Ascot & Wetherby Today

The stable has four runners this afternoon (three at Ascot and one at Wetherby).  Young Conor O'Farrell looks to have picked up a couple of nice rides aboard Arab League in the novices' handicap hurdle and Qulinton in the feature chase, The United House Gold Cup while Hadden Frost partners our other runner Gentle Ranger in the big one (a race that we won last year with Massini's Maguire).  Up at Wetherby Timmy Murphy takes the mount on high class hurdler Ashkazar in the three mile hurdle - remember he put up an excellent performance over this trip when giving weight and a beating to stablemates Junior and Chartreux at Cheltenham on New Year's Day.

The stable has four runners this afternoon (three at Ascot and one at Wetherby).  Young Conor O'Farrell looks to have picked up a couple of nice rides aboard Arab League in the novices' handicap hurdle and Qulinton in the feature chase, The United House Gold Cup while Hadden Frost partners our other runner Gentle Ranger in the big one (a race that we won last year with Massini's Maguire).  Up at Wetherby Timmy Murphy takes the mount on high class hurdler Ashkazar in the three mile hurdle - remember he put up an excellent performance over this trip when giving weight and a beating to stablemates Junior and Chartreux at Cheltenham on New Year's Day.

Class act - Ashkazar (centre) leads home a Pipe 1-2-3 at Cheltenham on New Year's Day

Ashkazar's owner David Johnson reveals his 10 To Follow for the celebrtiy competition in tomorrow's Racing Post.  It will be interesting to see what DJ picks...I know he fancies the Hammers to beat Leicester at home and I will go along with him on that one!  The football bets look difficult today...maybe I would suggest a double on West Ham at 19/20 and Birmingham at evens.

Remember Martin won the celebrity 10 To Follow competition last year beating off shrewd judges J P McManus and Charlie Swann so I will definitely be keeping an eye on his picks this time around! 

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The flat jockey's championship is certainly a lot closer than I anticipated going into the last couple of weeks of the season.  Silvestre de Sousa has managed to bridge the gap to Paul Hanangan to just three, although the reigning champ goes to Ayr today with a book of seven rides, while de Sousa only has three at Newmarket and will be heading out to America next week for the Breeder's Cup meeting.  It looks like Hanagan has the best chance of winners today and he still looks the most likely championship winner...the bookies go 1/5 Hanagan and 7/2 de Sousa.