Saturday 14th July 2018

Fantastic racing today up and down the country today. I’m heading to Newmarket as we have Mountain Rescue running in the £120,000 Bunbury Cup at 1:40. It's great to have another big Saturday runner. Mountain Rescue has given his owners some fantastic days out, including Royal Ascot when last seen. Today is another one of them.

Mountain Rescue fully deserves his place in such a race and is a C&D winner. The drop back to seven furlongs will suit better than the mile at Royal Ascot. Horses tend to need a bit in hand in such a race to visit the winner’s enclosure, Mountain Rescue is handicapped to his best but he’ll give his all as ever. We come out of stall 19, this will either be best of the draw or we have no chance before the gates have even opened. Either way it will be a grand day at the July course.

We also have Ilovemints running at Newton Abbot in the 5:35. Plenty of her owners are making a weekend of it and staying by the seaside. This looks a competitive race for the grade with 17 runners.

I've had little time to go through the racing in detail with two runners. However, Blue Point is the one to beat in the Group 1 July Stakes at Newmarket. A very good winner at Royal Ascot, a repeat of that effort would see him go very close.

At Ascot in the 3:35, Cross Counter could improve on his sound 4^th place in the King George V Handicap at Royal Ascot. The renewal of that race looked very good. Running back at the same track and same distance, couldn’t be much better. Corelli looks the danger, but he might need a bit further to be seen at his best.

At a bigger price, 15-2 EW, Glenglade 4:10 Ascot could be well in on handicap debut. A rating of 79 looks quite fair based on his two second place efforts.