Spencer on Stressfree...

He's over-complicating it on bad ground when there's no need to. The clear run down the outer was there for him, but he chose to go inside and didn't get a clear run, then had to go back to where he should have been in the first place by which time the winner had gone beyond recall.

The ride last week on Witch Hunter in the valuable Ascot handicap was one of the worst I've seen. He vacated an uncomplicated position, which was then taken by Soumillon on the eventual winner, to try and burrow his way through a wall of horses.

I'd say he probably cost connections a chunk of prize money by not finishing at least second, and had he kept it simple, he probably would have given the winner a race imo.

he's having a bad run of things.

He's drawn one on Thunder Roar, and clearly nothing wrong with the far side judging by how Cover Up sprouted wings on that part of the track, so given he's due a winner now he's been slagged off on the betty forum, we'll see...

He will end up on the stand side.

It will be his first winner for nearly 40 days if he does

The other thing about the Witch Hunter ride, was that there'd already been a big field sprint on the straight course, where James Doyle and Oisin Murphy on Kind Of Blue and Flora Of Bermuda, had high draws to overcome, but they kept it simple on bad ground, sat to the outer and finished first and third respectively.

Spencer, originally at the back of the five high drawn horses, had cover and the option to move to the outer when he wanted to, but chose to over-complicate it, and Soumillon immediately moved into the position that Spencer had vacated before moving out for the clear run down the outer.

I was convinced it was Stressfree's day today, should have known better. I think these days Frank just likes to show off and win on everything finishing fast and late so he looks good. How often does it actually work?

Geore B knows, the forum curse ??

another masterclass.

different day, different race, different horse, same old same old from the saddle

Tbf, I wouldn't criticise for him that ride as he's had a clear passage and got past them all except for a rapidly improving 3YO.

I see Spencer has a ride tomorrow in the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud for Peter Chapel-Hyam on a colt that has yet to race in this country after three starts - Harvey.

Thunder Roar doesn't have to be ridden cold as his Haydock run showed.