Plenty To Celebrate!

Above: Shotavodka - has there ever been a more appropriately named birthday winner?!

I’m not sure that turning 40 is something to celebrate, but there were five other good reasons last week with the successes of Shotavodka, Broadway Buffalo, Alderluck, Vieux Lion Rouge and The Liquidator!  Despite my reservations, I did in fact have a thoroughly enjoyable day on Thursday capped off by the (appropriate!) success of Shotavodka at Taunton and a surprise birthday party at Pond House on Thursday evening.  I would just like to thank everyone who sent kind messages on the social networking websites - they are very much appreciated.

Shotavodka showed the benefit of his seasonal reappearance at Wetherby when winning the maiden hurdle from the Paul Nicholls trained Maxin Chop in good style at Taunton.  He ran much better than his finishing position would suggest at Wetherby, challenging the very useful Up And Go for much of the way until getting tired in the straight.  The drop back in trip and frontrunning tactics certainly suited him at Taunton and this was a very pleasing performance – this was only his third start since joining us and I am sure there is more to come from him.

The stable’s good form continued on Friday with an across the card double at Newcastle and Bangor courtesy of Broadway Buffalo and Alderluck respectively.  Broadway Buffalo (pictured left), who was unbeaten in two bumpers, including a useful looking Aintree race, was making his eagerly awaited hurdling debut.  His jumping improved as the race went on and by the time they reached the long Newcastle straight he was pinging his hurdles.  With the right horses coming to the forefront (the runner-up was rated 115 and the third horse a winning bumper performer), the way in which he comfortably drew seventeen lengths clear of his rivals bodes well for the future.  He is entered in the Neptune Investments Hurdle and the Albert Bartlett at next month’s Cheltenham Festival.

Alderluck completed the double on the day with success in the 3m6f handicap chase at Bangor under a good ride from amateur jockey Mikey Ennis.  He was unlucky when unseated at Wincanton on his previous start when we thought he would go well and this was just reward for his patient and enthusiastic owners Barry and Celia Rayner.

Although we drew a blank on Saturday there were a host of other notable performances, not least from Swing Bowler who ran a great race on only her sixth start (and second in handicap company) in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury.  To the fore throughout, she stuck on bravely once headed and will most likely be heading to the Festival for one of the handicaps such as the County.   Time may well prove that she was faced with a nigh impossible task to beat impressive winner My Tent Or Yours who looks like a good thing if taking in one of the novices’ contests at Cheltenham.

We were back to winning ways on Sunday when landing both divisions of the bumper at Exeter.  Vieux Lion Rouge extended his unbeaten record to three with another gutsy performance from the front under a double penalty.  You don’t see that many horses win three bumpers and he is clearly a horse of considerable potential – match that with a great attitude and a tangible will to win and you can see why we think so much of him.

Although numbers for the following race were considerably depleted owing to the very testing conditions, The Liquidator could do little more than beat his rivals in facile style.  He is yet another exciting youngster in our care and along with Vieux Lion Rouge; he could head to Cheltenham for the Festival bumper.

I was pleased to see the trainers support the meeting at Exeter on Sunday – the prize money was very good and they were rewarded with some excellent racing.  Indeed, with the likes of Many Clouds, Just A Par, Harry Topper and Melodic Rendezvous participating I wouldn’t be at all surprised if there were not one (or more) Cheltenham Festival winners in action at the Devon track.  With the Festival now only 29 days away, things really do start to build to a crescendo and I will be back at Exeter on Thursday 21^st February for a Cheltenham Preview evening where I will be appearing on the panel along with Philip Hobbs and Paul Nicholls and Racing Post pundit Andrew King, Channel 4’s Tanya Stevenson and bookmaker Paddy Power.  It should be an interesting and informative evening, so if you would like to attend do get in touch with Exeter racecourse.

I can give you a further update on Grands Crus (pictured right) who is back cantering now following his disappointing effort in the Argento Chase at Cheltenham.   He was given an easy time of things after his race while we tried to get to the bottom of his lacklustre effort and he is now being treated for gastric ulcers.  He is back on the gallops and looks well in himself so I will need to speak with his owners and decide the plan of action.  Tomorrow (Tuesday) there is a forfeit stage for the Gold Cup, Ryanair Chase and World Hurdle and I can inform you that he will be scratched from the Gold Cup but will be left in both the Ryanair Chase and World Hurdle.

The Grand National weights have been unveiled this morning in London and there are very few surprises to speak of.  Once again senior handicapper Phil Smith has compressed the weights by effectively dropping the ratings of several of those at the head of the weights meaning that 59 of the 83 entries are in the handicap proper.  Tidal Bay heads the weights on 11-10 and is 9lbs lower than if this were a normal handicap, others that are well-treated at the weights include Albertas Run, Weird Al and former Gold Cup winner Imperial Commander.

Of the four entries from Pond House, The Package (10-8) is guaranteed to get in and has a nice weight.  You have to forget about his last run over hurdles, but prior to that the form of his Hennessy fourth looks to be strong.  Of course, we have it to do with Tidal Bay at these weights but the Grand National is a unique test.  Problema Tic and Swing Bill (10-4) are just outside of the top forty in the weights at 45 and 47 respectively, so should get a run come 6^th April. Problema Tic was still going well when an unlucky faller at the 17^th in the Becher Chase and deserves his place in the line-up, while Swing Bill gave Conor O’Farrell the thrill of a lifetime when 10^th in the race last year and has had a better preparation this time around.  We are going to have to see how things go between now and then for Matuhi (9-11) as he needs plenty above him to come out.  The top ten in the weights (and our entries) are as follows...