Wincanton Trio

       Royal Mer runs at Wincanton Today

There are two jumps meetings today at Haydock and Wincanton and we have three runners at the latter, October Hill, Penn Avenue and Royal Mer.  October Hill goes in the opening conditional jockeys handicap hurdle over three miles and Rian Corcoran rides taking off his handy six pounds in this.  He has actually ridden her in all three of her starts for us and she ran very well on her first two starts but you can forgive her her last run as it rained all day up at Doncaster and she did not enjoy the soft conditions last time.  She will prefer the sounder surface today and she gives us the impression that she will just keep galloping all day and so she should appreciate the three miles for the first time this afternoon.  There are nine runners and it looks quite an open affair and we are about 9/1 in the betting.  I think she is a very honest and genuine mare and I would like to think she has a good each way chance in this.

Penn Avenue is our second runner of the day and she goes in the two mile handicap hurdle at 3.07pm and Jack Tudor rides.  She has been placed on all her start over hurdles for us and ran well at Hereford last time, staying on to be closest at the finish in third.  She will also appreciate the drying ground and is another filly with a great attitude.  She is about 9/2 second best in the betting behind another four year old who also gets the weight for age allowance.  Providing the race does not come too soon after her latest effort I think she has a great chance of getting her first win over hurdles.

Royal Mer is our final runner of the day and he is the only one of our horses who would appreciate the ground softer than it is going to be this afternoon.  He will be fine with it, he is just a better horse on heavy going.  He has run well on all his starts this season and got a deserved victory at the track last time over two miles with Rian Corcoran riding.  Rian keeps the ride this afternoon and means he is still fairly treated on his old form which should give him a good chance.  The race is over 2m4f today which will be absolutely fine on this ground and with the anticipated favourite of the race now a non-runner I think again he has a great chance.  He is another very honest and genuine horse and rarely runs a bad race so what more can you ask.  I see he is now 9/4 favourite and fingers crossed the betting is correct!

There are two all-weather flat cards at Lingfield and Newcastle and in Ireland they have a jumps meetings at Thurles.

The Jennie Candlish trained Pigeon House won the claimer up at Catterick yesterday and was claimed for £12,000 so he is off to a new home!

I don't really want to talk about the football from last night as Manchester United lost 2-1 to a 10-man Newcastle who played well.  Manchester City drew with Nottingam Forrest, Chelsea beat Aston Villa 4-1 and Arsenal did get a vital victory away from home at Brighton and now have extended their lead at the top of the table to seven points but they have played a game more than Manchester City.  At the other end of the table there was a crucial win for West Ham over Fulham and tonight Spurs have a very important game at home to Crystal Palace which kicks off at 8pm.

The England men's cricketers are in semi-final action in the T20 World Cup today against India.  The match gets underway at 1.30pm.

Germany is now advising people to stock up on cheese and suasages.

This is called the Wurst Kase scenario.

Have a good day!