Busy Day Ahead

There are five meetings taking place this afternoon with jump racing from Cheltenham, Doncaster and Uttoxeter as well as a couple of all-weather flat cards from Lingfield and Kempton.  There will be a busy day ahead for the team as David has runners at all three of the National Hunt fixtures.  Night Edition and Warthog(pictured above) are in action at Cheltenham, whilst Golden Jeffrey and Ramses de Teillee run at Doncaster and Main Fact at Uttoxeter.

Night Edition contests the Triumph Hurdle Trial at Cheltenham at 12.40pm.  Our ex-French gelding showed decent form on the flat in France and shaped with considerable promise on his hurdling debut at Taunton three weeks ago.  He will have learned plenty for that experience and he looks sure to pick up plenty of races, but this is much tougher and improvement is required.

Warthog returns to the scene of his biggest victory when landing the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup over course and distance in December.  He contests the 2m4f handicap chase at 1.50pm and is 4lbs higher this afternoon.  He clearly relishes these conditions and a reproduction of his latest effort would see him go very close again under David Noonan.

Over at Doncaster, Golden Jeffrey makes his debut for the yard in the 2m3f handicap hurdle at 12.20pm.  He is a tough gelding who has won plenty of races over timber and is 4lbs lower than his last winning mark.  He has had a break since his last start and looks to have a decent each-way claims in a competitive contest under Tom Scudamore.

High class staying chaser Ramses de Teillee goes in the Grade 2 novices' hurdle at Doncaster at 2.05pm.  He was a good winner over hurdles at Cheltenham in October and has had a wind operation since his last start.  His chances will not be aided by the drying ground as the heavier it is, the better for him.  Tom Scudamore is in the saddle.

Our final runner is Main Fact who was a good winner at Warwick earlier in the week.  He contests the 2m conditional jockeys' handicap hurdle at Uttoxeter at 4.15pm.  Such was the manner of his latest victory that he is turned out again under a penalty.  Providing this does not come too soon, he looks to have an excellent chance with jockey Ben Hicks' claim offsetting the 7lbs penalty.

We were unable to hit the mark with yesterday's runners with Stream Lady faring best of our representatives when runner-up in the staying handicap chase at Huntingdon.  She ran a very good race and was only headed after the last.  She will certainly be winning more races over fences, particularly on better ground.  The day was overshadowed though by the very sad loss of Eur Gone West who was fatally injured when falling in the Pertemps qualifier.  He was in the process of running a great race, bowling along in front when diving at the penultimate hurdle.  He was very popular within the yard and the whole team are extremely upset, especially his devoted lass Sue.  Our thoughts and sympathy are with owner Jane Gerard-Pearse who adores her horses.  Fortunately, jockey David Noonan was unhurt.

*****

England resume their final test match against South Africa this morning on 192-4.  There was trouble yesterday with Ben Stokes uttering expletives at a member of the crowd after being dismissed for just two runs.  Stokes, for all his brilliance continues to be hero or villain...nothing in between.

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