- Monday, 21 April 2014 11:35
- Written by David Pipe
No Secrets - Will run at Sandown on Saturday
Well I hope that everyone has enjoyed their Easter weekend? I know my kids certainly did and enjoyed an Easter egg hunt around Pond House and we certainly have quite a lot of chocolate in our house right now!
Unfortunately we did not get a winner in the last few days but the horses have been running well and just hitting the post so to speak! At Haydock on Saturday Shotavodka ran really well in a competitive handicap chase to finish second. This was his first try at three miles and he seemed to get the trip well and this now opens up more opportunities for him in the future. He is not over big in size but he jumped really well and we were delighted with his run. Heath Hunter also ran a great race to finish second in the handicap hurdle. He probably just got his nose in front on the run in but went down fighting to the Jonjo O’Neill trained Carlton Jack. The ground was lively enough for our seven year old and he does appreciate a bit more cut in the ground but it was still a fine run. He holds a few entries this week but whether he runs or not will depend on ground conditions.
Dan Breen ran in the Sussex champion hurdle at Plumpton yesterday. He ran well and returned to form somewhat to finish third. He raced enthusiastically which was nice to see and just lost second place on the line. This was a step back in the right direction and he will probably be kept on the go as he prefers quicker ground and on this evidence it should hopefully not be too long before he is able to get his head in front again. He does have an entry at Sandown on Saturday so we will see how he is during the week and decide from there.
We are on the count down to the final days of the season and we have a few chances of adding to our winners list over the coming days. We are mainly hoping we can get Tom Scu to have two winners so he can reach the milestone of 100 winners in a season for the first time in his career. As I have mentioned there were some near misses over the weekend but fingers crossed he can get the two he needs during this week. We have two runners at Ludlow on Tuesday. Too Generous finished second to subsequent EBF final runner up Saffron Wells last time at Market Rasen and a repeat performance would see her go close. She steps back up in distance which should also suit. Purple N Gold also runs at Ludlow. He was slightly disappointing on his comeback run at Taunton on his latest start but has subsequently dropped a couple of pounds and runs off top weight in this race. We have put a visor on him and the track and ground should suit.
Looking ahead to a bit later in the week, we will probably be making the trip to Scotland again for their three day meeting at Perth. Problema Tic and His Excellency will definitely run and keep an eye on Chester’s Chat throughout the week for more news of our runners. No Secrets has been confirmed for the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown on Saturday in what looks to be a fitting finale to the season. It is also great this year that we actually have a four day break in racing before we start the new season! While I would welcome a much longer break before the start of the new season this is definitely a step in the right direction and it is nice not to be starting again on Sunday!
Lots of the staff our heading off to the local point to point at Kingston St Mary this afternoon, both riding and spectating! Check back on Chester’s Chat for news of how they get on tomorrow.
