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George Bowen on the up

September 19th, 2015 | Ian Carnaby's Racing News

It has been another difficult week, though bets have been kept to a minimum. I came closer to catching another of Richard Fahey’s on the line when El Viento finished second at 10/1 at Ayr on Friday and the trainer continues in wonderful form, having sent out another couple of winners on that card.

Wherever you look he has chances again on Saturday and I think his best may be GEORGE BOWEN, who goes in the Ayr Silver Cup. I thought he had a luckless run through at Goodwood and managed to tip him on the line while I was in Canada. He obliged at 8/1 in the race for grey horses at Newmarket and followed up in Ireland last week. The general view will be that another 4lb will stop him but I’m not so sure. He is still towards the bottom of the handicap in the Ayr Silver Cup and must have excellent each-way prospects. The other one I quite like is Jedd O’Keefe’s Shared Equity although, like two or three others towards the head of the handicap, his form is over longer trips. If he can get a clear run he may trouble the best but my guess is that he will have to come from off the pace.

In the Gold Cup an hour or so later I do not rule out Lexington Abbey right at the foot of the handicap, especially with Pat Smullen booked. Keeping a very careful eye on Kevin Ryan in this sort of race is to be recommended and Lexington Abbey has had a good rest and will strip fresher than some. Of course, Fahey fields the unbeaten Don’t Touch and he will be the choice of many but, at much bigger prices, I like the look of Andrew Balding’s Highland Colori and Roger Varian’s Toofi, who will like the cavalry charge nature of the race. HIGHLAND COLORI has not won for a while but the chances are he has been trained for this once again, having won it two years ago. Balding is very clever and I wouldn’t be too put off by Highland Colori’s runs of late.

Of Fahey’s various chances around the country, I’d look very closely at Ribchester in the Mill Reef at Newbury, My Dad Syd in the six-furlong handicap at Newmarket and Spring Offensive in the last on that card  –  interestingly his northern-based jockey’s only mount at the meeting.