Bash at Southwell

      Bashful Boy runs at Southwell Today 

There is just the one jumps meeting today up at Catterick and while the stable does not have any jumps runners we do have one on the flat at Southwell, Bashful Boy.  He runs in the lucky last at 5.40pm, a 2m2f handicap and Joanna Mason rides.  Bashful Boy has not won for a while but has been running consistently to be placed this winter bar a slightly below par effort last time.  That race was not really run to suit and he had had several quick races in a row.  He has had a little break and we have freshened him up so I am hopeful of a good run today.  It does look a competitive race and we are about 12/1 in the betting but I do not think we would be this big a price if we had not had that run last time.  He likes the track and this distance is a slightly unusual one but good for us.  The handicapper has given him a chance and while the favourite may prove difficult to beat I hope we have a very good each way chance.

In Ireland there is a jumps card at Naas while there is another all weather flat meeting at Kempton today as well.  The Catterick card has both a claimer and a hunter chase on it and I do like to see claimers, I think we should have more of them.  The two at the head of the market, Mermaids Cave and Pigeon House are two horses who probably aren't capable of winning off of their current handicap marks and so this looks a good opportunity for one of them to get their head in front but I am not sure which one! At the weights and the ratings it should probably be Mermaids Cave who did win a claimer at Huntingdon earlier in the season.  This horse is in to be claimed for £12,000 and win lose or draw you can put in a claim for him or any of the other horses (at their advertised claiming prices) if you would like to own him! I shall watch this race with interest but I am not sure I will be wanting to claim any of them!

Well done to Rian Corcoran yesterday who rode a double at Newcastle.  He was going up there with one very good chance in the bumper but picked up a spare ride when Robbie Dunne was stood down for the day through injury.  Rian made it a first and last race double on his first visit to the track with two very good rides.  He did pick up a whip ban on the first horse however, exceeding the maximum number allowed by two which means an automatic one week suspension.  He gave the last bumper horse a brilliant ride as she was very green and looked well beaten at half way but he rode her with great maturity, got her back in the race and got up near the line.

Well none to my nan's team Wolves who beat Liverpool 2-1 at home last night - I did say it would be a tricky match for Liverpool and so it proved!  In other results, Everton beat Burnley and Sunderland beat Leeds while it was a 0-0 draw between Bournemouth and Brentford.  There are five Premiership matches this evening with four of them kicking off at 7.30pm, Aston Villa v Chelsea, Brighton v Arsenal, Fulham v West Ham and Man City v Nottingham Forrest.  Manchester United are away to Newcastle at 8.15pm.  I think Manchester City will win this evening at home to Forrest but it will be a tricky game away for Arsenal away at the Amex against Brighton so it could make things even more interesting at the top of the table after tonight's games.

The worst pub I've ever been in was called The Fiddle.

It was a vile inn.

Have a good day!