Some nice animals at HQ over the weekend. Light up My Life was probably just the pick for the Oh So Sharp. Queally gave Stipulate another duff ride coming far too soon again. Earlier in the season Henry Cecil said this horse had lots of speed and needed to be ridden as such. Certify floated and is the best juvenile mover this term. It was a weak heat. Seek Again is probably the nicest Speightstown I have seen. He will come on 10lb for the run and is Group Class. Dare To Achieve and Vital Evidence are good sorts and should be noted. Harris Tweed looked his bet yet and won at the weights. The Godolphin pair - Retrieve and Songcraft were on good terms. Sea of Heartbreak finally ran at 12f but against colts. She went far too soon and got burnt off. Duff placing and a duff ride.

On the Saturday Steeler upheld the juvenile form in the Royal Lodge. Artigiano has done really well. I said to someone at Newbury that Rhosdu Queen reminded me of Superstar Leo who I wrote an essay on for Sports Adviser. I backed her at York and she was the pick again here. She looks a sprinter and would be no good for the 1,000 Guineas. Siyouma, Elusive Kate and Laugh Out Loud were the paddock order for the Sun Chariot and they finished accordingly. Beauty Parlour looked a mess and was poor in her coat as well as carrying a few lbs on her belly. Lord knows where the money came from to make her fav. Mukhadram was in superb nick for the Cambridgeshire but the 11lb rise for finishing third in the Group3 Tercentenary Stakes at Royal Ascot, killed any chance of winning this. Bronze Angel went up only 4lb for a third in the Britannia Hcap. 6lb for 23/4 lengths was the difference.

Toronado is the only juvenile I have highlighted in my Blog this term and he heads the list for the Royal Lodge Stakes to be run at Newmarket on Saturday. After my Newbury note he was available at 50/1 for the 2,000 Guineas and still @ 33/1 after his Ascot win. All the form lines show him to be the best 2yo colt so far and I expect him to win on Saturday. Once again followers of my Blog are quids in!! I said 2 June no more blogs but then up pops a cracker like Toronado so what can you do? After all I am 'The Champion Spotter'. Its my registered Trade Mark.

Camelot was not fully fit.

As a long time paddock wallah I suppose I have as much right to venture an opinion on Camelot and his defeat in the St Leger given that this was the first horse to venture a foray at the Triple Crown since the peerless Nijinsky in 1970.

As it was Nijinsky himself who first fired my interest in Horse Racing it was poignant that Camelot should be the one to try and follow up who to this day, is the best horse I have ever seen and the bench mark by which I judge all other racehorses.

Camelot only had two runs last term and it was at the Guineas Meeting that I first clapped eyes on the son of Montjeu. With all the hype, and following on from St Nicholas Abbey whose three year old career had fallen apart at the Guineas, it was to be expected perhaps that this might be another horse of straw. But as soon as he appeared it was obvious that this was the real deal and I said as much in my Blog on the Guineas Meeting stating "Camelot is all class and won in spite of the conditions. He is difficult to fault on any point and is a superb specimen". High praise indeed. He followed by winning the Derby with ease.

However when I first saw Camelot in the pre parade at Doncaster today my first impression was that the horse was gross, was carrying too much condition and lacking definition on his stomach muscles. Aiden said himself that he feared he may have left too much (condition) on him. Together with a lay off of some 77 days it remains for me to conclude that the best chance of taking the Triple Crown in 42 years has been left on the Training Grounds.

Horses can put on condition during an aggressive campaign, At Goodwood before the Sussex Stakes one time, the Bookmaker Simon Roberts, son of Dudley Roberts, asked me if Giants Causeway had lost condition and run up light. I confirmed quite the opposite. GC had put weight and condition on and looked 'big and well'. I reported this to Sportsadviser who then relayed it on the Internet. Some time after, Aiden OBrien confirmed that the horse had put on some 40 kilos in weight.

The difference with Giants Causeway was that he did not not have a break and was pursuing a full campaign thus ensuring race fitness.

The gallop with Fame and Glory shown on ATR looked more window dressing than searching gallop and the inference is that Aiden has been too lenient in his preparation of Camelot and is the one to carry the blame for the horses' failure to carve his name in the Turf's Roll of Honour.

Toronado Blog 4th July.

Toronado continues his career path as I first alerted in my blog of 4th July. His win today stands inspection and he now has the option of the Royal Lodge, The Racing Post Trophy or an entry in France to take advantage of the Breeders Premium on account of his French breeding. The 33/1 for the Guineas will be long gone now!

AYE AYE!!! Lovely Pass W 16/1. Another one for the Old Firm. Go check My Blog for July.

Elhaame 2nd 50/1 beaten a nose - DAMN!!!!

In my July Blog I put up Elhaame as a maiden to follow.

Beaten second time up @ Kempton on 7th August this is what Luca Cumani said in the Weekender 22 Aug.

"He has finished down the field in two maidens, but I still like him. I was encouraged by his first run at Newmarket in a decent maiden at the July Meeting. I hoped he would go much closer next time at Kempton but Kieren said he hated the new surface and never got hot hold of it . That was frustrating as he was in good form but we will return to turf for his next run when I expect to see him put up a much better show and hopefully justify some of his smart entries ( Champagne Stakes and Royal Lodge Stakes).

He gets beat a nose at Haydock next time up @a bfsp of 50/1.