A Cracking Start to the Weekend and a Diligent End with a Song to Sing at Chester

It was a fantastic couple of days of results last week, with racing taking us to fixtures spread across Newmarket, Chester and Newcastle, where we proudly brought home a triumphant trio of winners.

First up, was Cracking Gold who bounced back to winning ways with a gutsy performance in the competitive seven-furlong Handicap at Newmarket on Thursday (26th June), securing his sixth career victory and his first on the turf.

After finishing down the field over an extended trip of 1m2f at Redcar last month, we decided to revert to his more familiar distance - a move that was clearly part of the winning formula on the day. The four-year-old travelled strongly throughout under a confident ride from Rossa Ryan, who is already well acquainted with the gelding having ridden him to victory on more than one occasion.

Taking a keen hold early on he settled nicely behind the leaders, finding a balanced rhythm through the middle stages of the race. As the field quickened approaching the final furlong, he responded gamely when asked, staying on strongly to hit the line with his head in front, winning by a narrow but well-deserved margin.

The drop back to seven furlongs clearly suited him, and with a more strongly run race likely to play even further to his strengths, we expect to see more to come over this trip. He holds great form on the all-weather, so it's wonderful to celebrate this performance and notable turf success. A big congratulations to his owners, Paul and Clare Rooney.

Next in line, we were delighted to see another two-year-old get off the mark in fine style on Saturday (28th June), as Song of The Clyde made a winning debut in the six-furlong Maiden at Chester, becoming the latest two-year-old to show real promise early on.

Reaping the benefits of his first outing at Goodwood earlier this month, the colt returned to the track willing and determined for the task in hand. Despite an awkward departure from the stalls, his pilot, Joe Fanning, was quick to get him organised and into a prominent position, travelling strongly on the outside just off the early pace. Always moving comfortably on the heels of the leader, he maintained a nice rhythm around Chester's tight turns before asserting himself inside the final furlong. Staying on well under pressure, he edged out his opposition and won tidily by 3/4 length.

This was a very pleasing performance from this juvenile, who holds all the attributes of a very capable sprinter. Like any newcomer, he is still a little green in places, but further improvement will show as we continue to build on his experience. A big well done to his connections from Middleham Park Racing, who look like they could have an exciting campaign ahead with this colt.

Our back-to-back victory on Saturday reached a crescendo in the shape of Diligent Harry, who won the Group 3 Chipchase Stakes on the all-weather over six furlongs in spectacular style at Newcastle. A model of consistency on the all-weather, the six-year-old gelding showed once again why he excels on these tracks, making it an impressive eight wins from 16 starts on the synthetic surfaces. This is a landmark win, not just for his record but for the team who have long believed he was capable at this level.

Breaking sharply from the stalls, he quickly took control of the race. Under a credible ride from Saffie Osborne, he set a searching gallop and opened up a commanding lead early on. Depsite a strong late challenge from the runner-up, he showed tremendous tenacity to hold his advantage to the line, underscoring both his class and suitability for this surface. It was a bold, front-running display that left a lasting impression, and we are so proud to see his efforts finally rewarded.

After being placed in a Group 1 in Dubai last year, and subsequently finishing strongly in group company, we hope we will be able to recapture his all-weather form on the turf one day. Until then, his strike rate on the all-weather speaks volumes. Huge congratulations to all involved in his syndicate, The Dilinquents - this was a thoroughly deserved triumph and a career-best performance to celebrate.