Broadway Best!

There was another nice winner for the yard on Saturday when Broadway Buffalo (pictured above) was the ready winner of the Tommy Whittle chase at Haydock on Saturday.  I thought that Conor O'Farrell gave him a fantastic ride, dropping him out at the back and putting him to sleep - in fact, he never even put him in the race until approaching the last and when he finally did ask him for his effort the race was over in a matter of strides.  Conor is one of the most laid back individuals you are ever likely to meet and this ride typified him to perfection.  Meanwhile, Taj Badalandabad ran okay on his handicap debut to finish fourth, although I just wonder whether the bottomless ground may have found him out?

It is the last day of racing before Christmas and there are only three meetings taking place with a jumps card from Bangor and two all-weather flat fixtures from Kempton and Wolverhampton.  The stable has no runner this afternoon and our next racecourse representatives will be on Boxing Day.

Talking of Boxing Day I see that stable jockey Tom Scudamore has said that at odds of around 8/1, he reckons that Dynaste is a big price for the King George VI Chase at Kempton.  The fly in the ointment could be last season's Arkle runner-up Champagne Fever who has always looked as though this sort of test would suit him down to the ground.  When pressed, Tom said that Dynaste was the one horse he was looking forward to riding over the Christmas period - and then he went on and nominated Batavir as well!  You have heard it from the horses mouth, well just about!

Jockey Mattie Batchelor has always been one of the great characters of the weighing room and I loved his quote saying he had completed his Christmas shopping just 42 minutes.  The significant other will be pleased to know that he has just returned from Poundland - he certainly knows how to spoil a woman.

*****

How did ten man Liverpool not manage to beat Arsenal yesterday afternoon?  They had all of the play and looked much the better team.  Indeed, Arsenal had two shots on goal and scored on both occasions, while Liverpool had no fewer than 26 chances yet only converted two of them!