Carlton's Dante Delight!

I hope that you were all on Carlton House yesterday.  I have been waxing lyrical about him for some time and advised that you backed him ante-post for the Derby at 11/2 a few days ago.  After yesterday's impressive win in the Dante at York he is now a top priced 2/1 to go on to give the Queen her first Derby winner.  If I had any sense, I would get rid of some of it at 2/1, but as you know, I don't have any sense and will probably back him again!  My contact at Sir Michael Stoute's yard tells me that the horse will improve again and will appreciate the extra two furlongs of the Derby trip - he was running on strongly in the closing stages yesterday, so roll on Epsom!

What an amazing mare Midday is.  Despite failing to win on her last three seasonal debuts Henry Cecil's five time Group One winner finally managed to score at the first time of asking in yesterday's Middleton Stakes at York.  She will make some broodmare when her racing days are done and it will be fascinating to see which stallion owner Prince Khalid Abdullah chooses for her.  I think that it is wonderful to see these top class flat horses racing on past their three year old careers.

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I referred to a jockey failing to ride out a horse after mistaking the winning post at Uttoxeter a couple of weeks ago...well, yesterday the rider in question, Peterjon Carberry was suspended for forty days for said offence.  This was his second offence within the space of twelve months - Peterjon is a conditional jockey...I just wonder what sentence he would have been given if he were a senior jockey?...it hardly bears thinking about.

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Finally, I have a couple of pictures from the gallops.  They are of Spirit Of Barbados, American Art and Horsford, all of whom hold upcoming entries so will no doubt be seen on course soon.

  
Above left: Spirit Of Barbados and Right: (l-r) American Art and Horsford