Flat out?

I don't know, the Flat so far this season, it has been kind of, well, flat. Dante winner Cape Blanco looked impressive beating Workforce three and a half lengths at York on Thursday but the colt banged his heel during the race; he is reported more comfortable today. On Tuesday evening there was a bit of action in the Southwell weighing room following the last when two female jockeys, Sophie Doyle and Kirsty Milczarek, started trying to knock nine bells out of one another. Milczarek, riding Sparky Vixen, had been beaten a neck into fifth by Doyle's mount Vogarth and later emerged sporting a black eye. Ouch!

At Newbury tomorrow there are eight separate events on which you can lose your money, the highlight being the Lockinge at 3.05. Paco Boy will be an odds-on chance and rightly so following his seasonal debut at Sandown three weeks ago; on official ratings he has two pounds in hand over Zacinto. The Cheka, well-touted beforehand, finished third in the Sandown race; on ratings he has something to find with a few of these but Fallon has talked up his mount's chance in the Weekender: "My fellow still has quite a bit of improvement in him and I feel he will be better suited to Newbury...he definitely has a big chance." Priced at 14/1 with several layers this evening The Cheka is worth an each-way interest.

I see Gary Moore's Bergo is declared for the Aston Park Stakes; this one was withdrawn from the listed John Doyle Buckhounds Stakes at Ascot last Saturday. Owned by Harry Findlay's mother, the gelding won three novice chases during the winter months before finishing a respectable fourth to Tataniano at Aintree last month. Trainer Gary Moore saddled a treble at Fontwell on Wednesday; with son Ryan in the plate here I'll consider a small each-way interest at around the 16/1 mark - the ground shoudn't be a problem.

A quick note on the mares' bumpers at Bangor. The first leg (4.40) looks open with Nicky Henderson's Heather Royal, Donald McCain's Uttoxeter winner Dorabelle and Dark Sensation of interest - the last-named went down fighting, beaten half a length by Paul Nicholls' King Of The Night at Newton Abbot three weeks ago, the pair some twelve lengths clear of their field. In the second leg China Sky from the powerful Henderson team looks the likely favourite but Peter Bowen's With Grace, fourth behind Inga Bird over course and distance on her last appearance, is certainly worth a second look. The winner that day was beaten six lengths by Old McDonald last December - Old McDonald went on to finish an excellent fourth behind Hidden Universe in the Punchestown bumper last month.