Big Weekend Ahead

There are only four weeks left until the start of the 2022 Cheltenham Festival and preparations for our likely participants continue apace.  We are only likely to have a handful of runners, but you want to make sure they arrive at the meeting in the best possible shape and this week is an important one in adding those finishing touches, especially with Champion Hurdle hope Adagio (pictured above) having his final prep run in the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton on Saturday.

Big Weekend Ahead

Adagio tweaked a muscle back in December, which ruled him out of the International Hurdle, but he has had regular physio sessions since and he has been back in full training for some time.  He has done everything we have asked of him at home and he has been pleasing me.  We decided to sidestep the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury last Saturday with preference for the Kingwell at Wincanton this Saturday.  With the likes of Goshen and Monmiral featuring among the entries, it looks like it will be an informative Champion Hurdle Trial.

The form of Adagio’s Greatwood Hurdle second at Cheltenham’s November meeting has worked out particularly well with numerous winners from those behind since, including Glory And Fortune who won the Betfair Hurdle on Saturday at Newbury and Marie’s Rock who landed the Listed mares’ hurdle at Warwick.

In addition, this weekend, exciting novice chaser Brinkley holds an entry in the Reynoldstown Chase at Ascot.  It is a race we won last year with Remastered and Brinkley may try to follow in his stablemate’s footsteps for owners Brocade Racing.

Meanwhile, Haydock also host a big meeting and Sidi Ismael is likely to represent the Pond House team in their Grand National Trial.  He has thrived over staying trips since joining us and with Bristol de Mai a likely runner, he gets in right at the foot of the weights on 10-2.  We have also left Gwencily Berbas in at the latest stage, although he has alternative options in the Eider Chase or Devon National the following week.

We will have several runners before then however and we commence this week with four runners at Plumpton today (Monday).  Major Robinson, Neon Moon, Affoburg and Red Happy run there and we look to have some reasonable each-way chances.

Shot Boii, a winner last time out at Ffos Las, competes in the 2m7f handicap hurdle at Lingfield on Tuesday.  He appreciated the step up in trip and with the ground looking very soft; it should be another real test of stamina.  He took a big step forward last time and I hope that he can continue to improve, although a 7lbs higher mark does make this tougher.

Wednesday will be a blank day, although we will probably have a few runners on Thursday with Seventeen O Four and Grangeclare Glory entered at Sandown and Abaya du Mathan engaged at Fontwell.

Looking back to last week and whilst we didn’t get on the scoreboard, there were more creditable performances.  Kalzari ran her best race since arriving from France when a close second in the 2m3f handicap hurdle at Taunton on Tuesday.  She looked the likeliest winner for much of the race, but was just nabbed close home.  This was much more like it and she should be winning something similar based on this evidence.

Heure de Gloire was running well at Ffos Las on Thursday when falling at the last of the 2m4f handicap hurdle.  She was never quite meeting the hurdle on the right stride, but she was staying on strongly when coming to grief.  She settled much better on this occasion and is another who should be winning sooner rather than later.

Crossing Lines travelled extremely well for much of the way in the 2m7½f novices’ hurdle at Uttoxeter on Saturday before tiring in the closing stages.  An encouraging third on his first run back from an absence, he disappointed last time in a hot race at Lingfield, but this was much more like it.  He shaped as though he would not be inconvenienced by dropping back in trip.

Cheltenham Marquee

With Cheltenham fast approaching our hospitality marquee at next month’s Cheltenham Festival, is quickly filling up.  Whilst we have availability for Gold Cup Day, we are almost sold out for the first three days of the meeting.  The marquee is always popular and for the exclusive use of our owners and members of the David Pipe Racing Club.  It offers a great base for the day, away from the hurly burly on course and the jockeys and pundits daily previews are always eagerly anticipated.

You too can be a part of the action by joining the David Pipe Racing Club.  It offers members a great deal of fun and many of the benefits of racehorse ownership, but at a bargain price.  You can find out more by clicking here…