Horses for Sale

   Tuxedo Junction (GB) 


Exciting dual purpose prospect,
click here for details!

 

    Fighter Allen (FR)  


Exciting new horse with proven form, 
click here for details!

 

 

Not sure if anyone else has this trouble at the moment but it is a little difficult to know what day of the week it is with all the bank holidays!! It was a normal working Wednesday yesterday and same again today and there is plenty going on to keep me busy in the office!! There are two jumps meetings today at Doncaster and Kelso but the stable does not have any runners. Jockeys Tom Scu and David Noonan are both in action at Doncaster. There is one all-weather meeting on the flat at Southwell but the best action again will come in Ireland at Leopardstown and Limerick.

I do like the way the Irish organise their racing programme and these mini festivals of racing at different tracks provide great action. Leopardstown at Christmas has days of great action and today is no exception.  Conflated was the impressive winner of the Savill’s chase there yesterday putting him firmly back in the Gold Cup picture while also Home By The Lee did the same for the stayers hurdle by winning the Christmas hurdle yesterday for Joseph O’Brien. Gordon Elliott won the Pertemps handicap hurdle with a horse called Maxxum who was very impressive and looks a horse to follow, probably one for the notebook for the Festival in March but definitely in his next few races as well. He bolted up off a mark of 120 and looks to have plenty in hand.

The ground at Leicester yesterday was very testing and unfortunately Master Blaze failed to complete in the selling hurdle. Fergus Gillard tried to creep into the race on our four year old but he got very tired approaching two out and so Fergus pulled him up. Martinhal finished fifth on his first run back from a long time off the track. He looked to disappear out the back of the TV screen at one point but as they crossed the line he narrowly missed out on fourth place. Tom Scu felt he stayed in well to the line and will improve for the run and so it is something to build on for next time.  Today with have a Grade 1 Novices chase at 1.45pm with the betting making it a match between the Elliott trained Three Stripe Life and the Mullins trained Gaillard Du Mesnil.  The following race on the card is the Matheson Hurdle, a Grade 1 chase with State Man the short priced favourite.  

There was a bit of drama in the last race at Leicester yesterday. Jockey Tom Buckley was leading the race as the horses turned for home but he took the wrong course, going on the chase track instead of the hurdles one and he pulled up once realising his mistake. I don’t really know why these things are still being allowed to happen to be honest, basically he went the wrong side of the rail on the bend but surely thing can be made more full proof so there is no way of taking the wrong course by having better dolls or markers? Tom Buckley now has a 12 day holiday for his troubles.

Tomorrow there is racing at our local track Taunton and we have seven runners declared. Jet Smart, Colony Queen, Free Chakarte, Itacare, Doyen La Lutte, Nobel Joshua and Ferdinand Star are all names to look out for but check back here tomorrow for more news.

I watched a bit of the football last night between Leeds and Manchester City.  I didn't watch much because at the time I was watching it was still 0-0 but the game was so one sided it wasn't very exciting, it was more like attack versus defence in training!  I see the final result was 3-1 to City. I actually watched a bit of the darts, Van Gerwen against Mensur from Austria.  The underdog put up a great fight and even had a 161 check out but Van Gerwen came out on top in the end.

The only gift I got for Christmas was a deck of sticky playing cards…I’m having a hard time dealing with this! Have a good day!