as Craven in that I think he'll win his race, but this might just be a big ask. We'll see how he goes.
4.15 Installation
He'd be one of our better colts at home. He's by Tasleet and was a breeze-up horse costing £230,000. He goes really well on the gallops, I do like him a lot. I'd obviously like to see him run a big race but, like the other, two it'll just be really nice to get a run into him and see where we stand.
4.50 Solar Joe
He's four now and hasn't run for over a year, through no fault of his own really - he's just been quite backward. I'd be a little bit surprised if he could win first time out at York, but he has been working well.
5.22 Gumdrop
He ran a good race at Thirsk when finishing fifth the other day and he's entitled to improve a ton for it. I just hope the six furlongs at York on quickish ground is OK - it probably won't be ideal for him but if they go flat out he'll be coming home as he's a horse that may ideally need seven.
5.22 Internationaldream
You'd have to say he's been a slightly disappointing horse. He only ran on Wednesday, finishing fourth at Hamilton, and I'm being quite hard on him running him back just two days later. But he is well handicapped on his best form, he just needs to bounce back.
CHESTER
1.35 Rock Opera
He won at Hamilton the other day. It's quite a competitive little race, there's not many runners but there are three or four live ones in it including ourselves, and you'd imagine if they go flat out he'd be coming home well as seven furlongs is likely to be his trip in time.
2.10 Gabrial The Devil
He hasn't come in until quite late and will probably need the run as he's quite a big and burly horse. He's possibly rated as high as he'd like to be now [94] and I think he may need a bit of help from the handicapper.
3.20 Gorak
Gorak's a horse we like a lot. I see he's drawn stall 14 which is not ideal around Chester, but he's been working extremely well. He'll drop in and hopefully they go flat out and start to come back to him at the end. It's over the best part of a mile so he should have chance if getting some luck.
4.30 Show Me Show Me
He's another rated as high as he needs to be in all honesty and I think he needs to come down a bit to be in with a chance of winning again. We'll see what happens.
5.05 The New Marwan
He has been a little bit disappointing, running in and out. If they went very quick and he got slotted in he could be coming through well at the finish but he's another who will need a slice of luck.
LEICESTER
6.15 Outrun The Storm
He's won a race a couple of starts ago, he's a good hardy horse and it doesn't look a great race so he must have a chance.
7.45 Amaysmont
He's had a few little issues with his back and things like that. But we're desperate to run him as he's been working well and on his best form he would have a chance.
