Trainer Talk / Paul Smith / 02 July 2010 / Leave a comment Free £25 Bet View Market

The Eclipse meeting at Sandown holds centre stage at the weekend, but there is a good supporting card at Haydock and we caught up with Michael Jarvis and Richard Fahey, both of whom have some live chances on Saturday.

"Decorative and Eton Forever have both received the Timeform ‘large P’ in the past, as horses who are capable of considerably better, and both make plenty of appeal this weekend."

Michael Jarvis

Sri Putra 4yo bay colt
Timeform Rating 117
Formfigures 1157-10

He runs in the Eclipse [Saturday, 15.10 Sandown] and on all known form, he shouldn't be up to troubling the big two [Dar Re Mi and Twice Over]. It looks to me like the rest are running for third but he will love the ground and this is his trip, so he is entitled to take his chance. If he could finish third, I would be delighted.

Almiqdaad 4yo bay gelding
Timeform Rating 111
Formfigures 5010-25

Almiqdaad has been off since Chester where he missed the break and never looked interested afterwards. It was felt that he might not have been giving everything so he has been gelded since and given a break. The longer trip won't be a problem for him [Saturday, 15.25 Haydock] and I am trying him in blinkers, but this looks a hot race for his return - he is a smart horse on his day though.

Decorative 3yo bay filly
Timeform Rating 106p
Formfigures 1-1

I was really pleased when the rain came for her at Nottingham and I thought she won well enough in a funny sort of race. The obvious step having won a maiden and a handicap is to have a go in Listed company and this [Saturday, 15.40 Sandown] looks a good opportunity now Henry's filly [Jacqueline Quest] is out. She must have a big chance in this grade - I have always liked her a lot - but I am slightly nervous about the ground. They are calling it 'good, good-to-firm in places' but I will be monitoring it right up until race time. She would be an intended runner at this stage though.

Opinion Poll 4yo bay colt
Timeform Rating 120
Formfigures 171-131

He is arguably even more ground dependent than Decorative but having said that, the general consensus was that the ground at Chantilly last time was quicker than the official good-to-soft. He is in the form of his life at the moment, he stays very well and as long as it wasn't too quick, he must have a big chance. [Saturday, 16.15 Sandown]

Eton Forever 3yo bay colt
Timeform Rating 103p
Formfigures 612

Initially, I was a bit disappointed with Eton Forever when he was beaten at Haydock last time but it was one of the few wet days we have had and the rain that got into the ground was all against him. His maiden win has been well advertised since and I think that the combination of good ground and a stiff 7f should be absolutely ideal for him. This looks quite a hot little race [Saturday, 16.50 Sandown] - you could make a case for three or four of the others - but he still looks well handicapped himself.

Tesslam 3yo chestnut gelding
Timeform Rating 92
Formfigures 24-2212

Tesslam is in really good form at present and he loves fast ground so he must have a big chance at Leicester [Saturday, 16.50]. 7f is definitely his trip and although he is up against older horses now, July is the month where the three-year-olds really ought to start having a bit of an advantage in handicaps.

Richard Fahey

Castles In The Air 5yo bay gelding
Timeform Rating 109
Formfigures 228-100

Castles In The Air runs in a hot little conditions race at Haydock [Saturday, 16.35] but the more rain the better for him and they had 12mm last night [Thursday]. It's a very open race but he won't mind the drop back to 6f - he showed lots of speed at Royal Ascot - and although I couldn't tell you to back him, I wouldn't be surprised if he ran a big race.

Philharmonic Hall 2yo bay colt
Timeform Rating 60p
Formfigures 37

He was very disappointing at Carlisle last time but they went pretty quick in the early stages and he didn't get home. We will ride him differently this time [Saturday, 19.25 Carlisle], dropping him in, and he should do a bit better. If he was a sensible price, I couldn't put you off backing him each way.

Demolition 6yo chestnut gelding
Timeform Rating 97
Formfigures 124-304

Demolition runs in the Old Newton Cup [Saturday, 15.25 Haydock] and although it is a hot race, the horse has just come right now. He is the best he has been since we got him and although this is tough, I am expecting him to run his best race for us this time. Whether that will be good enough remains to be seen but I am very pleased with him.

El Viento 2yo chestnut colt
Timeform Rating N/A
Formfigures N/A

El Viento makes his debut at Beverley [Saturday, 14.45] and he would probably be our best chance on Saturday. He is a half-brother to Johannes who we know well and he has pleased me at home lately. In theory he has a good draw in stall 10 but who knows what a good draw is at Beverley these days?

Jack O'Lanter 3yo bay gelding
Timeform Rating 75
Formfigures 3-44674

He has been disappointing since we got him but this [Saturday, 15.35 Leicester] would be the best chance he has had for a while. He is a bit tricky and he will have the blinkers on - he should run better but as I say he has been disappointing and I couldn't be too confident.

Timeform View

Decorative and Eton Forever have both received the Timeform 'large P' in the past, as horses who are capable of considerably better, and both make plenty of appeal this weekend. The former was still learning as she went at Nottingham and the step up to Listed company is a natural progression. Eton Forever's defeat of Afsare at Kempton looks very solid now and it is far too soon to be writing him off on the back of one defeat on slower ground.

Tags: Decorative, Eton Forever, horseracing betting, Michael Jarvis, Richard Fahey, Trainer Talk