Busy Friday!

    Ben Lilly runs for the David Pipe Racing Club today!

It is a busy Friday for the team with runners across four meetings and two codes today. We have two runners at Doncaster, three at Cheltenham, one at Bangor and one on the all-weather at Southwell this evening.  Bonheur De Ballon and Ben Lilly had an early start to Doncaster with the first race due off at 11.25am, Royal Defender, Duc De Beauchene and Paricolor head to Prestbury Park, First Lord Du Cuet is at Bangor and Oceanline is our flat runner at Southwell.

Bonheur De Ballon run in the opening contest on the Doncaster card, a two mile handicap hurdle at 11.25am and Gearoid Harney rides.  He is a winner over hurdles in France and has just had the one run for us at Newton Abbot when he pulled up on heavy ground.  We were disappointed that day as he goes nicely at home. He has had wind surgery since that run and I think he will appreciate the bit better going today.  It is a competitive race and we are 16/1 in the betting but hopefully we can learn a bit more about him this morning!  Ben Lilly runs in the 12.30pm handicap hurdle over 2m7f and Gearoid Harney is in the saddle again.  The pair have won twice already this season and his form reads 31313 so hopefully he can continue the sequence for the David Pipe Racing Club!  He got bogged down in the sticky ground at Chepstow last time so he will appreciate the better conditions today as well.  There are only seven runners but it is a tight little betting race and we are 6/1.

First Lord Du Cuet heads to Bangor and I think he is our best chance of a winner today.  He runs in the 1.30pm three mile handicap chase and Jack Tudor rides.  Nothing went right for him at Cheltenham on his last run and seasonal appearance and he eventually unseated after getting badly hampered at the third fence.  He drops down in grade this afternoon and he will like the track and conditions.  While he has yet to win over hurdles he is very genuine and consistent and I hope today he can get his first victory over the larger obstacles.  He is 3/1 third best in the betting.

Royal Defender runs in the opening contest on the Cheltenham card, a very competitive looking novices hurdle over two miles at 12.05pm and David Noonan rides.  Our five year old has been a bit of a slow burner but is improving with every run and there is definitely more to come.  We are a big price today and if we could sneak a place we would be very happy.

Duc De Beauchene runs in the Veterans chase at 2.25pm and David Noonan rides.  The trip is 2m4f which may be a little short of ideal these days and he does like the spring time so we will watch and see what happens today, he is a 12/1 chance in the betting.

Paricolor runs in the concluding handicap hurdle on the card at 3.35pm over three miles and David Noonan rides. Our seven year old ran a cracker at the track last time to be third over 2m5f and the step up in trip will suit today.  That was behind our very own American Sniper who was just in front of White Rhino who heads the betting to today’s race.  We are an 11/1 chance and I think we have a great chance from bottom weight.  He loves the track and hopefully he won’t be too far away.

It was tough going at Taunton yesterday for our runners.  Chauffeur Driven didn’t handle the sharper track compared to Ffos Las last time but now qualifies for a handicap mark while Time Interval was too keen for his own good early in the race.  Bumpy Johnson tried to take a few of the fences home with him but was only beaten 11 lengths in his race in the end.  American Sniper finished fourth, with a return to a more galloping track likely to suit better going forwards while Bashful Boy ran okay and will appreciate some help from the handicapper.

Last night in the football Liverpool and West Ham were in Europa League action and Liverpool lost their game 2-1 to Union Saint-Gilloise while West Ham won their match 2-0 to their opponents SC Freiburg. 

Tonight there is one Premier League match, Nottingham Forest are at home to Spurs at 8pm.

Don’t throw sodium chloride at people.

That’s a salt!  Happy Friday!