What The Doctor Ordered!

Today there are four meetings, two of them over the sticks at Cheltenham and Bangor (inspecting at 8am) while there are another two meetings on the all-weather at Wolverhampton and Lingfield.  The stable has two runners at the headquarters of British jump racing this afternoon - Dan Breen and Master Overseer.  Dan Breen still looks feasibly rated despite being 3lbs higher than when third at Ascot last time - the winner, Petit Robin has won a Listed hurdle since so hopefully he can go close in the hands of 10lbs conditional jockey Frank Hayes.

Above: Home Run is the first leg of a double at Taunton yesterday

Today there are four meetings, two of them over the sticks at Cheltenham and Bangor (inspecting at 8am) while there are another two meetings on the all-weather at Wolverhampton and Lingfield.  The stable has two runners at the headquarters of British jump racing this afternoon - Dan Breen and Master Overseer.  Dan Breen still looks feasibly rated despite being 3lbs higher than when third at Ascot last time - the winner, Petit Robin has won a Listed hurdle since so hopefully he can go close in the hands of 10lbs conditional jockey Frank Hayes.

It was a good day for the yard yesterday with two winners at our local meeting Taunton courtesy of Home Run and Doctor Harper.  Home Run was completing a quick double following his success at Exeter last week under a good ride from conditional jockey Kieron Edgar, while Doctor Harper looked like yet another promising bumper horse for the yard when winning the concluding race under Conor O'Farrell.  MCP owns Home Run and I could hear him celebrating in the champagne bar from Brixham!  It was a real family affair as the race was sponsored by our stable sponsors Bathwick Tyres.  David said of his father's winner - 'I don't charge him training fees and he doesn't charge me rent!'...that sounds like quite a good arrangement for the trainer.  I think he will need to get Home Run out again quickly before the handicapper has his say.

It wasn't a good day for people appealing the stewards yesterday.  Oliver Sherwood and Leighton Aspell both had their bans upheld from Hereford over the Furrows affair.  Fellow trainer Alan King supports Sherwood, saying he was given a 'nice educational run' - what does educational mean?  Meanwhile Daryl Jacob also failed in his appeal after mistaking the winning line at Wincanton - a mistake that made very little, if any difference to the result.

Below you will have another chance to see a great video of the string in action on the gallops from yesterday morning during first lot.  They included several of our entries for Cheltenham this weekend including December Gold Cup hopeful Notus de la Tour, Our Father and His Excellency.  David takes you through them all one by one...

*****

What a great first Test match from young cricketer Joe Root who has held the England batting line-up together as they bid to secure an impressive series victory in India.  At the moment he is unbeaten on 67 and the longer he stays at the crease, the better it is looking for us.  A draw will be enough to secure the series...c'mon England!