Marten Julian’s Weekly Roundup 18 August 2025

I wrote a couple of weeks ago about the potential benefits of finding what I referred to as a ‘golden thread’ of form. This was in relation to the 1m 1f novice stakes run at a Carlisle evening meeting at the end of April.

Just to recap, the race was won by then 85-rated The King’s Falcon from 92-rated Push The Limit, conceding him 10lbs, with Danger Bay back in third and Tiernan, making his debut, in fourth.

Since that race the runner-up Push The Limit has won an extended 1m 3f 0-90 at Goodwood off 91, and is now rated on 98. The third Danger Bay next time beat horses rated 79 and 85 in an extended 1m 1f maiden at Hamilton, where Tiernan caught the eye back in fourth, before conceding 2lbs to the useful Wave Rider over the same course and distance from a mark of 89.

As for Tiernan, he blew any chance of receiving what looked likely to be an initial mid-80s mark when staying on strongly to finish a three-quarters of a length third to 95-rated Nahraan, with rivals rated 103 and 108 behind him, in  1m 3f Listed contest at Hamilton.

Rated on 101, he will be at short odds if he lines up for the novice stakes over the same course and distance on Friday, but painfully mindful of how these things can turn out he’s probably best watched.

Looking further down the field of that Carlisle contest plenty have run but none have won.

However those of us eager to see The King’s Falcon strut his stuff would have shared my disappointment at reading he has been sold to race in Hong Kong for multiple-champion trainer John Size, one assumes for a princely sum given that he had the potential to be a notable flag bearer for the King and Queen.

I doubt the late Queen Elizabeth would have been so willing to sell a horse, albeit a gelding, with his profile, which suggests to me that despite appearing to have a keen interest in matters equine, the King is not playing the long game.

Whatever the case it must have been a mighty offer because only the healthiest of horses pass the strict veterinary checks and I cannot believe the trainer would have been keen to let him go.

As for Push The Limit, trainer Ralph Beckett has entered him for the St Leger, where his mark of 98 leaves him 19lbs adrift of the top-rated and current ante-post favourite Scandinavia.

That is not an insurmountable shortfall, especially when you look at the horse’s potential for further improvement over the longer trip. It will be interesting to see where he next runs.

As for Danger Bay, Ed Bethell said after his latest success that he had a 10f handicap at Doncaster’s St Leger meeting in mind but added that his rider Callum Rodriguez suggested the horse had enough speed to win at a mile. Intriguingly, the trainer mentioned the Cambridgeshire as a possible target.

I get the feeling we’ll be looking back at this race for quite a while. It’s just a shame that we’ll not be seeing The King’s Falcon on these shores, but we can follow his progress in his new home. He will, though, be renamed.

Bye for now

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