Flat Racing Saturday 25th August

[Lodge]

:ok

[Bathtime For Rupert]

Re: Flat Racing Saturday 25th August 2.00 York - 3pts win Eton Forever @ 9/2 (PP) Posted this before his run his run in the Buckingham Palace:

5.35 Ascot - 2pts win Eton Forever @ 16/1 (Ladbrokes) The three at the head of the market here are drawn high or at least middle to high, but I'm not totally sure that's where you want to be on the rain-softened ground here now. It helped to be low in the Britannia and there looks to be sufficient pace on the far side for me to opt for a runner on that part of the track. I'm often wrong with this but I'll go with my gut and if the action is over there, I think I'm on a horse with a fine chance in Eton Forever. He dotted up in the Spring Mile at Doncaster in 2010 when well-treated and although he hasn't won since, he's been running well and this stiff 7f could prove ideal for him now. He was 5th of 28 in the Hunt Cup last season here so clearly handles the track and I think he has sufficient pace to make the 7f a good distance for him. He's gone sufficiently well off this mark to suggest he can win when things go right and he may well have won at Chester last time but for some horrific luck in running. He returned this season with a solid effort in the Lincoln to finish 5th but could only manage 8th of 10 last time out at the Cheshire track. This doesn't tell any of the story, though, as he travelled sweetly hunting up the front few but stumbled on the turn. Once Neil Callan had him balanced again he started to stay on really well between horses when the door slammed shut late on and he had to take a pull on him and ease him home. He would have gone very close that day and runs off the same mark here. Should be race fit for this now, we know he goes well in big fields, the yard are in form and fingers crossed he's on the right side.

Was delighted as he stormed to success - pulling 1 3/4l clear in front and 4 lengths clear on his side. It was a really taking performance as he just kept on going to win off a mark of 103. He's obviously a little bit better than that and any run to just shy of 110 or around that would see him go incredibly close in this race in my opinion. He disappointed back over the same c&d off his revised mark of 109 in July but he just ran flat rather than his mark getting the better of him in my opinion as he didn't travel anywhere near as well. The Roger Varian yard had a bit of a blip last month but are right back in sparkling form now and maybe that will be the catalyst to bring this one back to the form of the Royal meeting. He relishes flat tracks and any rain won't inconvenience him and he's the joint 2nd highest rated runner in the field. The top-rated has been out of form and the other one rated 109 hasn't won over as far as this. The 3yos getting weight don't really interest me so I think Eton Forever has another win in him.