Taunton Double

Cheltenham abandon tomorrow's
New Years' Day meeting

It was another good day for the yard yesterday with two winners at our local track, Taunton coming courtesy of Home Run and No Secrets.  The ground was as heavy as I think I have ever seen it down there and this view was supported by the times of the races, with some of them nearly 1 1/2 minutes outside of the standard time!  It was a memorable day for young Michael Heard who was riding his first winner under rules aboard Martin's own horse, Home Run despite doing his usual party piece of hanging over to the stands' side rail.  It was an excellent training performance from David who was turning out Home Run to land his fourth success in just over three weeks...life will certainly get more difficult from here on in when the handicapper has his say.  The owner was seen guzzling champagne before getting on the Buds!

No Secrets completed the double for the yard when getting up in the closing stages to beat Fine Parchment by 2 1/2 lengths - the runner-up had looked all over the winner for much of the trip, but Tom Scu managed to conjure a great late run from our runner who was having only his second start for the yard.

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I see that it is one of Martin's former owners' birthdays today.  Bob Wheatley, owner of Baron Blakeney the 1981 Triumph Hurdle winner is 71 today.  I still remember backing the Baron at 50/1 only for him to scoot home at 66's...I was some judge back in those days!  Having said that, I would love to back a 50/1 winner these days.

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I had to chuckle when I saw that trainer Jamie Osborne has hit back at Atthercaces' presenter Matt Chapman after the orange one critised his dress sense.  Osborne tweeted "If you fail in racing there are two avenues available to you, one is to become an ATR presenter, the other a jockeys' agent and Matt Chapman has been both!" ...ouch!

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I remember years ago when we used to get plenty of rain my old grandmother would tell me that it was because of the Russians sending up all those Sputniks!  I wonder who she would be blaming nowadays?!

Anyway, I hope that you all have a cracking New Year's Eve and hopefully we will have six meetings to look forward to tomorrow.