Ascot, Ffos Las Runners

There are four meetings taking place this afternoon with jumps cards from Ascot, Catterick and Ffos Las supported by an all-weather flat card from Newcastle.  David has two runners today; What A Moment at Ascot and Great Tempo at Ffos Las.  What A Moment (pictured above) contests the 3m handicap chase at Ascot at 3.15pm and will be a big price.  He was due to have a crack at a third victory in the amateur riders' race at Cheltenham last week but the race was lost to the weather.  He is entitled to improve for his reappearance at Exeter after an absence of two years and is feasibly weighted from a mark 1lb higher than his last success.  This is a competitive contest as you would expect so more is needed under Tom Scudamore.

Our other runner is David Pipe Racing Club horse, Great Tempo who goes in the 2m5f novices' handicap chase at 2.50pm.  His profile is patchy but he has run well when runner-up over course and distance last season from a 12lbs higher mark.  Fergus Gillard takes 7lbs off his back and he has each-way claims on the best of his form.  If you would like to find out more details about the racing club, please click here...

Queen Adelaide finished runner-up in the boys' race at Wincanton yesterday.  She certainly bumped into an improver behind three year old Highway To Success and will not always face one as well-treated.  She was trying to concede 10lbs to the winner and came well clear of the remainder.

David's stable tour is in the Racing Post today and he talks through some of the big names at Pond House and potential targets so it is definitely worth a read.  The expert view suggests that it is the staying chasers who are the ones to concentrate on, although there are some very promising youngsters too; the likes of Kepagge and Israel Champ to name but two.

Well done to Hollie Doyle, who became only the third lady jockey to ride one hundred winners in a calendar year at Chelmsford yesterday.  An excellent achievement, she follows in the footsteps of Hayley Turner and Josephine Gordon.  There are some excellent riders about with Bryony Frost and Lizzie Kelly flying the flag over jumps.

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England ended their first innings against New Zealand with a total of 353 so they didn't build the big total they would have been hoping for.  Even so, they reduced the hosts to 144-4 by the end of play, leaving England 209 runs ahead and in the driving seat.

Great Britain were victorious in their latest Davis Cup tennis match yesterday, beating Kazakhstan despite Andy Murray being rested.  He could well be in action today as they play Germany in the quarter-finals and will find them an entirely different proposition.

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Thought for the day...Has anyone else noticed how "National Rail Timetables" is an anagram of "All trains aim to be late in"?!

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