Nada

One fourth (in a race with prizemoney for only the first three home), one seventh, one ninth, two tenths, an eleventh, a thirteenth and a fifteenth was the sum total of the Guest yard's endeavours last Saturday. WET LIPS and DONOVAN were burned off when the pace was cranked up at halfway in the Class B Handicap Hurdle at Rasen, with the going (just a little slow) and class (wrong at weights) ultimately proving the respective undoing of each. The attentions for the latter will probably now turn back to chasing, judging by his engagements this week, and he might be seen back at Rasen in a 17.5f Handicap Chase on Sunday. Wet Lips could carry joint top-weight in a Class D Handicap Hurdle at Kelso on the same day. In both instances, these represent much more realisitic targets.

LES ARCS, turned out again quickly after his good reappearance at Ayr seven days earlier, found the company in his Class 2 7f Newmarket Handicap a bit too hot, and he was left for dead with two furlongs to go under French pilot C-P Lemaire. The 4lb rise for the Ayr run won't have helped, and he's now 10lb in total higher than when last winning.

So those were the good horses in good races. Disappointingly, it was the ordinarty horses in bad races who weren't able at least to put some prizemoney on the board, all bar JIMMY BYRNE falling way short of the target. He came fourth in the modest Novices' Handicap Hurdle at Rasen, beaten only 2l and a short head on ground which had come better for him, if still not totally ideal. PRIVATE JESSICA was last of nine finishers and seems to have gone backwards again since her third in the mud there last month. The good-yet-slow ground was still too soft for BEAUGENCY to take his chance, so PEQUENITA alone ran in the 2m 6f Handicap Hurdle. As has often been the norm, she cut out the early pace, but actually folded tamely herself fully four flights form home this time rather than have the chasing pack leap on her in the final straight. She ran, frankly, like an exhausted horse, and a break following this busy summer mustn't be too long in coming, surely.

In commenting on their defection from Haydock on Friday, I had overlooked the fact that both Tidal Jets horses, BELLA FIORELLA and YASSOOMA, were still engaged at Ripon on the Saturday after all. Not that they made it worth anyone's while, finishing last of 15 and 10th of 12 in their respective 2yo heats. They are two of 54 horses still in the Redcar 2yo Trophy this coming Saturday, and even if they get a run, I cannot picture them a) starting at anything other than huge odds, b) not getting walloped.

GABLA is the only Guest horse to have run since the weekend, although again with hugely unimpressive results. Trying 2m 5.5f for the first time, he was rushed up the field with four hurdles left to jump, but once more proved himself to be a complete softie by weakening into an eventual last of 10 runners two obstacles later. It is no secret how much this horse, an 11-time Flat winner in Australia, let us not forget, has disappointed Guest since his early promise in Novices' Hurdles around two years ago, and a return of two wins from 26 UK starts is clearly not what he had hoped for.

The next few days could prove to be very busy for Richard Guest's yard, with many horses pencilled in for their first runs of the autumn, or their first ever for Guest, and no fewer than three jumps courses all within the usual Guest operating compass (Rasen, Kelso, Uttoxeter) peppered with engagements this Sunday. Before that, however, five horses line up at Hexham tomorrow; FREE WILL in the 4-7yo Non-Handicap Selling Hurdle, ASTON - possibly the liveliest chance of a winner of all the runners - switched to fences as widely anticipated and pitched into a poor Class F 3m 1f Handicap Chase; the hitherto disappointing - and breathing-impaired - BEAVER in the 2m Novices' Hurdle; HE'S HOT RIGHT NOW back over fences in the Class F Handicap Chase over an extended two miles; and newcomer TOPWELL - bought twice by Guest in recent months after original recipient Peter Girvon put him up for sale shortly after initial acquisition - in the Intermediate Bumper. The last-named starts his racing life as a Richard Guest Racing Club horse; two others bearing that banner, VALERUN and WHY THE LONG FACE, are among scores of entries for the weekend;

SOUTHWELL, 1/10/05 (FLAT);
=======================
Fit to Fly, Roan Raider

REDCAR, 1/10/05 (FLAT);
====================
Bella Fiorella, Yassooma

KELSO, 2/10/05 (JUMPS);
====================
Apadi, Aston, Beaugency, Magico, Shannon's Pride, Stan, Upswing, Valerun, Wet Lips, Why the Long Face, York Rite

MARKET RASEN, 2/10/05 (JUMPS);
===========================
Apadi, Beaugency, Beaver, College City, Donovan, Free Will, Gabla, He's Hot Right Now, Magico, Prince Adjal, Why the Long Face

UTTOXETER, 2/10/05 (JUMPS);
========================
Aston, Beaugency, Magico, Stan, Wet Lips, Why the Long Face, York Rite

Juicy Rasens

The big Saturday card has attracted no fewer than six Richard Guest declarations, two each in three races, although - as per the Summer Plate meeting - it is the smaller races on the card in which most of them appear. Ultimately, I guess, Guest has not wanted to dent some of his brighter young chasers for this season during the summer months, unlike last season, when LIK WOOD POWER, SPECTROMETER and WHY THE LONG FACE all contested some fo the big summer chases. No matter, there are bound to be nice opportunities for the likes of PAGE POINT and - when the ground gets a little easier - ONE DAY and STAN in comparable quality events as the autumn wears on.

Some things don't change all that much, however. WET LIPS was a staple in the big Rasen hurdles last summer, and - despite having already registered a novices' chase win this summer - tries his luck in the 0-145 Class B Handicap Hurdle over 2m 3.5f for the second year running; he was ninth in this last year. He is joined by DONOVAN, and both should be available at temptingly big odds over trips still probably a bit beyond their best over timber. Owners Concertina Racing have no fewer than three horses in the race, with the other being SPECTROMETER, until the start of this year a Richard Guest inmate as well, of course. He lost it completely over fences towards the end of 2004 - this after having put up a good show to finish fifth in the feature Handicap Chase on this card, just failing to last home enough to keep third - and was moved by Concertina to Ian Williams, for whom runs over the Flat and back over hurdles have been taken in over the last couple of months. Henry Oliver rides Wet Lips, and there's a first ever ride for the Guest yard for Patrick Merrigan, who gets the leg-up on Donovan.

It's timber all the way for Guest at Rasen, with the other four runners all being over hurdles as well. BEAUGENCY returns after exactly 50 days off to carry topweight in the 2m 6f Class E Handicap Hurdle, and having run up a hat-trick in July, life is going to get trickier off his revised mark of 110. Paul O'Neill's 5lb claim will help a bit, but that will still leave him 11lb above his last winning mark. Henry Oliver partners PEQUENITA in the same race, this then becoming her 12th run of a busy season. If things pan out as they have been in her races of late, one fears she will be obliged to cut out the donkey work again before getting mugged in the home straight. Poor thing. Finally, JIMMY BYRNE and PRIVATE JESSICA try their luck once again in the 2m 1.5f Novices' Handicap Hurdle, the former sidestepping a chasing debut over nearly 3m at Worcester today in favour of this! Both would arguably appreciate a bit more cut than they're likely to get here, but Henry and Kenny Johnson will do their best to effect a positive outcome in what is not a strong heat. However, Ben Pollock's course specialist Game On just looks too good to resist returning to timber over a mark around a stone lower than his chasing rating right now.

So what of the last couple of days' worth of runners? Well, rainfall up in Perth changed the ground to good to soft and caused the defection of BILL'S ECHO and HE'S HOT RIGHT NOW from their respective races. Henry Oliver was jocked back onto APADI as a result, and managed to get him home a very respectable third in that good Class D chase at nice odds of 20/1. As a point of fact, he might even have had a closer hand in matters had he a) not pulled fearsomely as Henry tried - and eventually successded - in holding him up, b) not got the fourth last wrong. Many miles further south, ADMIRAL's reappearance in a Pontefract Flat handicap saw him trail in last of nine, a performance the Racing Post's analyst identified - probably quite rightly - as little more than a pipe-opener for a hurdles campaign.

Both of the two Tidal Jets 2yos, BELLA FIORELLA and YASSOOMA, were supposed to run at Haydock today; certainly the latter still needed to run to qualify for a handicap mark with which to gain a weight for his projected - and optimistic - tilt at the 2yo trophy at Redcar a week tomorrow. Both, however, were withdrawn, and with neither taking up their other intended engagements at Ripon tomorrow, one of them isn't going to qualify for the Redcar race, let alone make the cut. ASTON, however, did make his debut for the Guest yard, finishing an encouraging second in a low grade 3m Handicap Hurdle. He was thought by his previous trainer Charlie Swan to needtop of the ground and extreme distances; he certainly had the former here, and it could be interesting to see him contest, for example, 3m 3f+ chases at places like Sedgefield and Kelso once they start to appear in the calendar more voluminously. But what of BILL'S ECHO? Having been taken on an abortive trip to Perth the day before, he was trucked down to Worcester for the 2m Handicap Chase... only to unseat Henry Oliver at the first.

Gadzooks! Runners!

During this most quiet of months for jumps racing, runners from the Richard Guest yard have been particularly thin on the ground; and, with the big southern trainers mostly mopping up the races which HAVE taken place, Guest has now slipped to fifth in the jump trainer's championship;

M C Pipe............. £ 334,345.37
P J Hobbs........... £ 258,791.55
P Bowen.............. £ 220,091.43
J J O'Neill............ £ 206,051.07
R C Guest............ £ 190,018.25

Paul Nicholls and Evan Williams both have Guest in their sights, and Saturday's big Rasen meeting could see some more movement near the top of the table.

Only five runners have been sent out in the last fortnight - one of those being the same horse twice - and all on the Flat. There have been no winners to break the losing spell now stretching some six weeks, but both EUROPEAN DREAM and LES ARCS put in nice runs. European Dream was a staying-on fourth in a decent Class 4 7f Nursery at Doncaster on St Leger day; he seemed to enjoy the heavy ground - a real rarity for Donny in September, this - and gave every indication of being able to stay further yet. There are options opening up for him now as he gets older and stronger. Les Arcs, meanwhile, came back from a two-month break to land Willie McKay over four grand when a clear second in a 7f 50yds Class 3 Ayr Handicap. He is on a career-high mark of 88 at the moment and is not guaranteed to improve that much more on the Flat rising 6, but he has now won around £ 31,000 for McKay / Guest - more or less what they shelled out for him at the sales - and hurdling still very much remains an option if he can see out the minimum trip.

MYCENEAN PRINCE has now had three runs in Maiden Stakes races, including two well-beaten finishes at Catterick last Saturday and Redcar yesterday. His mark for the move to Nurseries isn't going to be awfully high on evidence to date. GENOA STAR, meanwhile, moved into Nursery company for the first time at Carlisle a week last Sunday. Off a mark of 47, and stepped up to Class 5, she predictably got beaten hollow, finishing last of 15.

Today's Perth card, the last at lovely Scone Palace until the Festival there in late April, sees the first Guest jumps runners for what seems like ages. Still without the recouperating Larry McGrath upon whom to call, the rides are shared out between Henry Oliver and familiar Guest outside associates. BILL'S ECHO and APADI both line up in the Class D 2m Handicap Chase, which looks a tough race on paper, and even if the latter is allowed his head to front-run in his prefered fashion, it's tough to see either him or Bill landing this. Having put in his first decent effort over fences at Uttoxeter last time, HE'S HOT RIGHT NOW reverts to hurdles this afternoon, but is still on a career-high mark over the smaller obstacles and the general impression of his summer output has not been of a horse improving race by race. Henry rides him, whilst William Kennedy and Kenny Johnson partner the two chasers.

In addition to these, ADMIRAL, one of the stars of last jumps season, has his first outing on the Flat since trailing home in fifth at Newmarket in May. He's been found a pretty competitive 1m 2f event at Pontefract for this return, although as a Royal Ascot handicap winner just over a year ago - and handicapped accordingly - the chances of finding any soft race for him on the Flat were never going to be too great. He can only improve for this whatever happens today, and there ought to be a race or two more like this for him on the level before the big handicap hurdles - surely his main target this season - home into view. John Egan rides.

Wake Me Up When September Ends

Being a fan of the jumps all year round, September is comfortably my least favourite month of the entire racing calendar, and thus entirely deserving of the Green Day song title I've pinched for my heading this time.

There are several reasons for this. First of all, it occupies that curious transition period between the official summer jumping season (which officially always finishes with the meetings before Bangor's July Friday meeting, no matter what anyone on C4 might try to tell you during the coverage from Rasen this coming weekend. "The big climax to the summer jumping season", they bleated last year. No it ain't....), where races are contested between a mixture of the summer jumpers who by which stage aren't as fresh as they were, plus the first few of the autumn campaigners among whom are plenty still in need of their first race or two. It makes for some pretty muddling racing, all in all.

Secondly, as the summer fixtures are left behind and more courses recommence racing, you would hope the racing calendar represented this by introducing a gradually increasing number of jumps meetings as the month wore on, building up to around mid-October when most courses are racing again. Not a bit of it. Just 18 jumps meetings will have taken place this September by its close, compared to 22 in August and 19 in July. One week of the month is, of course, given over as a Flat-only week as some kind of holiday to jumps stable staff, but why this is deemed to be any more appropriate a time of year than, say, June or July, is something I cannot fathom.

Thirdly, as the courses holding meetings in September do not have to follow the strictures applied in June and July meetings to guarantee safe jumping ground (no firmer than firm and certainly watered if in danger of riding faster), there aren't half a number of dodgy surfaces in operation. I took in both Uttoxeter Sunday meetings at this time last year; notwithstanding the less than successful drainage work which had been undertaken which had caused the dolling off of several obstacles, the going was on the rough side of good to firm to say the least on both occasions.

Things have finally improved a bit this week, with the last two days of racing at Perth until the spring yesterday and today, Fontwell also racing today (and with more than one steeplechase this time, unlike their shameful card from earlier in the month), a Worcester meeting tomorrow and of course the big televised meeting at Rasen on Saturday. Notwithstanding this, however, there is a disparity about the month which makes for some less than wholly satisfactory racing, and is something which I wouldn't have thought especially hard to remedy if the will was there.

Bobbins week

With no winners from around 40 runners in the last three weeks, Richard Guest is now officially on the Cold Trainers list again. I've never been too big a fan of that particular table in the Racing Post, especially in the summer, where a predominately jumps-oriented yard is bound not to have too many runners out during the table's catchment period (last 14 days), much less be able to win any of the very few races available. That said, the fact that the best anything managed for Guest this week was a well-beaten fourth in a Selling Handicap Hurdle does indicate his horses are just going through a bit of a quiet period just now.

That fourth place went to FREE WILL at Cartmel, one place ahead of stablemate MERSEY MIRAGE. The horse was having his first run for nearly 13 months and was actually going better than anything in second place at the penultimate flight, but lack of race-fitness told as he blew up approaching the last, and he was not given too hard a time thereafter. The stewards were more than a little interested in the horse's performance, but the stories of jockey Dominic Elsworth - deputising for Henry Oliver, who was stood down after being unseated from GLENVIEWS SURLAMI in the opener - and Richard Guest's representative tallied; the horse was not to be produced until late on as he finds nothing off the bridle, and he also gurgled late on.

Another - hopefully short - spell on the sidelines could be on the cards for the Free Will, as in addition to the other problems, he was struck into on his near hind during the race. Mersey Mirage's run was much less eventful, and having been held up early on he terminated his own forward charge with a bad blunder three from home. He was ridden by Kenny Johnson, deputising for Larry McGrath; sadly the fall from DIKTATIT two days earlier was not as innocuous as I'd believed, and he will miss a month of action now with a broken collarbone.

Away from the jumps action, and not previously picked up by me, Richard Guest also had two runners at Newcastle's Flat meeting. EUROPEAN DREAM had won a Median Auction Stakes race over 7f at the track last time out, and confirmed his liking for Gosforth Park when finishing around 4l fifth in the Class 3 Nursery (2yo Handicap) which now bears the Blaydon Race name. He had the lowest rating of anything here (69, compared to the favourite's 85) and was available at 25/1, so this had to count as racing above himself, and as such ranks as the most satisfying of any Guest runner of the last week. In fact, it was probably only a lack of gears over the final, extra furlong which prevented him taking even closer order. The 2yo filly ARISEA, like FIT TO FLY an animal moved by Mr and Mrs Clarke to Guest from Jennie Candlish in the last few weeks, had only beaten two horses home in her two previous racecourse outings, and was left behind from 2f out (rolling about a bit didn't help her cause) in finishing 16l sixth of eight runners in the 7f Maiden Stakes.

Sedgefield on Tuesday should have seen the return of TIGER TALK, with Bruce Moorman once again claming 10lb as stable conditional. A friend informs me that both he AND Ciaran Eddery are listed on Weatherby's site as holding that post, so presumably more than one person can do that, but only one of them ever be able to claim on a given day. If anyone can confirm or contradict that that is how it works, you'll save me having to write all sorts of incredulous posts every time the claim passes from one rider to the next at a day's notice! As it was, he was declared a non-runner on what had become very fast ground by the time racing started, so he got to enjoy his three-month break from the track (which came after posting TWENTY-EIGHT starts in eleven months) for a little bit longer.

YORK RITE did still take his chance at Sedgefield, and he was not on a going day this time, alas, the returning Henry Oliver unable to get him any closer than seventh over the same course, distance, going and handicap rating as that with which he'd finished second three runs ago. He has now had 31 runs for the Mason / Guest franchise - one of just over 20 horses ever to have done so - but has not scored a victory since the fourth of them, back at Bangor 25 months ago. One wonders whether connections' patience will finally run out this time around and he'll find himself being offered as a point-to-point proposition at the autumn sales, as he's not showing many signs of improving at nine.

Thursday and Friday saw four further Flat runners sent out from the Guest yard, all of them well beaten. Eyeshields and first-time blinkers failed to galvanise BOUMSONG in the 6f Nursery at Carlisle on Thursday, and having hung badly left at Catterick last time out, he hung badly the other way in the latter stages before trailing in last of 13 runners. He was dropped 9lb by the assessor after the Catterick run to a mark of 53, but realistically he is not straightforward enough to be able to ascertain his precise level of ability. No such questions marks with ROYAL PARDON, who has twice acquitted herself well in finishing placed in handicaps since joining Guest, but who couldn't cope with the severe Carlisle hill when sent on her late surge in the 7f Handicap, and trailed in eighth as a result.

Meanwhile at Redcar, JORDAN'S LIGHT contested another Nursery - this time over 7f - but was thrown into the race too late by Robbie Mills (son of Chris Mills, owner and breeder of horses with Richard's brother Rae) and was never better than his fast-finishing seventh place. Finally, Friday afternoon saw YASSOOMA, having his first run since his Vicky Haigh-trained debut in May, lead the field of 12 in a 1m 30yds Maiden Auction Stakes at Haydock until the 2f pole, whereupon he capitulated totally and trailed home last. He was entitled to need this, of course, but at this stage his entry in the Listed Totepool 2yo Trophy at Redcar on October 1st looks hopelessly optimistic. His owners Tidal Jets have also entered their other Guest horse, the similarly limited BELLA FIORELLA, for the race.