Aegean Out Again!

I see that the handicapper has forced Nicky Henderson into running his recent Cheltenham winner Aegean Dawn at Ascot this afternoon.  Such was the manner of his success a week ago that the handicapper reacted by putting hm up by 21lbs - today he races from a mark only 5lbs higher (and that is because he is 5lbs out of the weights!).  The handicapper clearly thinks that he is a certainty for this afternoon's contest...or did he over-react to that Cheltenham win?  Remember, we finished second in that Cheltenham race with Dynaste, who himself has been raised 11lbs by the assessor.

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I see that former jockey Russell Price is making a comeback at the age of 43.  It seems likely that he will be able to get his licence back and be in the saddle by just after Christmas.  There aren't many sports in which you can make a comeback at that sort of age.

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There was a 100/1 shock winner at Hereford yesterday afternoon when Tiptronic scraped home in the juvenile hurdle.  Owner/trainer Reg Brown said that he and a few of his friends had had a few quid on at 150/1...there aren't many people that back 150/1 winners - I once backed a 50/1 winner (the trouble was, it was Baron Blakeney who returned at an S.P. of 66/1!)

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I have another couple of pictures from yesterday's schooling session, this time of winning hurdler Dream Esteem who jumped hurdles, while Faasel schooled over some Aintree style fences.  As you can see from the photographs below, they both jumped very well.

  
Above Left: Dream Esteem schools over hurdles yesterday, while Right: Faasel jumps Aintree style fences