Pacify hails from a stable in form…

I had regrets at York, most notably the failure to go for Marsha each-way in the Nunthorpe. Even had the two big names run to their best, she would still have been favourite to finish third, so 10/1 in places beforehand was undoubtedly generous. We all know what happened.

Sir Michael Stoute had a winner, although not the one I expected, and Major Jumbo looked just in need of the race in the closing sprint handicap. I suspect Kevin Ryan will place him to advantage quite soon.

I am betravelling back from Canada on Saturday so these are brief notes. Ralph Beckett is worth following at present and his PACIFY is fairly treated in the ten-furlong handicap at Sandown (3.35). I wish there hadn’t been a gap of five weeks since his last run but that form is very handy and he has excellent each-way claims now.

I am a KIMBERELLA fan and I thought at the Curragh the other day he ran as if five furlongs might suit him better than six at present. He is not a great traveller and the Beverley Bullet will be more his bag of oats, though Paul Midgley is in cracking form again and anything he saddles will be a danger.

I am writing this before final declarations are published but if FUJIN stands his ground he will have a leading chance in the second at Brighton on Sunday following his good fourth at Chester a week ago.

I find my seller on Monday more or less unfathomable but Tony Newcombe is a very clever man and I just wonder what the story was behind ALMOQATEL leaving the yard briefly not long ago, trying a mile here for his ‘new’ trainer and then moving back to Newcombe in time for this. I may be barking up the wrong tree but I seem to remember something similar several years ago when he was working with C John Hill and a horse travelled across Devon to a different trainer in a smaller yard, achieved very little and dropped about 17lb. Back she went to Hill and won a Bath Handicap very easily. Almoqatel may be worth a fiver each-way; certainly no more.