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Hold Your Colours lands Ripon highlight.

In spite of a slow start, and showing some greenness in the final stages of today's Listed Ripon Champion Two Year Old Trophy, the Brian Meehan trained Hold Your Colour moved up in grade to land his second successive win at the Yorkshire track.

After his tardy start, Eddie Ahern rousted him up to sit behind the leaders, and when asked to quicken he did it smartly, scoring by a length from Skylla.

After the race, Ahern commented,

"The way he was looking about at the crowd in the final furlong tells me there is plenty left to come, and I would imagine he could become a Group race winner in time."

Again could re-appear in Matron Stakes.

Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Again is amongst the nine acceptors at today's five day decleration stage for this Saturday's Matron Stakes at Leopardstown.

Disappointing on good to firm ground after her Classic win, David Wachman's three year old filly is likely to get the ground she prefers at Leopardstown this weekend, and connections are said to be hopeful she will bounce back to form in Saturday's contest.

Killarney to hold Wednesday morning inspection.

The steeplechase course at Killarney is already unraceable, and more rain is forecast over the next couple of days, but with the hurdles and bumper course still raceable, Killarney will hold an inspection at 8.00 am on Wednesday morning in the hope they can stage a card on Wednesday afternoon.

The Big Clash remains on track!

At today's five day decleration stage, Sea The Stars and Fame and Glory remain on track for their re-match in this Saturday's Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown.

With doubt growing over the weekend going at the Dublin course, it is speculation as to whether we will be able to watch Sea The Stars once more try to prove his dominance over Fame and Glory in Saturday's ten furlong Group 1 contest.

But if Sea The Stars does line-up, John Oxx will be wary that Aidan O'Brien still has five runners in the eleven remaining entries, for apart from Fame and Glory, the Master of Ballydoyle is also represented by Mastercraftsman, and Fame and Glory and Mastercraftsman have already proved they can match Sea The Stars for pace during a race, so Michael Kinane will have to guard against being put into a pocket by his Coolmore rivals if he lines-up for Saturday's top class contest.

If Sea The Stars does compete, and is able to land his fith Group 1 victory against the toughest opposition in the Irish Champion Stakes, he will certainly deserve his current tag as the world's best racehorse, and he could eventually become the most valuable stud horse in the history of modern racing.

High Standing tops sixteen entries for Betfred.

An unbeaten sprinter on his four starts this season, during which time he has graduated through the ranks to win the Group 3 Hackwood Stakes on his last outing, the William Haggas trained High Standing currently heads the market amongst the sixteen horses who have stood their ground at today's five day stage for the Group 1 Betfred Sprint Cup.

July Cup winner Fleeting Spirit is also amongst the declared runners, and Golden Jubilee winner Art Connoisseur cannot be ignored if he can somehow regain his Ascot winning form.

Following his move from Mike de Kock, J J the Jetplane is due to have his first run for Richard Hannon in Saturday's six furlong contest, and connections of three year old Sayif have paid the £17,000 to supplement their colt for Haydock's sprinting blue-ribbon race.

However, in our opinion, the most interesting entry is Marcus Tregonning's Finjaan. Once thought of as a Classic winning horse, injury kept him off the track until he bounced back with an emphatic win at Glorious Goodwood, and if he has progressed from that run, even the drop back to six furlongs should not inconvenience him, and he looks like he could be a major player in the closing stages of Saturday's race.

Misheer may have to wait until October.

Misheer was pulled out of Sunday's Moyglare Stud Stakes due to the heavy ground, but today, connections are admitting they are now scratching around for a suitable alternative, and it may be, they will have to wait until the Cheveley Park Stakes in October before Misheer will once more grace a race track.

Sariska will stay in training.

Michael Bell has today indicated his dual Oaks winning filly Sariska will only go to Longchamp for the Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe if the ground is soft enough to allow his filly to do justice to herself. Despite the fact she was found to be 'in season' after the Yorkshire Oaks, where she finished behind Dar re mi, Bell admitted it was probably a mistake to race Sariska on good to firm ground, and it is a mistake he does not intend to duplicate in the future.

However, Bell did indicate owner Lady Bamford intends to keep Sariska in training as a four year old, and as a daughter of Pivotel she should improve again, a fact which already has the trainer looking forward with great optimism to the 2010 flat season.

Buccellati to return to racing action.

Andrew Balding today confirmed this year's Chester Ormonde Stakes winner Buccellati has recovered from the muscle injury he incurred during the Coronation Cup at Epsom, and he apparently pleased connections during a full gallop over the weekend.

Balding is planning to give the five year old his next outing in either the Prix Foy at Longchamp, or the Arc Trial at Newbury, and providing he comes through either of those races in good order, his primary target for this year will be the Canadian International Stakes at Woodbine.

Cartmel passes inspection.

Today's Bank Holiday Meeting at Cartmel has survived an early morning inspection, and although ground conditions are reported to be heavy, the card advertised in the racing press goes ahead as planned.

Silver Frost injury causes retirement.

A winner of the French 2,000 Guineas in May at Longchamp, Silver Frost never recaptured his early form in two subsequent outings, and now a hairline fracture to his near hind has necessitated an early retirement from racing.

After he recovers from the current injury, connections are hopeful their Classic winner will start a new career at stud from the beginning of 2010.

Johnston hopeful Jukebox Jury can score Group 1 success.

Having added a Group 2 victory at Deauville on Sunday to his Group 3 success at Haydock earlier this month, trainer Mark Johnston is now looking for a suitable Group 1 target for the re-emerging talent of Jukebox Jury.

Rated as one of the top juveniles in 2008, Jukebox Jury suffered an injury at the start of this year, and he has taken time to rediscover his two year old form, but now he seems to be progressing very nicely, Johnston is understood to be seeking a Group 1 success before the end of the current flat campaign, with a continental european race as the most likely target.

Salaman hands the reins to his son.

Following over thirty years as a licensed trainer, Taffy Salaman will today have his final runner at Chepstow before handing over full control of his Lambourn yard to his son Matthew.

Sixty four year old Salaman senior's most notable moment in racing came in 1977 when his Church Town Boy won the Topham Trophy at Aintree, and then two days later finished as runner up to Red Rum in the Grand National.

Taffy has full confidence in his son, as the plan has always been for Matthew, 33, to take control at the yard, and he has undertaken an intensive programme to prepare him for the role, including; six years as an assistant to Aidan O'Brien, plus a stint as assistant to Michael Dickinson in America.

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