The Hollie magic might make it lucky 13 for Outgun at Kempton tomorrow

September 5

I read recently that we can all look forward to one more heatwave this year, starting on September 5. Well, according to my calendar that is today, and as I look out of my window across to Newbury racecourse the rain is hammering down and has been all morning.

So I can only assume that weatherman Michael Fish, famous for pooh poohing the forecast of the Great Storm of 1987, has emerged from retirement in his 81st year, or have the Met Office just got it wrong again? In any event, you’d be advised to take a mackintosh and focus on soft ground horses if you are off to Newbury’s evening meeting tonight.

Not that the rain will worry Outgun, our only runner tomorrow and on the polytrack at Kempton. Still a maiden after 12 runs on the Flat, Outgun is ridden for the first time by Hollie Doyle, who will doubtless have seen a video replay on how unlucky the grey was when failing by half a length to peg back Damascus Steel over this same course and distance last month.

Badly hampered when the ‘cavalry’ closed down on the runaway leader entering the final furlong, Outgun rallied strongly close home, and, with the form of the race having been boosted by subsequent successes for both the fourth and the sixth, the owner-breeders, Kingston Stud, will be hopeful that it will be lucky 13 on the level for Outgun.

Alan has opted to run Brioni at Ascot on Saturday in the 10-furlong handicap restricted to horses who have won no more than one race rather than taking on stronger opposition in the Heritage Handicap over a mile and a half on the same programme.

Brioni always looked like being one of our best three-year-old handicappers this season, but after breaking his maiden at Kempton in April and then finish second to the useful Goodwood Odyssey at Sandown, he ran two inexplicably poor races, first at Newbury and then at Sandown.

Alan immediately opted to have Brioni gelded, and it clearly had the desired effect as he returned in a hot handicap at Glorious Goodwood, and, though Alan was concerned that the ground on the Sussex course might be too quick for him, Brioni defied his big odds (22-1) when beaten only a neck.

That was a career-best performance from Brioni, who is now 3lb higher. The in-form James Doyle has been booked to ride and a mile and a quarter seems to suit him well, so, having proved himself twice with ease in the ground at Sandown in the past, there will be no worries from Barbury should the word ‘soft’ be in the official going on the Royal Heath on Saturday.

Stepping up in trip seemed to suit Rakki at Sandown last time, so the two miles at Kempton on Saturday for the London Stayers Series Qualifier ought to bring the bottom weight into contention. Edward Greatrex has the mount.

Rakki was only denied in the last stride on the Esher course, and, though he now switches back to the all-weather, four of his seven races have been on an artificial surface, so it should not be a problem.

Nap Hand will almost certainly encounter some give in the ground up at Haydock on Saturday, but he ran well in similar underfoot conditions when third at Windsor in July, and he’ll head north bang in form, having been desperately unlucky to finish fourth, beaten only a length, at Kempton three weeks ago.

In contrast, the Pitchall Stud, owner-breeders of Finest View, will be hoping that the rain misses Fontwell over the week-end as their mare, plagued with second-itis three times since she won at Stratford in April, tries to go one better under Tom Cannon on the Sussex track on Sunday.