Exeter Trio

        Only Fools runs at Exeter Today

Today we have three runners at Exeter on their biggest day of the year, Haldon Gold Cup day. Our trio of runners is made up of Mollie De Mai, Only Fools and Make Me A Believer.  Mollie De Mai runs in the 1.45pm novices hurdle over two miles and Jack Tudor rides.  She still has a lot to learn so we are just hoping she takes a step forward from her hurdling debut at Wincanton last time.  She found it all bit much in the heavy going last time but has come out of that well and would have learnt a fair bit from that initial experience.  She is a big price and as long as we see a little improvement we will be happy.

Only Fools runs in the 2.20pm handicap hurdle over two miles with Jack Tudor in the saddle again in the colours of the David Pipe Racing Club.  Our four year old is pretty consistent but hasn’t managed to get her head in front in England to date but she was a winner on the flat in France.  I think the stiff two miles of Exeter will suit her and she always tries which means you are half way there!  She was the mount of Neve Daniel in the charity race at Wincanton last time and ran well to be a honourable third – hopefully that will have put her spot on for this!

Make Me A Believer completes our runners at Exeter in the three mile handicap chase at 4.00pm with Jack Tudor riding.  Our eight year has only had seven runs in his life and promised so much as a novice hurdler before a tendon injury kept him off games for quite a time.  He returned last season and ran okay in three chases but he wasn’t the easiest to train at home so had a bit of a troubled passage.  He has had a good run this time around following wind surgery and the handicapper has given him a chance.  I hope we can see what he can really do his afternoon.  It looks a competitive race but hopefully he can run well and the have a good and exciting winter ahead.

Stray Bullet was disappointing at Ludlow yesterday but has returned home a little under the weather and so I don’t think that was his true running.  Neon Moon ran a good race to be fourth at Newbury yesterday.  He held every chance from three out but faded a little on the run in.  Maybe 2m7f just stretches is stamina round his big galloping track but it was a good effort from a mark of 130 and there will be more races to be won with him going forwards.  Only the Bold was a big price in the Pertemps handicap hurdle and things looked reasonably promising turning for home but the he flattened out from three out.  I am sure the run will have brought him on a lot and perhaps a return to fences will see him in a better light.  Eden D Houx was made a non-runner at the races.  David felt the ground was not soft enough for him so he now has entries at Bangor next week where the going in currently heavy.

There is one other jumps meeting today as well as Exeter up at Hexham.  There was due to be jumps action at Fontwell but that was unfortunately abandoned earlier in the week.  In Ireland they have jumping at Down Royal and flat racing at Dundalk while there are two all-weather fixtures this side of the Irish sea at Chelmsford at Newcastle.

Last night in the football West Ham were 1-0 winners over Olympiakos at home while Liverpool are having similar problems to Manchester United!  They lost 3-2 away at Toulouse.  There are no Premiership football games today before the action resumes over the weekend.  There is a Premiership rugby match this evening as Gloucester play host to Bath, 7.45pm kick off.

How can a roomful of married people be empty?  Because there’s not a single person in there!  Happy Friday!