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.