AFTER my recent fall I am feeling a little sore and tender, but will survive as long as I don't laugh too much or sneeze with a few broken ribs.

It's Doncaster sales day today and I will be there to see how the sale of Saffizz and Ribble Princess goes.

Ribble Assembly will not be going as he went lame last week just before he was due to run at Stratford on Saturday.

We are waiting for the back specialist John Paterson to treat him, then hopefully we will be able to run him over hurdles a couple of times before he goes to the December sales.

Other horses in the Doncaster Sales today of local interest are Jacques Reply and Uncle Exact of the Good Hand Racing Club in Blackburn, Paradise Yangshuo belonging to Valley Paddocks Racing, and The Nurse belonging to Candice Reilly of Dunsop Bridge. It will be very interesting to see if the overseas buyers have their big chequebooks out, but I would like to bring Saffizz home with me.

All the family have seen better three-year-olds and I am sure he will improve next year, but the condition of the partnership we formed with him says he is to be sold after a year, unless they all agree to carry on.

But two partners want to sell, so under the British Horseracing Board's rules, Saffizz has to go, but we will try to bring him back if he doesn't cost too much.

On Wednesday at Newcastle, Henry Cecil, who has an excellent strike rate at the northern track, should win the 2.30 with Arabesque who made the frame on her first race in public and looka ready to do the business. Mark Johnson may run Kayo at Newcastle also on Wednesday with a 7lb penalty. He's in great form and could make it a hat trick. Mary Jane is my nap at Newcastle, she is in great form and you have to follow fillies when they are in form to beat a horse we have won with lately, Daawe of Dandy Nicholls.

Les Eyre's Night of Glass has been working well and should be a good each-way price at Nottingham on Thursday.

I had breakfast with Jack Berry yesterday morning and he gave me a tip (yes, Jack) - he gave me ten pence for opening the gate for him!

But I have been told that his Red Typhoon with Franny Norton is the best bet of the day at Doncaster on Friday.

Saturday's Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster involves David Elsworth who has paid £15,000 to supplement his impressive Scarteen Fox. I expect this to go very close as David is a very shrewd operator and would not risk that amount of money unless he's done his homework.

Have a good week.

Wednesday (Newcastle) - Mary Jane (Nap)

Wednesday (Newcastle) - Kayo

Thursday (Nottingham) - Night of Glass (EW)

Friday (Doncaster) - Red Typhoon (Nap)

Saturday (Doncaster) - Scarteen Fox (Nap)

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.