Pair Of 2's

I thought that a number of our runners ran with credit yesterday.  Frosted Grape ran her heart out to finish runner-up in the handicap hurdle at Uttoxeter and was only denied by the genius of A P McCoy aboard the winner Calypso Bay.  Calypso Bay had dropped 20lbs in the weights of late and our mare was conceding 5lbs to the winner - she looked as though she would hold on for most of the way and only gave best close home.  The pair of them were thirty lengths clear of the third, so she clearly perfomed very well and there should be other days for her so long as the handicapper does not crucify her.

Very Cool also ran well at the evening meeting at Uttoxeter to finish second to Cold Harbour.  Our nine year old was trying to concede 8lbs to the winner and but for a mistake at the last, I don't think there would have been an awful lot between them.  Surfboard also showed up well for a long way until making a mistake at the third last just as he was trying to get into the race - this was certainly a step in the right direction from him.

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I see that Ruby Walsh is in the wars again and facing another several weeks on the sidelines.  According to his sister and agent Jennifer, he will probably not be back race riding until September after crushing a vertabrae in his neck at Killarney on Tuesday evening.  Ruby does seem to be unlucky with injuries - let's just hope that he makes a speedy recovery.  They tell me that on average a jump jockey will fall every eight rides - I don't know who says it, but it is probably the jockey that keeps having the falls!

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There is a good two page article in the Racing Post today about all of the big French racecourses and this will come in handy when I visit next month.  We are going to Deauville, and would you believe it...there just happens to be some racing on!  I'm looking forward to it, the French tracks are fantastic and are unbelievably good value - admission is about €5 and you have most of the facilities to yourself as the French don't seem to go racing!

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Below we have a couple more pictures from the gallops and I thought that you would be interested to see some of the recent French recruits from the Arqana sales at Saint Cloud.  Take Over Sivola and Taratata Sivola finished first and second in a decent handicap chase at Auteuil recently and look to be exciting recruits, while also in action were Gevrey Chambertin (full brother to Grands Crus) and Bladoun.

  
Above left: (l-r) Take Over Sivola and Taratata Sivola, and right: (l-r) Gevrey Chambertin and Bladoun