There is an exciting days' racing in prospect with four meetings taking place, including three jumps cards from Ascot, Haydock and Wincanton as well as an all-weather fixture from Lingfield.  There are plenty of runners from the stable this afternoon with Serienschock, My Brother Sylvest, Courtlands Prince and Alezanna representing us at Wincanton, while we run Ainsi Fideles and Unique de Cotte at Ascot and Broadway Buffalo and Bygones Sovereign at Haydock.  Not satisfied with having jumpers at every meeting, David also sends Softsong to run at Lingfield on the all-weather - it is going to be a busy day with a total of nine runners, the planning involved in getting horses to each meeting along with oranising staff and jockeys is immense.

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It has been a quiet start to the week but the stable has it's first runners since Monday this afternoon.  There are four meetings taking place with jumps cards from Sandown and Fakenham as well as all-weather flat cards from Lingfield and Wolverhampton.  The stable runs Bidourey at Sandown and our promising four year old is unbeaten in his four starts to date.  The Racing Post make our charge a 4/9 chance and while he is a worthy favourite, I am not sure it is that cut and dried - Restraint Of Trade was a 95 rated flat performer.  Even so, with a hurdle rating of 137 Bidourey should win if the handicapper is right.

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There are four meetings taking place this afternoon with jumps cards from Kelso, Leicester and Fontwell supported by an all-weather flat fixture from Chelmsford City.  Looking through the card at Fontwell I see that trainer Sir Mark Prescott has a very rare National Hunt runner, albeit in the bumper - an unraced four year old filly by Sea The Stars.  I would have thought that if she was living up to her breeding at home she would be racing on the level.  I wonder when the last time was that Sir Mark had a runner under jumps rules?  Champion jockey A P McCoy makes the long journey north this afternoon as he takes the mount aboard Cheltenham Gold Cup hope Holywell who is a 4/11 chance this afternoon.

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Today we have four meetings taking place with two jumps cards from Chepstow and Musselburgh (still no jumping in England!) as well as all-weather flat fixtures from Lingfield and Wolverhampton.  The A P McCoy Roadshow moves on to Chepstow today where the living legend has three rides so if you are in the area, do try to go along and see the man in action while you still can.  The stable has no runners today.

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David looks to have uncovered another nice prospect after Chic Theatre won the concluding bumper at Plumpton yesterday afternoon by a comfortable ten lengths.  He has come on a bundle since his debut effort at Newbury and while the less testing ground may well have been a contributory factor, it is amazing what a run under their belts can do for these young horses.  Meanwhile Twentytwo's Taken finished runner-up when trying to concede 17lbs to the winner and Great Choice finished a close third, also giving weight away to his rivals.  The success of Chic Theatre took our seasonal total onto 90, equalling last season's figure with some ten weeks left of the season, so the horses clearly remain in good form.

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What a way to announce your retirement - you ride your 200th winner of the season in a big race like the Game Spirit Chase and then tell Channel 4 that is the last time you will do it as you are hanging up your boots at the end of the season.  The word legend was invented for A P McCoy - in my mind he is the greatest single athlete of all time.  At the end of April he will be crowned champion jockey for an incredible 20th successive season and while he has been handsomely rewarded, the reward is certainly not proportionate to the risks he takes.  Every time he gets the leg up aboard a horse he risks his life whereas footballers risk very little.  McCoy has earned £3 million in percentages down the years - not bad at all I know, but when you consider that Wayne Rooney would take just 10 weeks to earn that, something is clearly wrong.  McCoy the legend, Rooney the moaner (he was booked for it yesterday at West Ham)!

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Today there are just two meetings taking place (early morning inspections allowing) from Exeter and Southwell.  The stable has plenty of runners at our local track, Exeter on top of Haldon Hill.  It has been a bit warmer down this way over the last couple of days so let's hope we get some great jumping action.  We are represented by Knight Of Noir, Top Wood, Poole Master (pictured above) and Soll, while Kings Palace ran at Newbury yesterday and was only left in here as a second preference should Saturday's card have fallen to the weather.  Knight Of Noir has run two excellent races in narrow defeat at Cheltenham this season and deserves to pick up a nice prize - this is a series qualifier for the Pertemps hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival - the first eight home will all be eligible for the big one.

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