Day Two

                    Buddy Bolero

David has five runners at Cheltenham today and as you would expect it looks another very competitive card.  It is great to hear that there are no problems at the track and despite temperatures of minus 5 degrees over night racing goes ahead as planned.  We have a couple of unbeaten runners in the Bumper in Doctor Harper and Vieux Lion Rouge who have won five bumpers between them.  Mind you, the 24 runners in the race have won 35 races between them!  I met Doctor Harper yesterday, that is the real Dr Harper who he is named after, not the horse!  It is difficult to choose between all our runners in the bumper and The Liquidator should go well as well but whatever happens today they are all some very nice horses for the future.  Buddy Bolero starts off our runners this afternoon in the first race of the day, the amateur riders 4 mile chase.  He is unbeaten over fences but it is a big step in class today so it will be interesting to see how he gets on.  Top Irish amateur Jamie Codd rides and remember he won at the Festival a couple of years ago when riding Junior in the Kim Muir.  Goulanes runs in the ultra classy RSA chase.  He is four from four since joining Pond House and won a good race on his chase debut at Wetherby last time out.  This is again tougher but the horse is a real trier and he is sure to be doing all his best work at the end.  The Queen Mother Champion chase looks another one for the Henderson team with the 4/1 on chance Sprinter Sacre.  He is already a star but he looks sure to confirm that further today.

                    Goulanes

What a cracking race His Excellency ran in the Arkle yesterday to finish third.  He picked up £16,000 in prize money and he looks like he will appreciate a step up in trip at some stage.  You could have backed Hurricane Fly and Quevega at big prices in running during their races as in the end they both won quite nicely.  They are both two great champions and what a day for Willie Mullns and Ruby Walsh.  Champagne Fever was brilliant in the Supreme and he just got the better of favourite My Tent or Yours.  I said to AP afterwards that I thought he had him a bit too handy.  His reply was, "how many winners have you ridden"!  He has a fair point.

In the marquee yesterday we had a lot of our old favourite people.  Mind you, we are all getting older!  Snooker player John Parrot looked in, he loves his racing.  A face missing was actor Nathaniel Parker.  He is playing Gordon Brown in the Gielgud theatre in London opposite Dame Helen Mirren.  This is terrible planning by his agent!  Most people did not leave the marquee all day yesterdayt, it was the coldest I can ever remeber it being at Cheltenham!

Champion flat jockey Richard Hughes rides Sgt Reckless in the Bumper at the Festival today.  This could be a tip in itself!

5 out of 4 people cannot do fractions!  Have a good day.