Quiet Tuesday

There is a blank day on the jumps racing front today with four meetings on the flat to keep us entertained.  They race this afternoon and Brighton and Salisbury and then this evening the action moves to Chelmsford and Wetherby.  There is no racing in Ireland either and I can't really tell you much about the flat action this side of the Irish Sea either!  I wider racing news I see that some top jockeys are still on the look out for agents.  Top agent Dave Roberts retired six weeks ago quite suddenly at the end of the National Hunt season and he looked after a large proportion of the jump jockeys.  A group of more senior riders elected to go with Chris Dixon who you see on tv as a pundit on Racing TV, including Tom Scu but it seems just a few weeks into the season that Chris cannot do the job justice for the jockeys as he is too busy with his tv work and running a very successful racing syndicate as well.

Chris Dixon was already booking rides for top flat jockeys Cieran Fallon and Jason Watson and initially agreed to take on ten of the top jumps boys but has already stopped booking rides for Aidan Coleman and Nico De Boinville. He is going to continue to book rides for Tom Scu, Jamie Moore and Sean Bowen but fellow jockeys James Bowen and Brendan Powell have already moved to Sam Stronge.  After riding a winner at Market Rasen last week, jockey Alan Cawley announced his retirement from the saddle.  He is going to become a jockeys agent and look after four riders - Aidan Coleman, Jonjo O'Neill, Kevin Brogan and Richie Mclernon.  It is all change in the jockey agent world and it is hard to keep up!  Of the rest of our jockeys, David Noonan moved to Wilson Renwick while both of our conditionals, Fergus Gillard and Philip Armson are with Ian Popham.  

I was also sad to read that Owen Burrows' super winner of the Coronation Cup at Epsom last week, Hukum suffered a post race injury.  Owen used to work here at Pond House and this was his first Grade 1 success.  His five year old was the very impressive winner winner under Jim Crowley but was found to be lame after the race and had to be operated on the following day.  While the injury was not career threatening, because of his age there are thoughts he could be retired to stud as he is thought likely to make a lovely top potential jumps sire in the future.  

In entertainment news...I went to Bristol Hippodrome last night to watch Diveristy with my mum.  The dance group were incredible and well worth a watch on tour if you get the chance!  Have a good day everyone!