A bright, cloudless, warm morning

                     Smokey Oakey having a blow before the Royal Hunt Cup tomorrow

''Never be afraid to tread the path alone. Know which is your path and follow it wherever it may lead you; do not feel you have to follow in someone else's footsteps.''

                                                              - Gita Bellin

                                                         Cornish Beau and Mystery Star

A bright, cloudless, warm morning and we have had several horses over on the watered gallop first lot: the ones that are going to run towards the end of the week and gave Smokey Oakey a pipe-opener before his run in tomorrow's Hunt Cup.

Second lot we put nine two year old colts through the stalls; some that are going to run in the very near future and some that have never seen them before and, if I say it myself, they were all brilliant. It always amazes me how some of them who have never seen anything like it in their lives before, just walk in - they are very trusting.

                                                                   Force Group and Brushing

The start of Ascot today and the ground is absolutely perfect. Phil and I have started our tipping competition and the advice is below. Let us hope that we can point you in the right direction and I can get my own back on Phil after his brilliant run at Cheltenham.

2.30pm: Goldikova - MHT and Phil

3.05pm: Kingsgate Native - MHT, Total Gallery - Phil

3.50pm: Makfi - MHT and Phil

4.25pm: Elzaam - MHT, Strong Suit - Phil

5.00pm: Elyaadi - MHT, Perfect Shot - Phil

5.35pm: Oor Jock - MHT, Metropolitan Man - Phil

             The two year olds continue their education over at the starting stalls

The nine two year olds that went through were Colzium, Astroverdi, Ron, Izzet, Piccarello, Munro's Dragon, Old Boy Ted, Prince Freddie and Dictate; most of them will see the stalls once or twice more before they run but we could not have been more pleased this morning.

                                                                    They all break nicely

                                  Old Boy Ted and Munro's Dragon quicken away nicely

                                                                 The next five all break well