MCP__Mrs_P_Champagne

Today there are five meetings taking place, three on the flat at Nottingham, Beverley and Kempton as well as two jumps cards at Fontwell and Cartmel.  The two runners from the stable yesterday ran below expectations with Keep The Cash appearing to resent being held up, while Palace Jester finished fourth but was beaten quite a long way so it is back to the drawing board.  The ground was given as good/firm but the times for each race were slow which would indicate that the ground was either softer than given or there were some pretty moderate horses on display.

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Palace_Jester__Smooth_Classic_gallops_web

It is a damp and miserable morning although we have five meetings to lift the spirits this afternoon with action taking place on the flat at Leicester, Redcar, Lingfield and Yarmouth as well as a jumps card taking place just down the road at Newton Abbot.  Of all five meetings, Newton Abbot are offering the most prize money with £41,000 on offer which I reckon is a pretty good effort from the little Devon track.  I live about 10 minutes down the road from Newton Abbot and we had quite a bit of rain overnight - I know they have been watering the course, so let's hope that last nights downpours have not penetrated the ground too much.  The stable has two runners, Palace Jester (pictured above, left) and Keep The Cash, both of whom appear to hold decent chances in competitive races.

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waterunder_ffos_las_web

It was a good weekend for the yard (and for stable sponsors Bathwick Tyres) with a winner on both Saturday and Sunday.  Waterunder was successful at Ffos Las on Saturday under a good ride from Tom Scudamore and it looks as though the better ground is the key to him.  He will jump fences in time, but in the meantime there are further races to be won with him over timber on this evidence.  On Sunday Massanie bolted up at Uttoxeter on her debut for the yard, scoring by no less than ten lengths.  She is another that looks more than capable of winning again.  As previously mentioned, Wayne and Sarah Clifford own both of our winners and these successes are no less than they deserve when you consider the investment they have made in our sport.

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Today there are just three National Hunt meetings taking place at Fontwell, Kelso and Uttoxeter.  The stable runs Laustra Bad at Fontwell, while Mr Trilby and Massannie represent the yard at Uttoxeter.  Conor O'Farrell takes the ride aboard Laustra Bad and while he is back on a feasible mark, our ten year old needs to recapture some of his old form.  Over at Uttoxeter Tom Scudamore is aboard our other two runners - Mr Trilby won a point-to-point in Ireland and could go well on his hurdling debut now up in trip, while bumper winner Massannie makes her debut for the yard.

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His_Excellency__Top_Wood_grass_May13_web

It looks like being an entertaining day's racing with six meetings taking place - four of them on the flat at Haydock, Goodwood, York and Chester as well as two jumps cards at Cartmel and Ffos Las.  David is going to be kept busy tonight at Ffos Las when he saddles five runners at the Welsh track, Third Of The Third, Waterunder, Franklin Roosevelt, Kid Wizzard and Lola Galli.  Third Of The Third looks interesting to me - the six year old has run four good races and made an encouraging debut for the yard last time out and should appreciate this good ground.  He is owned by Walters Plant Hire Ltd and Dai certainly enjoys a winner on his own track.  It will also be interesting to see how our bumper runners Lola Galli and Kid Wizzard get on on their first start for the yard.

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Mo__Shaking_Hands_grass_May13_web

It looks like being a busy day of action this afternoon as there are no less than six meetings taking place - five on the level at Goodwood, Haydock, Yarmouth, Musselburgh and Catterick as well as a fixture over the jumps at Towcester.  The stable doesn't have any runners today.  Yesterday Junior finished fifth in the competitive staying handicap chase at Wetherby, a serious blunder at the second last not helping his cause although he was beaten at the time - I am sure there will be other days for him.  A P McCoy was aboard the winner of that race, Lost Glory and he has already ridden eight winners since returning from injury, meaning that he is now only 11 winners behing Jason Maguire.

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Junior_Gallops_May12

The stable has one runner this afternoon, former Royal Ascot and Cheltenham Festival winner Junior at Wetherby.  Our ten year old produced a good effort when second at Huntingdon last time out and he looks feasibly treated from a mark only 1lb higher than his best winning mark.  Conor O'Farrell gets on well with the top-weight, who has to concede upwards of 17lbs to his rivals today as he shoulders 11-12.  I thought that Midnight Tuesday ran a decent enough race at Worcester last night, he seemed to drop away before staying on again in the closing stages to finish fourth in the handicap chase.

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