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.