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Fleeting Spirit to miss Nunthorpe.

Jeremy Noseda has today confirmed Nunthorpe Stakes anti post favourite Fleeting Spirit has suffered a setback in training, and the July Cup winner will now miss the York Group 1 sprint in an attempt to obtain optimum fitness in time for the Betfred Sprint Cup at Haydock on 05 September.

Oxx aiming for September return for Rayeni.

After giving his three year old colt a mid-season break, John Oxx is hoping to have Irish 2,000 Guineas runner -up Rayeni back on the track during September, with the likely target being the Group 3 Solonaway Stakes at the Curragh on 13 September.

Godolphin new acquisition amongst 21 entries.

At today's latest forfeit stage, there are currently 21 entries still involved in Saturday's Group 2 Hungerford Stakes at Newbury. While most eyes will be on Godolphin's new acquisition Evasive, there are also some interesting older and younger entries in the fairly open race.

Evasive has the benefit of winning the Horris Hill Stakes over course and distance as a juvenile, but he looked a little under top class in his two outings for Sir Michael Stoute prior to his move to Godolphin, and it has to be said, Saeed bin Suroor will have to have engineered some improvement if Evasive is to copy his win as a two year old.

Ten year old Welsh Emperor has won the race before, but he needs soft underfoot conditions, and this means the rain forecast for the end of the week will have to materialise if he is to stand a chance. That last statement also applies to Jim Bolger's three year old entry Vocalised, as he also needs cut to be at his best.

To our mind, the first of three interesting entries is George Bernard Shaw from Aidan O'Brien's Ballydoyle stable. O'Brien does not send his horses over to Britain for a holiday, and although this fellow has not won in a while, he has been mixing it all season with some good horses in Listed and Group 3 company, and on his day, he is capable of winning a Group 2.

Balthazaar's Gift has not won so far this season, but he has been there abouts in Group company on two occasions, and if he can time his usual late run to perfection, he could provide a suprise package in the latter stages of Saturday's contest.

However, it could be argued the most interesting runner is Border Patrol. Earlier in the season he defeated Triple Aspect, who has since gone on to prove himself the top three year old sprinter this season, and Roger Charlton trained horses are in fine form, as witnessed by Genki in the Stewards Cup at Goodwood. Furthermore, Border Patrol seems to have the progressive profile to win a race like the Hungerford, and we recommend he should be at least on your short list.

Dick Turpin set for Irish raid.

Richard Hannon is to send Group 2 Richmond Stakes winner Dick Turpin on a raid to Fairyhouse for the big prize of the Tattersalls Irish Sales Stakes on 22 August. Hannon is no strager to winning similar events, having sent out Soul City to land last year's Goffs Million, and the way Dick Turpin disposed of his rivals at Goodwood suggests he will take all the beating at Fairyhouse.

Going on to discuss the plans for his other two top juveniles, Hannon said,

"Monsieur Chevaliere is in fine condition, and he will go to York next week for the Gimcrack Stakes. As for Canford Cliffs, he is on target to go across to Deauville for the Prix Morny on 23 August."

Forgotten Voice a possible for Juddmonte International.

Chairman of the BHA Paul Roy has today lost the opportunity to run Fleeting Spirit in York's Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes due to a setback. But in an interesting move, he is now thinking about entering Sussex Stakes fourth Forgotten Voice in the Group 1 Juddmonte International Stakes, where he would probably have to take on current world number one racehorse Sea The Stars.

Speaking earlier today, Roy commented,

"He ran very well in the Sussex Stakes on ground not entirely to his liking, and he is entered in both the International and Strensall Stakes at York. Jeremy Noseda seems to think he would get ten furlongs on good to firm going, so we will have to wait until nearer the time to decide which option he goes for at York."

High Standing to swerve Curragh for Haydock.

Wokingham and subsequent Group 3 winner High Standing will miss a possible engagement at the Curragh this weekend in favour of a step up to Group 1 class in the Betfred Sprint Cup at Haydock Park on 06 September.

Trainer William Haggas believes his four year old is still progressive, and while High Standing is fairly sure to be at Haydock, the trainer is still waiting for connections to confirm the involvement of Sunday's Prix Maurice de Gheest winner Kings Apostle in Haydock's premier six furlong sprint.

Lesson In Humility to rest before possible overseas assignments.

Having recently taken over the training of Lesson In Humility from his suspended son in law Karl Burke, Alan Jarvis was delighted the filly capped her Listed and Group 3 successes this season by getting herself into the frame in Sunday's Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville.

After Sunday's efforts, Jarvis confirmed the connections of Lesson In Humility have decided to give their gutsy filly a well earned rest before a possible tilt at races in Hong Kong and/or Dubai.

War of words continues.

Based on this morning's racing headlines, Paul Dixon of the Racehorse Owners Association is now encouraging British punters to bet with British based bookmaking firms, ratherthan the firms who have moved, or are moving their operations to an offshore base. In retalliation, spokespeople for William Hill and Ladbrokes are calling Dixon's statement misguided and mis-informed.

At Racingsight, we understand tempers are running high over this controversial decision by the leading bookmaking firms, but this constant public cat-calling is certainly not endearing the sport of horseracing to the general public, and both sides should realise, damaging the sport is not going to help either of them generate future income. So before a war of words leads to full scale mutually damaging hostilities, we suggest both sides sit down, and at least make an attempt to settle their differences in an amicable and constructive way.

Positive news from Totesport for Racehorse Owners.

Totesport have announced they are expanding their racehorse sponsership scheme by making another £50,000 available for their racehorse sponsership scheme. Open to members of the Racehorse Owners Association (ROA), the current scheme will now provide a total of £200,000 in sponsership, and currently provides sponsership for 250 horses. The new money will come on line to fresh applications from 01 September of this year.

Ascot to keep team format for Shergar Cup.

A suggestion from Saturday's most successful Shergar Cup jockey Richard Hughes that Ascot should consider making the competition an individual challenge has been turned down by the Ascot executive, but realising some changes are good, officials have decided to find new ways of making the current team format more exciting prior to next year's competition.

No Rainbow at York.

Connections of Nassau Stakes runner-up Rainbow view have confirmed the three year old filly will miss next week's Darley Yorkshire Oaks, and instead will have a rest prior to a late season campaign starting at the end of September.

Delayed return for James Davies.

James Davies, the jockey son of former top national hunt jockey Hywel Davies, will now not make his return to race riding until the end of this month. Davies broke his arm in a fall at Towcester in the middle of May, and the injury has taken longer to heal than originally thought.

To ensure no further unnecessary time losss, Davies has followed medical advise, and is giving his injury plenty of time to fully repair before he returns to race riding.

African Rose retired to the paddocks.

The Criquette Head-Marik trained African Rose was found to have bled at the end of Sunday's Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville, and the decision was then made to retire her from racing.

The french bred Juddmonte filly was a multiple pattern race winner, and is best remembered in Britain for her victory in last year's Group 1 Sprint Cup which had to be run at Doncaster due to unraceable conditions at its normal Haydock home.

Trainer Criquette Head-Marik later confirmed African Rose would now go to the Juddmonte paddocks in France, where she will join the brood mare programme early next year.

Unbeaten Zenyatta just manages to hold on to her record.

Going into yesterday's Grade 1 Clement l'hirsh at Del Mar racetrack, a race she had won while setting a track record in 2008, Zenyatta had an unbeaten streak of eleven races to her credit, but she had to work very hard to extend that to twelve!

Settled at the back as usual by regular partner Mike Smith in yesterday's mile and a half furlong contest, Zenyatta followed a sensible pace set by Lethal Heat, but she failed to instantly respond when Anabaa's Creation kicked for home. At around the furlong mark, Smith's urgings encouraged his filly to engage top gear, and she just managed to get her head in front within the shadow of the post. Anabaa's Creation took a game second place, with original front runner Lethal Heat having to settle for third.

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