Star can continue to shine on fast ground after cosy Lingfield win

IN A slightly frustrating week, it was good to get a win on the board with Star From Afarhh at Lingfield last Thursday.

She settled well on her step up in trip and won a shade cosily, not doing an awful lot in front. There may well be more to come from her over a 1m4f on fast ground.

That was it and it was slightly exasperating to go on my page on the Racing Post website on Monday morning and see it said we’d had two winners from our last 26 runners, which looks a bit disappointing.

The horses are actually running very well, we’ve had six seconds and four thirds in that time and I’m very happy with the string on the whole. Near-misses are better than heavy defeats.

Among those to go close last week, Protest Rally ran solidly at Nottingham on ground that was probably a bit lively for him.

He will improve again, as will Libra Tiger, who wasn’t helped by slightly missing the break at Lingfield on Saturday, and Khinjani, who ran well at Redcar in probably the hottest 0-75 fillies’ handicap you’ll ever see.

Bling On The Music is testing me as he pulled too hard once again and needs to relax but Cotai Vision made an encouraging start at Lingfield and will come on plenty for it.

Miss Roberts wasfourthina very good race at Doncaster, on ground that may have been a shade lively for her. She’s a decent filly and could be one for the Empress Stakes at Newmarket on July 1, although we may find a novice for her to win first.

EPSOM PROTESTS

THERE was a strange atmosphere at Epsom on Saturday due to the threats of a protest. I must admit I was more nervous about that than I was about how my horse was going to run in the Derby.

I must thank the Jockey Club, BHA, Surrey police and everybody involved in making sure the day went smoothly. They eliminated the risk exceptionally well.

It’s a shame the crowd was well down, it was definitely quieter. There were a combination of reasons for that but I think the threat of protests would definitely have been a factor.

If I was planning on taking my young children to the Derby to play on the funfair on the infield, I’d have been put off because of what the protesters were threatening to do. I wouldn’t have taken the chance of bringing my family because nobody knew what might have happened - it could have turned into a brawl.

The whole thing must have cost Jockey Club racecourses hundreds of thousands of pounds and I was happy to go on the radio beforehand to be interviewed about the protests.

The animal-rights demonstrators need to stop what they’re doing. They actually need educating about our sport and they’re very welcome to come to our yards and see what we do.

The public also needs to understand the sort of things these people are advocating. They want to stop anybody from being allowed to have cats and dogs as pets - there would be an awful lot of dead animals around if they had their way.