Lion's Lingfield Success

The stable enjoyed another winner yesterday afternoon when our only runner, Little Red Lion (pictured above) displayed the heart of a lion to get the better of a prolonged battle to win the staying handicap chase at Lingfield under red hot conditional jockey Fergus Gillard.  Given a patient ride, he challenged in the straight and stayed on bravely to score a ½ length victory.  Considering this was only his second chase start (he was brought down at Ffos Las previously), he jumped very well and could win again based on this evidence.  He runs in the colours of the David Pipe Racing Club who have enjoyed 6 winners from 27 runners over jumps at a very respectable strike rate of 22%.  With Christmas just over three weeks away, a subscription to the club would make an ideal present for any racing enthusiast!

Fergus Gillard is in flying form at present having won on five of his last ten mounts, taking his tally to the season to 11.

There are four meetings taking place this afternoon with jumps cards from Haydock and Ludlow as well as all-weather flat fixtures from Lingfield and Kempton.  Lady Reset was due to run on the level at Kempton tonight but is a non-runner, meaning that the Pond House team has no runners today, although we will be back with three runners tomorrow at Wincanton.

There was more good news for racing yesterday when it was announced that leading flat jockey Hollie Doyle was among only six nominees shortlisted for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award.  She faces strong opposition against the likes of seven times Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton, heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury and snooker legend Ronnie O'Sullivan but it is a tremendous achievement even to be nominated.  Her nomination can only help to promote the sport and we wish her the very best of luck.

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Liverpool were in Champions League action last night and despite a depleted squad due to injury, they secured their place in the last 16 by beating Ajax 1-0.  Manchester City fought out a scoreless draw but that was enough to see them through also.  Chelsea and Manchester United are in European action tonight.]

British driver George Russell will get the opportunity of his young career on Sunday when he takes over Lewis Hamilton's vacant seat at this weekend's Grand Prix after he tested positive for Covid-19.  Russell has been excelling in an uncompetitive Williams car for the last season and a half but will now get the opportunity to show what he can do in the class car of the field.  It will be interesting to see how he fares against Bottas, who has proven time and again that he is no match for Hamilton.

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My wife bet me that I couldn't make a car out of spaghetti...you should have seen her face as I drove pasta!

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