Denis Coakley's latest news...

• Party Island and Nell just outside the places

  12 August 2020

  Last evening at Lingfield Party Island didn't really like Lingfield's downhill section of track down the side from the 4 to the 3 post, but he then came back on the bridle turning in, where Charlie Bishop steered him to switch inside for a run. He appeared to have plenty of horse, but Party Island got stopped in his run up the straight behind the horses in third and fourth -so a close fifth was the best he could manage - however next time he could be returning to the winners enclosure.  At Kempton today Nell Quickly was a little slowly away, having ducked left coming out of her wide draw in the stalls. With the Kempton track riding very slow, making up ground on front runners was very difficult all afternoon, so the disadvantage of her wide position was significant travelling through the race, although she did finish perhaps best of all to claim fourth place at the post and to seal a pleasing track debut. Nell Quickly is strengthening up all the time and could go very well next time with this run under her belt.

• Busy week ahead

  11 August 2020

  Several entries over the next few days at Lingfield Park, Kempton Park, Salisbury and Bath - the first to go is this evening in the 7.25 7 furlong Lingfield race where Tony Killoran's three year old gelding Party Island, after his last two races - a win and a place - on soft ground at Haydock Park, switches back in trip on the all weather surface.

• Contrasting fortunes at Lingfield Park

  06 August 2020

  Yesterday evening the stable sent two runners to race on the all weather at Lingfield. Sweet Charity was seeking to follow up her Windsor win and ran another fine race. She travelled smoothly in midfield after having been a little too keen early on, but then Oisin Murphy had to move her forward to secure her position on the crown of the last bend. This meant she was three wide swinging into the straight, and she took it up readily going for home with a good burst of speed. This was perhaps a little too early to give her run, however, as she tired and was just losing the battle for the lead into the last fifty yards as the front pair were then swept past by the winner coming wide. My Sheila had a very wide draw and burned a lot of fuel to go forward from the start, but then found that she really hated the surface and she didn't handle it at all. Sadly she also struck into herself during the race, so she was eased and tailed off over the final three furlongs, and now she will have to be on the sidelines for quite a while to recover.

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