6 Runners At Taunton

Today there are just two meetings taking place - one over the jumps at Taunton and one on the flat at Kempton's all-weather meeting.  The good news is that Taunton are not planning an inspection - they have frost covers over the course and are clearly confident of racing going ahead.  The stable is due to have six runners - Guess Again, Standing Ovation, Home Run (pictured above), Doctor Harper, Milor de la Borie and Bois des Aigles.  The bumper should be very informative, especially as the stable has three runners in the race (all debutants) - these races can be very tricky to assess with no form to go on.  The horses have to take in all the new surroundings and they could well show signs of greenness (inexperience) on their first outing.  We also have a fascinating video of the horses in action on the gallops this morning, including several of this weekend's Cheltenham entries.

Today there are just two meetings taking place - one over the jumps at Taunton and one on the flat at Kempton's all-weather meeting.  The good news is that Taunton are not planning an inspection - they have frost covers over the course and are clearly confident of racing going ahead.  The stable is due to have six runners - Guess Again, Standing Ovation, Home Run (pictured above), Doctor Harper, Milor de la Borie and Bois des Aigles.  The bumper should be very informative, especially as the stable has three runners in the race (all debutants) - these races can be very tricky to assess with no form to go on.  The horses have to take in all the new surroundings and they could well show signs of greenness (inexperience) on their first outing.

Below you will see a great video of the string in action on the gallops this morning during first lot.  They include several of our entries for Cheltenham this weekend including December Gold Cup hopeful Notus de la Tour, Our Father and His Excellency.  David takes you through them all one by one...

Cheltenham entries on the gallops from David Pipe on Vimeo.

Many happy returns to former champion jockey, best selling author, television pundit and president of the Injured Jockeys Fund.  Francome is 60 today and I have to say that I will miss him on television - he doesn't mince his words and tells it like it is.  I don't suppose there will be much of a celebration on tonight as he doesn't drink.  Just think, when he wakes up in the morning, that is as good as he is going to feel all day!

I will always remember John winning aboard a horse called The Burgermeister for MCP back in the very early days.  It was only a lowly seller, but back then any winner was vitally important - Martin tried to give John his instructions, but Francome just said 'leave it to me'.  He threw the horse at the last hurdle but it put down on him and the pair nearly parted company there and then.  John did manage to stay aboard and win the race but when he returned to the winners' enclosure he said 'you never told me it would try to kill me!'  - he hasn't changed much down the years, either to look at or in character and that has to be a good thing, it's just a shame he won't be commenting on the racing anymore.

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I see that Clive Smith and Paul Nicholls now seem to be involved in something of a war of words over Kauto Star.  The media do seem to love to stir things up and I cannot understand why either party didn't just refuse to comment and air their grievances in private.  Am I getting old?  I seem to be getting more sensible, in my younger days I would probably have hit someone with my ping pong bat!

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It seems that everyone is having a go at Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.  Former player Stewart Robson has branded him a dictator who runs the board.  Having said that, no-one has yet come up with a feasible alternative as manager - if he is that powerful, maybe Mr Wenger will be interviewing his replacement himself!  If you are making the directors money every year would you be moaning?  The question I find myself asking is, why do you sell all of your best players and sign bad ones to replace them?

While we are on the subject of Arsenal, I see that Bradford player Gary Jones has said that it was harder to beat Torquay than Arsenal...thaty just says it all at present.

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One sad footnote...I have to report that former inmate Maximize (pictured right), who won the Kim Muir Chase for amateur riders at the Cheltenham Festival in 2004 under Darren Edwards, passed away yesterday at the age of 18.  He had been enjoying a full and happy retirement upon the Exmoor hills with the Edwards family and will be sadly missed.