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HATTA TO MISS NATIONAL

HATTA FORT will not be going for the National Stakes at The Curragh this Sunday following the news that Godolphin are to run Rio De La Plata in the Group 1 race.

Owned by Sheikh Ahmed, Hatta Fort will now wait for either the Royal Lodge Stakes at Ascot or the Beresford Stakes at The Curragh.

Mick said:"Hatta Fort has been working great and will run well wherever he goes. The next opportunities are those Group 2s at Ascot or The Curragh and I imagine he'll run in one of them."

OWNERS "FIVE TO FOLLOW" UPDATE - BLACKWELLS BLAZE A TRAIL

After Sunday's Box 41 conversation, it's now crystal clear as to why George Blackwell complained about the Owners' "Five To Follow" update being long overdue. As if being a member of one of the most progressive and successful young syndicates wasn't enough!

George, you're obviously a reader of this page, but seeing as you're seventeen points clear, need you be so anxious???!

Bally continues to lead George's pursuers along with BA's Darren Walker, whilst the "Hampshire Mafia" Messrs Taplin and Trant cast an ominous, intimidating shadow in the distance.

The Blackwell clan are also represented by both Ruth and Anne and it was good to see Aussie Colin Baker over to enjoy the West Ilsley hospitality on Sunday having travelled all the way from his Antipodean base. I'm yet to meet a more committed owner!

Box 41 provides SIX of the Top Ten protagonists - What is their secret?

The Top Ten

I have too much warmth and love in my soul to comment on those featured below........

The Bottom Ten

Susan Harding is thinking of entering the owners' competition next season.

STAFF "FIVE TO FOLLOW" O'BRIEN ON SONG

As the Autumn Campaign fast approaches, we begin to brace ourselves for the business end of the season.

Apprentice Tom O'Brien enters this crucial period with a mixture of hope and trepidation. Not only is he fretting over his wager with Matthew "Maggot" Davies for the West Ilsley Apprentice Title (Tom leads 5-3 at the time of writing), he has now kicked for home in the "Five To Follow" Competition.

Halicarnassus continues his rich vein of form in Group Company, whilst the promising Green Wadi will be giving young Thomas good reason to feel confident as he leads the way by 14 points.

"Brazillian Pete" has been a permanent stalker in the top five of the leaderboard for some time now although the emergence of Assistant Joe Tuite in the past ten days is a worry to all of the staff in the yard.

It's bad enough with Joe barking orders to stop drinking tea and to, "Get your arses in gear!" in between lots every morning, but the thought of him picking up the winners prize at the Christmas Party is simply too galling to even ponder.

Bet Channon certainly has staying power - 84 years young and clearly more astute than her youngest Grandson Jack.

Lord Ilsley has astutely taken a pull in 17th ahead of Alfredtheordinary's imminent but much overdue rise to  major prominence, celebrity status and national fame at the tail end of the season.......

The Top Ten

At the bottom, in 85th place, Sue Harding still remains anchored to the canvas with seemingly no hope of beating the count.

Even the lead-booted Patrick the Turtle has stopped gloating in front of his landlady about his superior equine judgement from his glass tank in the front room of West Ilsley's Racing Secretary's basement abode.

How she finds face to come in to work every morning is a mystery to us all.

Patrick has a job interview next Monday.

The Bottom Ten

The Boss continues to languish in 35th position.

His brother Phil is streets ahead of his elder sibling and a job swap suggestion -with Mick running Hylands Fruit & Veg shop in Bishops Waltham, whilst Phil takes the reins in the yard for a fortnight - was warmly recieved in West Berkshire.

The Hylands Staff in Hampshire however, flatly refused to even entertain the idea.  

MISSIT IMPRESSES GUINEAS SPONSORS

MISSIT earned an introductory quote of 50-1 with the sponsors for the Stan James 1,000 Guineas following her mesmerizing performance at Lingfield.

Tim Corby's filly travelled beautifully for Tadgh O'Shea, pulled herself to the front at halfway and came home in a canter five lengths clear of Elizabeth Swann. Few six furlong maidens have been won with such authority this season.

Before Missit made her debut at the Newmarket Craven meeting she looked the best of our juvenile fillies but following an unlucky defeat there she was found to have a hairline fracture of a front leg. Rest was the only cure, but since coming back into full work we've been privileged to see some tantalizing performances from her on the gallops.

She has an entry in the Cheveley Park but with Nahoodh and Nijoom Dubai on the scene it could be that Mick decides to point her at one of the valuable sales races. Watch this space, because this is a good filly.

CHANNON NAP-HANDED IN SALES RACE

THEY say a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Well, the boss has five of them amongst the foliage for tomorrow's Samsung £300000 St Leger 2-Y-O Stakes (3.45) at Doncaster, headed by the fillies DELLINI and JOHAR JAMAL.

With a team completed by the colts CARLETON, TADALAVIL and THUNDER BAY Sheikh Channon clearly means business.

Assessing his chances after watching the quintet breeze on the all-weather this morning, Mick said: "Off their ratings they are all entitled to take their chance. It's a 300 grand pot and we're going for the loot.

"Dellini is a very nice filly who is improving with racing but she's drawn on the other side of the course to Johar Jamal. Dellini won at Chester despite being a bit uneasy on the track while Johar won a competetive nursery at Newmarket before disappointing us a bit in an identical race to today's at York.

"Carleton has some good form in the book and we're not discounting either of the other colts who are in equally good form."

GOODWOOD ON HALI AGENDA

HALICARNASSUS is poised for a return visit to Goodwood - where he has run both well and disappointingly this year - for the Group 3 Select Stakes on Sunday.

The Box 41-owned colt landed a three-runner race there in May but was out with the washing in a handicap at the 'Glorious' meeting. The jury is still out as to whether he truly handles the track.

Box 41's Tim Corby revealed that 'Hali' is to be retained by his owners for a third season's racing next year and that he could be a busy bunny in the interim.

Tim said: "Firm ground is a qualifying factor for Halicarnassus and if it's like that at Goodwood we might as well seize the opportunity rather than waiting for the Arc Trial at Newbury by which time the weather might have changed."

The Cape Cross colt finished a creditable second to record-breaking Echo Of Light in the Group 3 Strensall Stakes at York last week - a cracking effort for the only 3-year-old in the field. He was gaining at the finish and must have beaten the old record time himself.

Corby added: "We see him as the right type for the Dubai Carnival next winter and in the meantime there are other possibilities including a Group 1 in Rome on the first weekend in November.

"We are also considering taking him to Hong Kong for the International meeting and the Hong Kong Cup. It's over a mile and a quarter, is always run on fast ground, so why not?"

YOUMZAIN TO GO STRAIGHT FOR ARC

YOUMZAIN heads to Longchamp for next month's Arc without another outing, having delighted Mick since returning from the Grosser Preis Von Baden in Germany.

The colt did not enjoy the rub of the green at Baden Baden where the stop-start gallop and lack of cover in the straight contributed to his downfall. Under Richard Hughes he was finishing strongly but in fourth place to a German-dominated trio led by Quijano.

Mick said: "Youmzain has taken it all in his stride and looked in great nick doing a solo stretch on the all-weather this morning. Lesley White rode him and said he felt fantastic.

"The Arc has always been his main objective and that's where he goes next. I feel that he'll be happier in a bigger field at Longchamp, while in the Arc they always go an English pace. I know he has a bit to find on the book but he's capable of mixing it with the best of them, so bring it on."

CHANNON DOMINANT AS DIGITAL PIPS STIR CRAZY AT BATH

MICK delivered 'the old one-two' in what turned out to be a result which gave him 

great personal satisfaction as DIGITAL shaded STIR CRAZY in the sprint handicap at 

Bath today.

Ten-year-old Digital virtually trains himself on the course and is a credit to his

trainer and owner, 93-year-old Bill Wightman.

Of the gelding's first win of the season Mick commented: "I'm absolutely chuffed for

Bill whose just spoken with me on the phone and I can tell you he's in great heart.

Having Digital in training keeps the old boy happy - like the horse he

absolutely loves the game."

HALI PLAN IS GROUND DEPENDENT

PLANS for Halicarnassus are flexible but Mick is keen to point the colt at Newbury's Arc Trial later this month.

'Hali' finished second to Echo Of Light in the Group 3 Strensall Stakes at York last week - a fine effort as he was the only three-year-old in the field.

The boss said: "He needs it on top so we have to hope for a dry autumn. If we get it he could go to Newbury or for a race at Goodwood where he's already won this year."

Our runners at Doncaster next week will include Baddam in the Doncaster Cup, while Johar Jamal is set to return to nursery company following her defeat in a Sales race at York. Dellini is another filly set for action on Town Moor."

BOSS LAUNCHES FURIOUS ATTACK ON HAYDOCK

MICK has viewed Haydock's actions in refusing to alter the official going for Saturday's Betfred Sprint card with open-mouthed disbelief and today called for rule changes to safeguard against a similar faux pas in the future.

The boss vented his frustration both on the site and in an article in Friday's Racing Post and was appalled to find the Haydock going left at good, good to firm in places on Saturday.

Our runner Mutawaajid performed with distinction to finish fourth behind Red Clubs and we are left to consider what might have been if Haydock had resisted the temptation to water.

Mick fumed: "There has got to be a system put in place which states that Clerks of Courses are not allowed to water the day before a meeting. The times tell you it was soft on Saturday and all the jockeys agree. So my worry is that the Clerk of the Course was telling a blatant lie.

"I  find it absolutely ludicrous how we put up with this sort of thing. We knew on Friday it was on the soft side of good and yet we still can't get it right. It brings about huge dissatisfaction and the BHB should be fined. They are misleading us in print. We are a laughing stock and I blame the BHB."

Mick is perplexed (for want of a stronger word!) that after such a freak summer of record rainfall any course is willing to consider watering. he went on: "The thoroughbred has survived for hundreds of years because it has raced on fast ground and all of a sudden they can't run on it. What is happening to racing? The whole thing has become a joke."