Trainer Talk / Paul Smith / 27 August 2010 / Leave a comment Free £25 Bet

In the latest of our series of trainer interviews, we caught up with Ralph Beckett and Tom Dascombe to discuss their best chances of success this weekend.

"Blue Jack did well to win from a wide draw at Chester and his runs earlier in the season suggest he is up to this class. The trip and ground will be fine and he should go well."

Ralph Beckett

Princess Severus 2yo bay filly
Timeform Rating 84p
Formfigures 1
She is by Barathea and will love the soft ground. She won well at Leicester on her debut and although it wasn't the strongest race, the third has come out and won since. As I say, the ground will suit her very well and this doesn't look the strongest race for a Group 3 (Saturday, 15:40, Goodwood). With conditions as they are, I just feel this could be her best opportunity to pick up some Black Type in the near future.

Devoted 2yo grey filly
Timeform Rating n/a
Formfigures n/a
Devoted makes her debut in the 1m maiden (Goodwood, 16:15 Saturday) and she is another who will appreciate the slow ground. You never quite know what to expect with newcomers but she has shown promise at home - it's just a case of how badly she will need this first experience.

Fastback 4yo chestnut filly
Timeform Rating 89
Formfigures 15-5211
I have three entered in the fillies' handicap on Sunday (Goodwood, 15:20) but Nurture won't run as she wouldn't like the ground and I am not sure that Ceilidh House will line up either. Fastback is on a roll at present though and will love the conditions - she is in foal at the moment and we haven't got that much longer to run her - and she will definitely take her chance. She has won cosily on her last two starts and although this will be tougher from out of the weights, we have nothing to lose by trying to pick up some Black Type.

Tropical Treat 3yo bay filly
Timeform Rating 113
Formfigures 17-3126
They are supposed to have missed the rain at The Curragh so Tropical Treat is an intended runner in the Goffs Flying Five (Sunday, 15:45 The Curragh). She needs decent ground and is up to winning in this company - she was a bit unlucky at Goodwood as the gaps closed at a crucial stage. I would be hopeful she would go well as she is continuing to improve.


Tom Dascombe

Blue Jack 5yo bay gelding
Timeform Rating 114
Formfigures 0-13791
He goes to Ireland for the Group 3 sprint at The Curragh on Sunday (15.45) and he has done well since his win at Chester last month. We have kept the visor on this time - it seemed to make a difference last time, even though it wasn't as strong a race. He did well to win from a wide draw there and his runs earlier in the season suggest he is up to this class. The trip and ground will be fine and he should go well.

Major Monty 3yo bay gelding
Timeform Rating 61
Formfigures 85-6726
He ran well at Carlisle earlier in the month and it was disappointing he didn't do better at Yarmouth last time. We tried him in a visor that day and the ground was a bit softer, so there were possible excuses. Back on better ground and with the cheekpieces back on, you would have to think he would go close (Redcar 19.50, Saturday). He is only moderate but this is a 0-55 handicap at Redcar so it's not going to be full of improvers.

Red Presence 2yo chestnut colt
Timeform Rating -p
Formfigures 9
I run Red Presence in the conditions race at Redcar (18:20, Saturday) and although he ran dreadfully on his debut at Newbury, he is much better than that. The two rivals he has have both won and aren't bad types, but I think we can shake them up - he really is much better than he showed first time.

Firstknight 2yo bay colt
Timeform Rating 67p
Formfigures 7
He is in the big Sales race at Newmarket (Saturday, 15:55) and although it will be a difficult race to win, you have to be in it to have a chance. He is similar to Red Presence in that I know he is a very nice horse but he ran poorly on his debut - admittedly in what looked a hot race at Nottingham. He will do better and although this might be flying a bit high at this stage, he is one to keep an eye on.

Timeform View
Major Monty isn't a worldbeater but he did enough at Carlisle on his penultimate start to think he could win a small race and they don't come much weaker than 0-55 handicaps at Redcar. Better ground and the cheekpieces back on (he looked a bit awkward in a visor last time) should be positives and he is still relatively unexposed, albeit at a lowly level.

Tags: Devoted, Fastback, Firstknight, Major Monty, Princess Severus, Ralph Beckett, Red Presence, The Curragh, Tom Dascombe, Tropical Treat