Author: Russ

I think it’s fair to say that few people see the sense of meetings at Newmarket, Ascot at York running concurrently on Friday and Saturday this week. It is what it is, and it kicks off on Thursday with the start of the 3 day July festival at Newmarket.. Before then on Tuesday and Wednesday,…

Three Somerville Lodge trained horses head to the unique undulations of Ripon on Monday each facing the trials and tribulations associated with the course for the first time. Whilst I don’t expect any to win with the huge weekend of racing that lies ahead from Thursday, it is important that, unlike a majority of last…

Last Wednesday followers were advised that there was reason to believe that the William Haggas runners were running below form and I would not be backing any runners until more encouraging signs were seen. That proved the right decision. Unfortunately from the point of view of the up coming Newmarket July meeting, nothing has changed…

Throughout his 35 year training career Willian Haggas has remained true to his Yorkshire routes and at the heart of his list of annual targets are the main prizes at York . In 2025 he was the leading trainer at the track and next Saturdays John Smiths Cup is high on his wish list of…

The stable form is still in a slump with Al Maslool a silly price at odds on to win on his 7th start, a well beaten 3rd at Nottingham on Thursday. He will be off to the Sales in a week’s time. A team of seven from Somerville Lodge is sent to post on Saturday…

A best ever Royal Ascot and the Group 1 win of Almeraq was the highlight of a month for the yard but from my betting angle it will be remembered for a significant number of horses that were backed off the boards and beaten out of sight. Over the 30 years of following the Haggas…

There is no doubt that there is now a real issue backing horses trained at Somerville Lodge that are seen as potentially well handicapped. Here are the market moves over the past 14 days for horses in handicaps and listed races that fit that bill of being potentially well handicapped/improving horses (I have not included…

It is ironic that after paying heavily to give Eternal Force and Saber Strike chances to confirm their status as two of my top 10 horses to follow out of Somerville Lodge this season, a third High Degree turns up at Musselburgh on Tuesday in a Class 3 9f handicap at 3.00pm . The question…

When you pay 425,000 gns for a Sea The Stars colt related to numerous winners on the dam side—and name him ‘Golden Horse’—expectations are clearly sky-high. However, I suspect the anticipation didn’t last very long; he was gelded before making his debut as a 3yo in July 2025. He has been kept in training as…

Saturday turned out to be a day for the bookmakers which had been predictable. The defeat of easy Epsom Oaks winner Thundering On at the Curragh placing a big question mark over the quality of the staying fillies from this year’s classic generation. The Haggas team will be very hopeful that Earth Shot has a…