This was Singapore's seventh start of her juvenile campaign and the 16/1 shot defied her odds to nail the odds-on Measuring Time under a trademark Chris Catlin ride. First and second were separated by a neck with a full eight lengths back to Robin Hood in third. A decent renewal it would seem and MRC was full of praise for the daughter of Mujadil as he arrived at the gala Hannon wedding last night.

"She's great isn't she? A great result for Theresa and Maurice Burns who are terrific people to train for. We knew she was alright which is why she's been thrown in several decent races and she had all the hallmarks of one of our late bloomers. 

"She's such a happy horse and we were talking during the week that she might have a good race or two in her. There was something about her just walking round the top of the gallops that I can't really describe, but she really is starting to thrive.

"Music Show did this time last year and Lahaleeb before her. I'm not saying she's in their league, but it keeps on happening - it's a bit of a West Ilsley hallmark. We ask a lot of our horses throughout the year but the good ones seem to keep on improving. Let's hope SINGAPORE LILLY continues to do just that." 

Having travelled well throughout, MUSIC SHOW was kept in as Johnny Murtagh produced a masterful display of race riding on the outside to put the race to bed off the home turn. You can use excuses and ponder on what might have been, just like the Boss is about to do.

"The ground was a bit loose for our filly which didn't help after the winner made her move and we needed to quicken after that point. She couldn't quite do that and I might argue that this race might have had several different outcomes had we run it three times over. But that's racing and this tussle between the three year olds continues to switch the form around - and obviously the older filly Spacious adds another layer to it having finished behind us, as did yesterday's winner, in the Falmouth."

"Obviously I wanted to win the race and you can never stop pondering the "what ifs" but on the whole I have no complaints. She stayed on all the way up the hill and turning tracks often throw up decisive manoeuvres at key points, but there you go - we've lost nothing in defeat.

"Music Show is now back home and seemingly none the worse for her trip over. We'll have a look at her over the next few days before deciding on where we go next." 

The Boss will head to Leopardstown on Saturday to saddle MUSIC SHOW in the Group 1 Fusaichi Pegasus Matron Stakes with the filly drawn five of seven and Fran Berry booked to ride in the absence of Richard Hughes..

MUSIC SHOW backed up her success in the Falmouth with a highly creditable runner's up spot to Goldikova in the Prix Rothschild last time out and heads to Ireland seemingly unaffected by her season's endeavours and the trainer hoping she can maintain her form.

"Seven runners and a high class field - there's no hiding places but they'll be as wary of us as we dare be of them I can assure you! Fran Berry is a top jockey but I don't think it matters too much who's on top of her because she's so easy to get on with. She's hopefully the best I've trained and we'll find out in time. 

As far as I'm concerned, as long as they go a decent pace I expect to be there or thereabouts at the finish."

This weekend at Velifendi Racecourse looks to be another tough proposition as PLEASE SING joins the reigning Bosphorus Cup holder HALICARNASSUS, but it's a challenge Mick is looking forward to.

"Please Sing lines up in the Group 2 Istanbul Trophy over a mile on Saturday night and has been running solid races throughout the year. Although she's yet to put her head in front, I'm not put off by the task in front of her. She almost needs to find trouble in running to be produced late and that's made easier by the track which tends to stack the runners up on the bend before they strike for home. Ted Durcan rides we'd be hopeful of a good run as she's been in fine form at home and looks an absolute picture.

"Halicarnassus is a part of the furniture and owes West Ilsley and Doric Racing nothing. He struggled at home under his penalty for winning the Bosphorus Cup last year and has had his troubles this season but looks great and we hope he's over his nagging problems.

"He can throw in the odd stinker but on his game he's a very talented individual and he could be involved at the business end on Sunday. Neil Callan will ride and let's hope he strikes up an immediate rapport with him. Doric Racing will be there so I hope the bar is stocked as well!" 

Michael Jnr will be on hand to attempt to maintain what he continues to remind everyone is a 100% strike rate in Turkey.

He took another step in the right direction yesterday at Lingfield in the Kier Handicap, again over two miles and this time under Sam Hitchcott. It's remarkable how horses can progress for a winning experience and the son of Sadler's Wells settled beautifully from his inside draw to scrape the paint round the inner and put the two mile contest to bed inside the final furlong.

Another winner on the card was SAXONETTE, owned and bred by M.R Channon. He's been a very lucky owner this season and was only yesterday crowing about how he is sitting pretty in forty seventh spot of the British Flat Owners' Championship. Sheikh Channon was also quick to heap praise on his trainer who he describes as "Nothing short of a ******* phenomenon".

Whatever you say sir, the owner is always right.

The filly took the seller and was taken North after the auction by Linda Perratt for £7,000. We wish her well.

The son of Sadler's Wells arrived three months ago and was something of a playboy. However, despite testing Jamie Magee's bottle on the gallops at West Ilsley, he was given plenty of work to get his back down and his mind on the job in hand. Two subsequent runs over a mile and a quarter served their purpose - his second start for the yard, also at Goodwood, saw him beat a horse for the first time in his career.

Two miles is definitely his trip and conditions underfoot certainly helped whilst Liam Jones was on hand to coerce the big gelding to the front as he stayed on in fine style. 

BRAVO BRAVO conjures up images of MISTERNANDO in his running style as all we've seen so far is the sight of work-riders and jockeys scrubbing away with the horse seemingly oblivious to all the commotion going on above him.

MISTERNANDO cottoned on in the last half furlong in all of his races, and although it would be a disgrace to place BRAVO BRAVO in the same bracket of our former staying star, it's good to know that jockeys earn their riding fees at times.

Congratulations to Derek, Jean, Liam and the West Ilsley team on a super Saturday of scintillating sport.

As the earlier post described, KALLEIDOSCOPE took the opener, before AATTASH and MISTER HUGHIE completed the treble.

AATTASH continues to rise in the weights, but continues to defy the handicapper with his flamboyant front-running style. He's a relentless galloper and a real athlete who took the Class 2 Handicap despite an 11lb hike in the weights and stepping up two furlongs to a mile and a quarter. He's a quirky enough customer at home but as straight as a dye on the racecourse. Congratulations to Sheikh Ahmed, the sky is the limit for AATTASH at the moment.

MISTER HUGHIE is a hugely popular horse with everyone here at West Ilsley. 

An out and out sprinter, he's put a horrific tumble at Beverley back in May behind him to grab the Listed Beverley Bullet Sprint Stakes by a head after a tricky passage in running. 

Unbelievably, his last trip to the Yorkshire track saw him somehow clip heels in a four runner race, resulting in a dreadful fall that saw him lose all confidence before being coaxed back into racing. He finished a fast finishing fourth in the Group 2 Audi King George Stakes at Goodwood prior to being taken off his feet in the Nunthorpe at York, but today was just reward for a brave and courageous horse.

Sam Hitchcott deserves a mention as he was made to sit and suffer as the race developed but got the split when it mattered and good old Hughie did the rest to gather in the favourite Prohibit and Captain Dunne in a thrilling "fag paper" finish in the shadow of the post at odds of 7/1.

Sam's treble today came in at odds of over 2000/1! 

Owner Liam Mulryan keeps having winners and I suspect MISTER HUGHIE will be right up there as one of his most popular horses. Well done to Liam and all concerned.

It's not without good reason though as the jockey took the finale at Hamilton last night and took the opener at Beverley this afternoon.

VILNIUS is a gritty and consistent filly who thrives on racing and recorded her fourth career win in the colours of her owner/breeder Patrick Trant at the Scottish venue last night. There are few better than making all than Hitchcott and he did just that, as VILNIUS kept responding to win comfortably by two and a half lengths at 9/1.

The much punished Hitchcott VW Golf then rocked up at Beverley this afternoon as George and Jackie Smith's KALLEIDOSCOPE confirmed her promise by taking the maiden fillies contest in very likeable fashion. Again, it was a pillar to post front-running performance that required determination in spades on the run in, which was supplied by the daughter of Pivotal who clung on to win by a neck at 20/1. 

Despite swinging quite wide on the turn, Hitchcott straightened her up and drove her up the hill to ensure that George and Jackie's two year old roster for 2010 are both winners after ARABIAN STAR won a Newbury nursery in July.

ARABIAN STAR will improve as he's upped in trip whilst KALLEIDOSCOPE is every inch a three year old in the making and it will be interesting to see her develop next season.

It's only the sire Dubawi's second crop, but on ground described by winning jockey Chris Catlin as "Tacky", he's rapidly joining the Sadler's Wells bracket as a sire of soft ground specialists. Indeed, Lord Ilsley uttered another cliche this week (just to get it out of the way) as our new yearling recruits from the DBS Sales arrived at West Ilsley, "These are the nicest batch of yearlings we've had in a long time." 

Oh God, it's started already.

Back to the subject though - there's plenty to like about MAJESTIC DUBAWI who was always prominent over the five and a half furlong trip, putting the contest to bed comfortably a furlong from home to win by a cosy two and a half lengths.

Mick was chuffed with a filly to whom he decided to give time after her Newbury debut back in June.

"It was a move that paid off, but giving horses time is bloody hard when you know they have ability. We'll go the nursery route now to find her level but she showed she's alright. Dubawi's offspring look to have the ability to cope with soft ground, but that wasn't the reason she won tonight. 

"People forget that horses run better in firmer conditions - some just cope with soft ground better than others! She'll go on any ground and we'll see what she's worth in the latter half of the season, but she's incredibly likeable and today was a step in the right direction."

YOUMZAIN did a decent piece of work in company with Green Army and Mykingdomforahorse and Mick was pleased with what he saw. 

"He wasn't scintillating but I'd be worried if he ever was. He just enjoyed himself and today was the beginning really of his Arc build up. He's fit, it's just a question on keeping a lid on him until October when we'll try and get him to Longchamp at his peak once more. 

"He's a seven year old entire and knows his routine inside out. The problem is that he's so well we need to do something with him to occupy both mind and body and as his preparation steps up you can see that he knows what's coming. It's a question of us keeping him safe and sound - his well-being is his own biggest problem at times as he can get fresh.

"With him we're wishing time away, which I suppose is a crime at my age. The Arc is such a big deal though that we just want to get there in one piece and at our very best."

MUSIC SHOW did her first piece of faster work since her second place to Goldikova in the Prix Rothschild at the end of July. 

"She's a similar story to Youmzain in that there hasn't been a problem all year. She's just been ticking away between her races and all we've done is keep her happy, taking her out and doing light work. She blew a few cobwebs away this morning but nothing dramatic took place. The one thing about her is she's a trainer's dream. She's so easy to work with and has a character to die for.

"The Matron Stakes at Leopardstown is very much on the radar at the start of September and we'll head there all being well. She's been on the go for a long time and I've been very concious of that - but she shown no signs of it and seems in great order."