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BOSS GIVES YOUMZAIN GOOD CHANCE IN PARIS

IT will be a big weekend for the yard in Paris when YOUMZAIN tackles the cream of Europe's middle distance horses in the Arc and HATTA FORT returns from a break in the Prix Jean-Luc Legardes.

Mick said: "It's a big weekend and Youmzain is giving me all the right signals. I want a bit of cut for him and the rain I saw pissing down at the rugby last night will be a bonus.

"Hatta Fort is a different kettle of fish because we need some good ground for him. He's in great nick and goes there with a good chance. He worked well on Tuesday and again when breezing on Friday but I don't want it to be a bog."

TOUCH THE BEST CHANCE ON SUNDAY

SILVER TOUCH looks like having perfect conditions for the John Guest Diadem Stakes at Ascot tomorrow and The Boss is sweet on her chances.

He said: "It's very competetive and almost a Group 1 in my view but she's in very good nick and i'm very hopeful. She worked particularly well on Tuesday and the good to soft ground will be ideal."

MISSIT is thriving ahead of the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket and Mick went on: "She's done nothing wrong and i've always thought a lot of her. You couldn't fault the way she's been working since coming back from an enforced break when she was found to have a hairline fracture. She won doing handstands at Lingfield, and while this is a massive jump up I feel she is capable of improvement."

FOND FAREWELL TO MUTAWAAJID

MUTAWAAJID will soon be on a plane back to Australia after the colt's owners decided there are better opportunities for him there.

The gigantic four-year-old ran four times for Mick with his best effort being a close-up fourth in the Group 1 Haydock Sprint.

Paying tribute to 'Muta', whose finished fourth in a five furlong Group 3 at Newbury last time, Mick said: "He will be going back and I think it makes sense because he can advertise himself as a prospective stallion down there.

"We were unfortunate to get him in what was the middle of the Australian winter and like any horse he's needed to to acclimatize. He ran respectably in the July Cup and very well at haydock. I felt he was getting there with every day and he's knocked on the door. If he returned for a similar campaign he could do better."

STAFF SPOTLIGHTS UPDATED

Head Lad Rob Storton is featured as we underline what it takes to hack it in and around the yard whilst Box Drivers Lesley White and Andy Larkin talk about the bliss of the open road (away from MRC).

http://www.mickchannon.tv/staffspot.php

FRIDAY'S GALLOPS ON-LINE

Friday's Gallops are now on-line. 

President Dan, Eddie Dowling, House, Meeriss, Manalito, Seeking Star, Banquet, Kiribati King, Aaim To Storm, Mashrai, Puitin, We're Delighted, Silver Guest, Menadha, Hatta Fort, Wovoka and Youmzain all breezed up the all-weather.

http://www.mickchannon.tv/owner.php

BOX 41's MONEY-SPINNER COULD SEEK 'DOLLARS' AT LONGCHAMP

HALICARNASSUS could make an unscheduled visit to Longchamp and contest the Group 2 Prix Dollar on the Saturday of Arc weekend should conditions remain dry at the Bois du Boulogne course.

The Cape Cross colt, standard bearer for his syndicate of owners with two Pattern successes this year, has taken his Arc Trial success at Newbury without turning a hair.

Tim Corby, spokesman for Box 41, said: "He was out in the pen the morning after and was bucking a squealing like a two-year-old. Then when I went to see him at lunchtime he was laid out spark in his box. You really wouldn't think he'd had a race at all."

Commenting on future plans for his pride and joy, Corby added: "If the weather remains dry we'll look at the Dollar and the same proviso will apply for a Group 1 in Rome on November 4, a race Mick has won before.

"We are also considering one of two options at the International meeting at Sha Tin where you always get very fast conditions. There is the mile and a quarter Hong Kong Cup and the Hong Kong Vase over a mile and a half. It would be another step up the ladder, but while he's in this frame of mind why not?"

Box 41's End of season summit meeting is reviewed on video - http://mickchannon.tv/opinion.php

YOUMZAIN BURSTING FOR ARC ASSIGNMENT

YOUMZAIN is literally bursting with health ahead of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp this Sunday week.

Under Tom 0'Brien he displayed the traits which tell Mick he's at the top of his game.

Never a horse to over extend himself at home, he travelled easily behind a lead horse before joining issue with ROYAL POWER. It was apparent 0'Brien had a lot of horse under him.

Youmzain is currently as big as 40-1 for the Arc with his 'King George' conqueror Dylan Thomas a 5-1 chance. Strictly on that Ascot form the price for Jaber Abdullah's colt is insulting.

After today's exercise Mick said: "Youmzain is bucking and squealing and has been for the past two weeks.

"He's been waiting all year for conditions to fall in his favour, as he wants a good pace and ideally a bit of give in the ground. A bigger field in the Arc would be a plus. He likes running through horses and on his last race at Baden Baden he couldn't get any cover. I know they've had very dry conditions at Longchamp but with a week and a half to the race hopefully that can change."

Tuesday's gallops - http://mickchannon.tv/owner.php

TOUCH DELIGHTS AHEAD OF DIADEM

SILVER TOUCH produced another sparkling display on the gallops this morning as she completed her preparation for the Group 2 John Guest Diadem Stakes at Ascot.

Matt Davies teamed-up with the four-year-old who changed gear instantly when asked to go past a well-regarded younger filly.

News from Ascot that the recent rain has got into the ground delighted the Boss but in an ideal world he wants to see more before Sunday, as the straight course always rides much quicker than the remainder of the track.

Mick said: "Silver Touch is in tremendous form - all we need is a bit of cut in the ground. There is rain about and we have a few days to go, so there's a good chance things will fall right for her ground-wise."

Silver Touch first came to the fore when working as well as the recently-retired Flashy Wings as a two-year-old in 2005. She wouldn't win any beauty contests but her engine has Rolls Royce qualities, and Tadgh O'Shea has developed a good understanding with her.

Her sole success this year came in the Group 3 Criterion Stakes at Newmarket in mid-summer but surely her career-best effort was to finish third in the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville.

Tuesday's gallops - http://mickchannon.tv/owner.php

TUESDAY'S GALLOPS VIDEOS ON-LINE

This morning's gallops are now on-line and what was probably the last work seen on the Summer Ground in 2007. There is a mix of two year olds and older horses working. Far too many to list in fact!

Tuesday's gallops - http://mickchannon.tv/owner.php

NAHOODH AND NIJOOM TAKE AN EARLY BATH

THE BOSS has decided to sent Group-winning fillies NAHOODH and NIJOOM DUBAI into winter quarters earlier than intended and is to rely on MISSIT to fly the flag for our juvenile fillies in the Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket.

Nahoodh came back a bit stiff after winning the Lowther Stakes at York while Nijoom Dubai failed to shake-off a coughing bug which affected her after her victory in the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Mick said: "Nahoodh was a bit stiff after York, since when the ground has been getting quicker and quicker. She's continued in light work but it makes sense to put her away for next season when her big target will be the 1,000 Guineas.

"Nijoom Dubai coughed after Ascot and hasn't managed to shake it off. Consequently we've run out of time to get her ready for the Prix Marcel Boussac which would have been her next outing."

This leaves MISSIT as the unlikely standard-bearer for West Ilsley in the Group 1 'Cheveley'. It means Tim Corby's filly has to take a huge jump up in class after skating home in a Lingfield maiden last time.

Mick added: "It's a shade ironic that Missit went onto the sidelines with a hairline frac ture soon after her unlucky defeat at the Craven meeting, but now she is back and is the one we're pinning our hopes on. We've been delighted with her since Lingfield and i'm glad we skipped the Listed race (Firth Of Clyde Stakes) at Ayr. It would have been a nice progression to go Listed on her next run, but equally it's closer to the Cheveley Park than is ideal."