Three 3's!

Sadly the yard did not manage a winner yesterday afternoon at Wincanton, instead having to settle for three third places.  The blinkers did not seem to do much to aid Tigger who has been running consistently without getting his head in front - he looks likely to win a little race although only he will know when.  Bathwick Scanno did not jump with his usual fluency, while Rainy Champion ran a nice race under amateur Mikey Ennis and looks more than capable of winning a race of this nature.

We move on to Cheltenham this afternoon where we will have three runners in the Pertemps Handicap Hurdle Qualifier, Qulinton, Raslan and the amazing Buena Vista who has won the last two finals of this contest at the Festival in March.

Sadly the yard did not manage a winner yesterday afternoon at Wincanton, instead having to settle for three third places.  The blinkers did not seem to do much to aid Tigger who has been running consistently without getting his head in front - he looks likely to win a little race although only he will know when.  Bathwick Scanno did not jump with his usual fluency, while Rainy Champion ran a nice race under amateur Mikey Ennis and looks more than capable of winning a race of this nature.

We move on to Cheltenham this afternoon where we will have three runners in the Pertemps Handicap Hurdle Qualifier, Qulinton, Raslan and the amazing Buena Vista (pictured right) who has won the last two finals of this contest at the Festival in March.

*****

I have a couple of nice photographs from earlier in the week on the gallops.  This time of a few well known names and a less familiar one...you will all have heard of top class hurdler Ashkazar who went nicely in company with Shoegazer, while American Art (already a winner four times this season) worked with recent recruit Vincentian.  We picked up Vincentian from the sales in May and he boasted some very useful form in bumpers (behind Bathwick Brave at Taunton and Cheltenham Bumper runner-up Destroyer Deployed at Towcester and Fontwell) - he looks the type to make a nice hurdler and is entered at Plumpton and Exeter next week.

  
Above left (l-r) Shoegazer and Ashkazar and right: (l-r) Vincentian and American Art on the gallops

*****

The new whip regulations which came into effect on Monday have already started to cause a storm much as predicted.  However, even I couldn't have foreseen the headlines on the front page of today's Racing Post: "Hughes: I Quit".  Top flat jockey Richard Hughes has said that he will not ride again under rules after his second ban in four days until there is a rethink on the new guidelines.  I don't care what anyone says, Richard Hughes is not a stick jockey - he is a true master in the saddle and uses his whip very little, so for him to receive two bans in such a short space of time seems ridiculous.  My main problem is with the officials - most of them are so set in their ways that they will never alter their opinions...they are always right (or so they think)!  Perhaps some of the other jockeys should follow Hughes' lead - the sport can ill afford to lose professionals of his calibre.  Another senior jockey, Jamie Spencer has already said that he is "dreading Saturday - I just want to try my best and I don't want to let anyone down".  Let's hope that they listen to the jockeys and something can be sorted out...sadly I have just looked out of my window and don't see any pigs flying past!