- Tuesday, 09 January 2024 07:50
- Written by G Edwards
Today we have two runners at Market Rasen all being well, First Lord Du Cuet and Sizing Pottsie. We were due to have runners at Exeter as well but unfortunately that meeting was abandoned yesterday due to frozen ground. There is an all-weather fixture at Southwell and no racing in Ireland today.
- Monday, 08 January 2024 07:44
- Written by G Edwards
Today we have two runners at our local track Taunton. Johannes and Bashful boy are our two representatives and Jack Tudor rides both. Johannes runs in the 1.55pm maiden hurdle over 2 miles and is running for the second time over hurdles since joining us from France. he is the winner of a flat race in France and ran okay on stable debut at Exeter in a better race than this. The winner that day was the Gary Moore trained juvenile who went onto the win the grade one event at Chepstow after. I think the return to a sharper track will suit today and he has had wind surgery since that last run. This race looks weaker on paper than Exeter and he is about 7/2 second-best in the betting and hopefully he has a good chance.
- Sunday, 07 January 2024 07:27
- Written by G Edwards
Today we have two runners at Plumpton, Sidi Ismael and Iceo Madrik who run in the Sussex National at 2.50pm. Sidi Ismael’s season has not really gone to plan so far but loves soft going and stays very well and so fingers crossed he can have a change of luck today! He was unlucky to unseat Kevin Brogan early in the Becher Chase at Aintree and then made a mistake at Exeter last time when he cut himself and Jack Tudor wisely pulled him up before half way in the race. The handicapper has relented a few pounds and today he is reunited with jockey Fergus Gillard who finished second on him last season twice over 3m4f at Taunton and Ffos Las. The second of those was off a rating of 134 so he is four pounds lower today. He is a big price and you need to take a bit of a leap of faith to back him but hopefully he can take a step back in the right direction.
- Saturday, 06 January 2024 08:05
- Written by G Edwards
Bumpy Johnson runs at Wincanton today!
Today we just have the one runner at Wincanton, Bumpy Johnson, after unfortunately Sandown was abandoned yesterday due to waterlogging. Bumpy Johnson runs in the 3.15pm handicap hurdle over 2m5f and Jack Tudor rides. Our eight year old has had two runs over fences so far this season and after a promising enough chasing debut the wheels fell off last time at Taunton with his jumping. It is fair to say he probably did well to stay on his feet and finish as close as he did after all the errors he made on the way round but we have reverted to hurdles this afternoon to give him a confidence boost. There are just the seven runners and we are 14/1 in the betting but if he returns to the same level of form as he was in the second half of last season then he definitely has an each way chance. He is back down to his last winning mark of 120, the track and ground will be fine and hopefully he can show his true form this afternoon.
- Friday, 05 January 2024 07:53
- Written by G Edwards
Shot Boii yesterday after his win!
It was great to get our first winner of 2024 yesterday with Shot Boii winning at Hereford for the first time over fences with Jack Tudor riding. He wore the ‘famous Lough Derg’ red visor and he travelled and jumped really well at the head of affairs throughout and when asked for more approaching the last he duly obliged to score quite easily. It was great to see him bounce back from a slightly below par effort last time and hopefully the handicapper won’t overreact to this win and he can build on this again next time.
- Thursday, 04 January 2024 08:16
- Written by G Edwards
Shot Boii runs today at Hereford!
Today we have one runner at the only jumps meeting of the day at Hereford, Shot Boii. He runs in the 2.58pm handicap chase over three miles and Jack Tudor rides. Our seven year old is having his third start over fences, having run well at Lingfield on chasing debut before and not quite running up to expectations at that track last time out. The handicapper has given him some help and he sports a first time visor over the larger obstacles to help him concentrate a little more. He is a four time hurdle winner who is still just above his highest hurdle winning mark but the track and ground should suit. It looks a tight little race judged on the betting and we are about fifth best 7/1 in the market.
- Wednesday, 03 January 2024 07:54
- Written by G Edwards
Today we just have the one runner on the all-weather at Kempton, Ocean Heights and hopefully the meeting will go ahead! We went all the way to Fakenham yesterday only for it to be called off! It was called off for safety reasons because the medical team felt the ambulances could not get to stricken jockeys within 1 minute of a fall which is a requirement of the BHA. So I get why it was called off, I just cannot understand why it is nearly at the time of the first race before this decision was made. The weather was terrible here but Fakenham even updated their ground report at 10.15am and there was no mention of any potential problems, two hours before the first race. What I also don’t understand is why 4WD ambulances are not in operation at this track if they don’t have a hard track for vehicles on the inside of the course like at point to points who manage very well in similar circumstances?
