Double Up!

      No Walkover Winner at Chepstow

It was a fantastic across the card double for the team yesterday with Neon Moon winning at Ascot and No Walkover winning at Chepstow.  It was nearly a treble with Turenne just losing out in a photo finish up at Catterick and Vision De Maine also ran well to be third.

It was great to get another win from Neon Moon at Ascot yesterday under a fine ride from Harry Cobden.  We dropped him back in trip to 2m5f and he looked to be flat out from an early stage but he jumped well and Harry kept him the race without ever hassling him and after jumping the second last well he produced him to pass all his rivals and win going away on the run in.  He was back down to below his last winning mark and he likes the track and ground and thankfully everything fell into place for a nice win.  He was doing all his best work at the end and he is a great credit to the yard to keep him coming back every year and winning a nice prize or two.

          Neon Moon running at Ascot 

No Walkover very made a pleasing stable debut to win the bumper at Chepstow under Conor O'Farrell.  The race wasn't really run to suit as they went quite slow early and he was quite keen and then it turned into a bit of a sprint but he picked nicely when asked and battled all the way to the line.  It was a close thing at the line but thankfully his nose was just big enough!  He is a lovely big four 4 year old who has a very exciting future ahead.  

Turenne made a pleasing British debut and was unlucky not to make it a winning one, losing out by a head in a photo finish to be second.  He travelled and jumped well and kept galloping to the line but just drifted off a straight line after the last hurdle which did not help his cause.  He was conceding a penalty and the winner was well backed so I don’t think it was a bad performance and he will come on a lot for his debut in this country.  He will appreciate a bit softer ground and probably a more galloping track but this was a good start.

Vision De Maine ran well to be third at Ascot yesterday, holding every chance jumping two out and keeping on one pace to the line but not quite the speed of the first two.  He is a thorough stayer and will be winning more races over marathon trips.

Today we have one runner, Phantomofthepoints who runs in the stayer’s handicap hurdle at 2.25pm and Jack Tudor rides.  Our seven-year-old was third in the race twelve months ago off a slightly lower handicap mark and this looks a very open and competitive race and he is about 22/1 in the betting.  He has had a wind op in the summer and is in good form at home so I hope we have a good each way chance again.  He would probably prefer the ground a little softer but they did have 4mm of rain and they may get a little more before racing starts.

There is a fantastic day of racing to look forward to today with the jumps action coming from Ascot, Haydock and Huntingdon while in Ireland they have a good card at Punchestown which features Lossiemouth in the Morigana hurdle.  The flat racing is at Wolverhampton and Newcastle.  There are some very good races at the British tracks today with plenty of high class horses in action at both Ascot and Haydock.  Too many to mention here but make sure you have the TV on this afternoon!

There is also plenty of hight class sport away from the racing as well.  The International rugby matches continue with the pick today looking between Ireland and South Africa at 5.40pm once the racing has finished.  Closer to home, the Exeter Chiefs play the Bristol Bears at 3pm.  Premiership football action returns with the early kick off being Burnley against Chelsea at 12.30pm, Newcastle are at home to Manchester City in the tea time kick off at 5.30pm.

Things do not look that good for England in the first Ashes test down under.  England were all out for 164 in their second innings and Australia are now batting and hunting them down and are currently 75-0 and need 130 more runs to win the first Test.

I've lost control.  I don't see an end.  There is no escape.  I don't even have a home anymore.

Guess it's time for a new keyboard!

Happy Saturday!