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Exciting Captain Teague aims for Grade 1 win
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Stablemate Farnoge may be biggest rival
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Individualiste can win at Taunton again
Newbury
12:05 - Lime Avenue
She has been a bit too keen on both her starts this season and was disappointing last time at Hereford where they went too quick with the result that she didn't finish off her race. I'm looking for better now that she is dropping back to two miles in a first time hood to help her settle better.
13:50 - Irish Hill
I'm putting a pair of blinkers on Irish Hill to try to sharpen him up because I'm not convinced he put everything in last time at this track. Hopefully he can go well off a mark of 127.
13:50 - Silent Revolution
It was frustrating that he didn't take to fences last season and he has also had a couple of issues. He is a bit behind most of ours after a wind op in the summer and is likely to improve for the run in a first time tongue tie before he tries chasing again.
15:00 - Captain Teague
We have two nice chances in a red hot renewal of this Grade 1 race which we have won for the past three years and the more it rains the better for both my runners. Captain Teague ran well when a close second last time at Cheltenham under a penalty. He is an exciting prospect and will gallop all day.
15:00 - Farnoge
He is unbeaten for us having won his bumper last season and both starts over hurdles and has earned a shot at the Challow as I don't think he is far behind Captain Teague. He made all the running at Ascot, the form looks useful, he stays well, keeps on winning and soft ground will be ideal for him.
15:35 - Golden Son
The ground was so deep at Aintree last time that when they went too hard from the start he couldn't handle it and was soon pulled up. So if the going comes up testing at Newbury he will not run. It was also his first time he'd been overnight from Ditcheat and who knows, he might have got stressed. We did all the tests on him afterwards and he was fine.
As a precaution I'm putting on a tongue tie which he wore in most of his races in France. I was pleased with his debut for us at Warwick and am hoping he can bounce back from Aintree.
Taunton
12:25 - Swift Hawk
He was rated 72 on the flat for William Knight and has done plenty of schooling since joining us. He seems to do everything nicely at home and should improve for the experience on his debut over hurdles.
13:00 - Centara
He can get lit up but made an encouraging debut over hurdles at Newbury where he was keen and would have finished much closer but for a silly mistake at the third last when he had a look, was a big gawky and almost ran out while going strongly in front.
I liked the way he rallied to finish fourth and we will drop him in this time and make sure he has a bit of cover. Solid chance at a track where he won his bumper.
14:10 - Larchmont Lass
A lovely mare she was progressive in three bumpers last season and made a respectable debut over hurdles when second behind a smart novice at this course a fortnight ago. The ground was a bit too quick for her that day and the more it rains at Taunton the better chance she will have. She does need to show improvement on her second start over hurdles.
15:55 - Individualiste
He won at this track in March, ran tidily when keeping on to finish third over course and distance recently and looks to have a very good chance in this conditional jockeys' race ridden by Freddie Gingell. I'm also putting cheekpieces on Individualiste to focus his mind.
Paul's Best Chance on Saturday - Individualiste 15:55 Taunton: "He has strong claims wearing cheekpieces for the first time."