The_Liquidator_web
  The Liquidator (after winning at Exeter)

The Liquidator was a fantastic winner of the Champion Bumper (Grade 1) at Punchestown last night for owner Roger Brookhouse.  Our gelding got a positive ride from Jane Mangan, a jockey who is certainly making a name for herself!  She was always fairly handy and asserted down the home straight.  It was a good prize of 52,000 Euros to the winner and our five year old looks like he could be a very useful novice hurdler next season.  Bought from Cheltenham sales earlier in season by his owner, he is the daughter of the mare Alikat who we used to train at Pond House.  He had shown good form since we had him, finishing runner up at the Cheltenham Bumper in November, he than won one at Exeter before finishing fourth at the Festival last month.  Obviously the withdrawal of the favourite Briar Hill helped but it was still a top class race and we are delighted with The Liquidator's performance.  It is brilliant for his owner Roger Brookhouse who is a big supporter of our yard and of racing in general.  We had a few drinks to celebrate last night and the horse is on his way home from Ireland for his summer holiday's this morning.

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Henok_Towcester

                        Henok

It was a great double at Towcester yesterday for the stable and both were ridden by Conor O'Farrell.  Henok won the handicap chase to record his first ever success.  He got the last fence slightly wrong but battled on gamely to beat the odds on favourite Quipe Me Posted.  His jumping is improving with experience and he holds another entry back at Towcester on Monday so he could return to the track and see if he can repeat the performance!  Weather Babe won the following race, the mares novice hurdle with another good ride from Conor.  She was a winner at the track before Christmas and she made it two from two over hurdles with a very game display.  She jumped the last very well and battled all the way to the line.

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weather_babe_towcester_web

            Weather Babe

There are five meetings on today, three over the sticks at Newton Abbot, Ffos Las and Towcester and two flat cards at Yarmouth and Wolverhampton.  Also don't forget the Punchestown Festival where the Irish get a chance to catch a glimpse of the super Sprintre Sacre.  David has runners at all three jumps metings with Milor De La Borie and Hadden Frost kicking of the action in the first race at Newton Abbot.  He is having his first outing over hurdles after running okay in a Bumper.  We also have one runner at Ffos Las, Leader of the Gang.  Kieron Edgar rides in the maiden hurdle.  David has three runners at Towcester this evening.  Henok, Weather Babe and Storm Lantern and Conor O'Farrell rides all three.

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Big_Occasion_Carlisle

        Big Occasion ran a cracker!

Today we have four flat cards at Pontefract, Kempton, Windsor and Wolverhampton plus one jumps card at Hexham.  David has no runners.  Big Occasion ran a cracker in the Scottish National on Saturday.  He finished second at 12/1 and I thought he handled the quicker ground okay.  His Excellency also finished second and picked up more prize money.  Tom Scu actually rode the winner of that race for Steve Gollings on Conquisto but it was another fantastic run from our four year old who has not really run a bad race all season.  It was not so good for Tom Scu in the next race however when he fell at the second on board Problema Tic in the Scottish National.  He was taken to Ayr hospital a bit concussed but thankfully all tests were clear and he is now at home recovering.

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This afternoon there are three jumps cards at Wincanton, Stratford and Newcastle and the stable has three runners at Wincanton - Grand Exit, Keep The Cash and Milor de la Borie.  Keep The Cash makes his hurdling debut having shown promise in bumpers and today's better ground should also suit him better than the heavy going that he raced on last time at Towcester.

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Amigo_Ayr

Amigo (pictured above) made the long trip up to Ayr worthwhile yesterday with success in the three mile handicap hurdle under Tom Scudamore.  Our six year old gelding saw the trip out well and while the ground was drying all the time, there was still enough ease in it to suit our ex-French recruit who recorded our 101st victory of the season.  I was interested to see that the Racing Post analysts suggested there was a race at Haydock next month which might suit him - perhaps they should be doing the entries?!

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Amigo_Chepstow_web

It's a busy day with five meetings taking place today - three over the sticks at Ayr, Fontwell and Southwell as well as two flat meetings at Newbury and Bath.  It is the first day of the Scottish Grand National meeting at Ayr and the stable has one runner, Amigo (pictured above) participates in the three mile handicap hurdle at 4.25pm  He has been running creditably all season and will appreciate the rain softened ground, although he does have to shoulder top weight of 11-12.  Stable jockey Tom Scudamore takes the ride.

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