Two More Winners!

It was another good weekend for the yard with the horses continuing to run well.  I was particularly impressed with Gevrey Chambertin who made mincemeat of his opponents on his handicap debut at Wincanton on Saturday winning by a very comfortable looking seven lengths.  Bookmakers reacted by shortening him for several Cheltenham contests - I am sure that his full brother (Grands Crus) would be very proud.

Amigo (pictured above) a decent ex-French performer put up a good performance to win at Chepstow under Conor O'Farrell - he should prove just as comfortable over fences as hurdles and can win again, while Shoegazer finished a creditable runner-up under A P McCoy - a last fence error sealing his fate.  Shoegazer was 7lbs higher than when last successful at Newton Abbot and was trying to concede 13lbs to the winner Carrickboy so this was a good performance.  Consigliere bounced back to form at Wincanton to finish second under Kieron Edgar and he still looks to be just about in the grip of the handicapper.  It will be interesting to see how the handicapper reacts and it could be that David will have to continue to claim weight off his back.

There was a stirring finish to the Welsh National on Saturday with Paul Carberry pulling off a vintage waiting ride.  Having said that, I wouldn't have wanted to be him if he had got it wrong!  The horse (trained by Tom Scu's brother Michael) is owned by rugby players Mike Tindall, James Simpson-Daniel and Nicky Robinson - all big blokes...can you imagine the jockey trying to explain that one away?!

*****

There are three meetings taking place this afternoon, one at our local track Taunton as well as a couple of flat meetings on the all-weather at Kempton and Wolverhampton.  The stable has five runners at Taunton with Tom Scu aboard Bladoun, Guess Again and Military Precision, Conor O'Farrell aboard Franklin Roosevelt and Tom Bellamy taking 7lbs off the back of Standing Ovation.

*****

I was watching the Morning Line on Saturday and I might be a grumpy old man, but I really don't buy into this new look Channel 4 Racing thing.  I miss John Francome terribly - he knows how to ride winners and offers an insight that nobody else on the panel is able to do - what is more, Francome never pulls any punches and tells it exactly like it is.  I am sure they will lose viewers as a consequence, so come on Channel 4 - see if you can get him back!

*****

What a great match yesterday - West Ham United 2, Van Persie United 2.  It was a great goal from probably the best striker in the world right not.  Where would Manchester United be without the Dutchman?!