Jason Tate is due to do a make return to the saddle as only he and Lester Piggott can! James Eustace received a phone call from Jason yesterday with the news and he was immediately booked to ride HIGHLAND CASCADE at Bath on Monday. It would be very nice if she could provide him with a comeback winner. She has a good chance of doing that as she has been running consistently well lately. Jason has ridden her before and won on her as a 2 year old.
On Sunday LOCAL FANCY is entered on the turf at Lingfield but will only run if they get the rain that is forecast. She also has turf entries at Catterick on Tuesday and Southwell on Thursday. She ran very well to finish third at Newmarket last time out and the race on Sunday will be a step down in class so she should go close if she runs. WESTER LODGE runs at the same meeting but on the polytrack with the blinkers back on, rather than the visor. He is in an apprentice race for apprentices that have not ridden more than 50 winners and Mark Halford has been booked to ride him who has ridden exactly 50 winners so he has a good jockey for this race. He has not run on the polytrack before but should handle it as he works well on it at home. He should go well in this contest especially as there are only 8 runners.
PLEASING GIFT is making a return trip to Warwick after her first run there last week. As predicted she did run very green first time out but should go a lot closer this time. It is a weaker contest on Monday and she seems to have come out of her first race really well. She is still very green as she was not in training at all as a 2 year old and came in late as a 3 year old so has not been in training very long. She looks a nice filly in the making at home and is a nice prospect for the future.
INQUISITRESS is hopefully going to make her second appearance on a racecourse on Tuesday at Leicester in a mile maiden fillies race. She was, rather frustratingly, balloted out of her intended race at Salisbury yesterday. The form of her Newmarket race looks very solid so she is expected to run well. ANATOLIAN PRINCE is due to make his racecourse debut at the same venue in a 7 furlong maiden. James Eustace is looking forward to seeing him run on the track as he looks a nice type for the future. He is a nice laid back horse and is definitely more of a 3 year old type. He will certainly need his first run but he should run a nice race.
Although there were no winners this week, both COLTON and WHISTLEUPTHEWIND put up good performances. COLTON ran very well yesterday at Redcar to finish third in a race that was not run to suit him. There was no early pace and it turned into a sprint but he ran on gamely. It was a step up in class for him so it was a good run. He is now qualified for the final of this race at the end of September but he may be too low in the handicap to get a run unless he can win another race before then. WHISTLEUPTHEWIND ran another genuine race to finish second at Lingfield on Wednesday. She seemed to handle the track and surface well. She is now due to have a break before being prepared for a winter campaign on the all-weather.