- Tuesday, 11 February 2014 08:38
- Written by Chelsea Eggleton
It's a big day for racing with the weights for the Grand National announced in London today. Much as expected Tidal Bay heads the weights at this stage for the second successive year. Senior handicapper Phil Smith has given the thirteen year old a real chance by allotting him a mark 7lbs below his current official rating of 168. Others to appear well treated at the weights include: Long Run (3lbs ‘well-in’), Hunt Ball (4lbs), Triolo d’Alene (1lb), Rocky Creek (1lb) and Katenko (1lb).
David has a team of six entries of which Junior (10-8) is the only one who would get in at this stage with the maximum field size being forty runners. However, it is still very early days and you would expect Our Father (10-8, pictured above) and The Package (10-4) to get in, while Goulanes (10-1) and Swing Bill (10-1) need a few more to come out. Standing Ovation (9-10) at number 95 looks unlikely to get a run.
- Monday, 10 February 2014 08:10
- Written by Chelsea Eggleton
The runners continued to perform well over the weekend and I thought that Dell' Arca ran a cracker to finish runner-up in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury on Saturday. He was giving the winner Splash Of Ginge 9lbs and posted another very good effort - he has now won a Greatwood and finished runner-up in a Betfair, two of the most competitive handicaps on the calendar. Swing Bowler also stayed on well in the closing stages and narrowly failed to get fourth on her first start since the Cheltenham Festival last year. While I was cheering on the stable runners, my wife was screaming home the winner - she had had the housekeeping on it because our cat is called Ginger...who needs a form book?!
- Sunday, 09 February 2014 00:00
- Written by Chelsea Eggleton
There are two meetings taking place this afternoon (weather permitting!). Exeter have to pass an early morning inspection, so hopefully they will get the thumbs up, otherwise we are left with just an all-weather flat fixture at Southwell to look forward to. Haven't I always said what a good idea these flat meetings are?! Anyway, the ground at Exeter must be pretty testing as they have altered the card to make it an all-hurdle meeting. One thing is for sure, the horses competing are going to need to be thorough stayers, Exeter is one of the stiffest tracks in the country even before allowing for heavy ground as well. The stable has three runners there this afternoon.
- Saturday, 08 February 2014 08:15
- Written by Chelsea Eggleton
There are four meetings taking place this afternoon, two over the sticks at Newbury and Warwick as well as all-weather fixtures at Lingfield and Wolverhampton. We have runners at both National Hunt meetings; Swing Bowler and Dell' Arca in the Betfair Hurdle and Seven Nation Army in the bumper at Newbury as well as Tullyesker Hill at Warwick. Tom Scudamore rides both Dell' Arca (pictured above) and Seven Nation Army, while Conor O'Farrell takes the ride aboard Swing Bowler. Meanwhile, over at Warwick conditional jockey Tom Bellamy comes in for the ride aboard Tullyesker Hill. I thought he looked interesting with Tom's claim a big help under such gruelling conditions - Tullyesker Hill will handle the ground and should run a big race.
- Friday, 07 February 2014 08:06
- Written by Chelsea Eggleton
Another day, another runner and another winner! David sent just the one runner, Prideofthecastle up to Huntingdon yesterday for the 2m4 1/2f handicap hurdle. It was a good effort from the course to secure decent prize money, with that race worth over £12,000 to the winner. Prideofthecastle produced a taking performance to make all under Tom Scudamore - he had most of the field in trouble from a fair way out and was always doing enough to hang on by 4 lengths from Art Professor. He could be very exciting once sent over the larger obstacles, although on this showing he could still win a few more over hurdles!
- Thursday, 06 February 2014 08:17
- Written by Chelsea Eggleton
I thought that Edmund Kean (pictured above) did well to keep his unbeaten chasing record intact at Ludlow yesterday when conceding 7lbs to The Romford Pele. There wasn't an awful lot in it at the line but he was having to do his own donkey work as Tom Scu was conscious not to let this become a tactical affair. He is clearly on the upgrade and I thought this was a decent performance - he jumped well in the main and there could be even better to come on a left-handed galloping track.
- Wednesday, 05 February 2014 08:13
- Written by Chelsea Eggleton
I can't believe that Ludlow have cancelled their inspection for this morning and racing goes ahead without any anticipated problems - they have obviously managed to avoid the downpours that we have had in the west country over the past 24 hours. I have never known winds and rain like it - there are loads of trees down and many homes without power...when will it all end?! Even so, there are four meetings going ahead at Ludlow and Carlisle over the sticks and a couple of all-weather flat fixtures at Lingfield and Kempton. The stable has one runner, exciting novice chaser Edmund Kean (pictured above) who goes in the 2.10pm race. It may be a smalll field, but it won't be easy as he does have to concede 7lbs to his biggest rival The Romford Pele with A P McCoy on board.
