- Tuesday, 23 December 2025 07:52
- Written by G Edwards
There may be no racing in Britain and Ireland now until Boxing Day but declarations are made this morning for racing on Friday so we will know who lines up in the King George and all the other races we have to look forward to by just after 10am. The plan, plans are always fluid with horses but we are likely to have three runners on Boxing Day, No Walkover at Aintree who will be partnered by Jack Tudor, Red Wine Supernova who will be ridden by Rian Corcoran at Sedgefield and Activist ridden by Tom Bellamy a little closer to home at Wincanton.
- Monday, 22 December 2025 07:54
- Written by G Edwards
Jaipaletemps Winner at Lingfield
It was a good weekend for Pond House with two winners from two runners. Lady Balko won the valuable mares handicap chase at Hereford for the second time on Saturday while Jaipaletemps recorded his third win of the season at Lingfield yesterday. Both were well ridden by Rian Corcoran and these wins now mean he has reached five career winners and he loses his five pound claim. He will still claim seven and an extra three in conditional jockeys races so it will still be a very valuable advantage when needed.
- Sunday, 21 December 2025 06:51
- Written by G Edwards
Jaipaletemps runs at Lingfield Today
It is a quieter day on the racing front with just two jumps meetings today at Fakenham and Lingfield. We have one runner at the latter, Jaipaletemps. He runs in the 2.30pm handicap chase over two miles and Rian Corcoran rides. He has been in good form of late, winning two chases at Ffos Las and the finishing third last time in a more competitive race at Haydock. This is still competitive but not quite as hot as last time and I hope he has a good chance. Any rain they get will help but it is not the end of the world if they don’t. He drops back in trip from 2m4f to 2 miles which shouldn’t be a problem and I think the course will suit. Fingers crossed he can be there abouts again.
- Saturday, 20 December 2025 07:53
- Written by G Edwards
Lady Balko runs at Hereford Today
There is some cracking pre-Christmas racing to look forward to today with the jumping action coming from Ascot, Hereford and Haydock. There is all-weather racing at Wolverhampton and Newcastle while in Ireland they race over jumps at Thurles. We have one runner today, Lady Balko and she runs in the 2.13pm mares handicap chase over 3m1f. It is a valuable race put on by Arc and Lady Balko won this race last year, completing a hat-trick of wins over fences in the process. She has not quite been in the same form since but has only had the one run so far this season and that was at Cheltenham where she was a little out of her depth so that can be forgiven. She just seems to be starting to sparkle at home in the last couple of weeks and I am hopeful of a good run. She does have to carry top weight which is never easy but Rian Corcoran rides and claims is very valuable ten pounds which is a huge help. She is actually only three pounds higher than last year when Geraoid Harney claimed seven so with Rian's ten claim today it will effectively be the same! It looks a tough race and we are about 9/1 in the betting but I hope she can run a big race.
- Friday, 19 December 2025 07:57
- Written by G Edwards
Walkadina runs at Ascot Today
The weather is much drier and cooler this morning at Pond House after a horrendously wet afternoon yesterday! Conditions were terrible on the top of Haldon Hill also and racing was abandoned before the final two races of the day although I am not sure if it should have really gone ahead at all. It did however, and there was a big shock in the opening race with a 300/1 winner, the longest priced winner in British Horse Racing history! There have been two 300/1 winners in Ireland but this was the first time it had happened over here and so well done to James Best and the Nigel Hawke team on their success. Ground conditions like yesterday can cause these shock results and quite often the form has to be treated with caution but well done to all connections.
- Thursday, 18 December 2025 08:03
- Written by G Edwards
Vision De Maine runs at Exeter Today
While Ffos Las was abandoned yesterday due to waterlogging, Exeter has passed its morning inspection and racing goes ahead. We had 12mm of rain here at Pond House last night while Exeter had 18mm of rain and the ground is now heavy. We have five runners there and our quintet is made up of Eton Mes, Way Of Stars, Vision De Maine, River Run Free and Saccary and all are being ridden by Jack Tudor. Eton Mes gets us underway in the opening 13 runner maiden hurdle at 12.30pm. He was fourth on his hurdling debut at Chepstow last time showing promise and hopefully he can build on that today and again finish in the first four. It was 2m3f last time which we thought would suit but actually he didn't see out the trip as well as we imagined. I think he will appreciate the return to two miles today and he won't mind the ground. The top two in the betting will be hard to beat but he is a good each way price of 12/1 to get in the frame.
- Wednesday, 17 December 2025 08:04
- Written by G Edwards
Neon Moon runs at Ludlow Today
There are two jumps meetings today and thankfully Ludlow passed it's morning inspection, racing goes ahead and we have two runners there. Newbury is the other jumps card while there are two flat meetings at Lingfield and Kempton and in Ireland they race on the all-weather at Dundalk. Ludlow were inspecting after an overnight frost was predicted but their temperature did not get as low as anticipated and there are no problems ahead of racing. We had freezing temperatures at the yard yesterday evening but have woken to much warmer conditions and heavy rain is on the way!
