There are two jumps meetings today at Hereford and Huntingdon and while the stable does not have any runners, Jack Tudor is in action at Hereford.  There is also a horse to watch at Huntingdon and hopefully a winner if you like short priced favourites, Carlton in the 4.15pm handicap hurdle.  The James Owen gelding beat our very own Saccary last week at the track under a penalty and this looks a good opportunity for him to win again.  There is no racing in Ireland today and just the one all-weather flat card over here at Kempton this evening.

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           Eton Mes runs at Exeter Today 

There are two jumps meetings today at Exeter and Wetherby and we have three runners at the first mentioned, Shot Boii, Eton Mes and Allstitchedup.  Shot Boii runs in the 2.20pm handicap hurdle over three miles and Rian Corcoran rides.  He did finish second over fences at Wincanton earlier this season but his latest two efforts have not been very good.  He has not seemed to enjoy jumping the larger obstacles of late so we are going over hurdles today at a track he likes, hoping this may spark a revival.  He shows all his normal enthusiasm at home but of late, none on the racecourse!  He is a horse I have always liked and I really do hope we see him a bit more like his old self today.  He probably would prefer the ground a little softer than it is going to be but he is well handicapped on old form.  He is a big price, about 25/1 and it will be a watching brief for me just hoping he enjoys it and runs well.

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       Jaipaletemps Winner at Chepstow

What a Sunday is was for me and my family as our horse, Jaipaletemps won for the fifth time this season at Chepstow under another fine ride from Rian Corcoran.  Racing off a mark 25 pounds higher than for his initial success back in November at Ffos Las he continues to improve and he won nicely again yesterday.  He has won over this trip before but everyone seemed to think he was better at two miles but he saw it out really well yesterday and probably jumped the best he had in a race.  I knew he was in good form building up to the race, he loves his routine and going out in the field daily and I thought he could run well but he has already done so much we didn't dare believe he could really do it again but he did!  He is fine this morning and we will now see what the weather does, he will only run again if the ground stays soft enough.  He has taken us all on a fantastic journey this winter and we are are very grateful.

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  Jack & Little Chiefy will be in Action Today

Today we can draw breath a little on the racing front after a hectic week but there are two jumps meetings at Chepstow and Market Rasen and we do have one runner at the former, Jaiplatemps.  He runs in the 5.05pm handicap chase over 2m3f, Rian Corcoran rides and I am hopeful!  Our seven year old is looking for his fifth win of the season and returns to Chepstow where he ran well in a higher grade of race to be second last time.  While on a career high handicap mark he ran well off just 118 last time and with Rian back on board claiming his seven pounds I hope we have a good chance.  You could argue he is slightly better over 2 miles but he has won at this distance and now running at this level I think he needs this trip.  We know he handles the track and ground and I am hoping there is one non-runner, with Tom Symmonds horse running at Uttoxeter yesterday.  The favourite, Risk De Pluie won over course and distance last time and looks to be the one to beat though he does have to run off a career high handicap mark as well.  Fingers crossed for a big run from our fella.

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   Thanksforthehelp runs at Uttoxeter Today

Cheltenham may be over for another year but the jump race action continues thick and fast today with four meetings at Uttoxeter, Kempton, Fontwell and Newcastle and there is also a flat card at Southwell with no racing in Ireland.  We have two runners at Uttoxeter with their feature race being the Midlands National at 3pm.  17 runners go to post for their marathon chase and it looks very competitive as you would as expect.  The Emmet Mullins trained J'Arrive De L'Est just shades favouritism but the second horse in the betting, Aworkinprogress is a horse I like a lot and is steadily progressive as his name suggests! He looks tailor made for a race like this and I think he should run well for J P McManus.

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In the blink of an eye we have reached Gold Cup day!  I think it has been a great week for racing at Cheltenham with some super competitive racing and it has been very difficult to find the winners, for me anyway!  I enjoyed another day out at Prestbury Park yesterday and while the weather wasn't great there was a nice atmosphere in our marquee and everyone was in good spirits.  The drive home was not so nice last night with high winds and lots of rain - if only this rain had come before racing yesterday!  The ground was not soft enough for Kingston Queen but she travelled and jumped very well throughout and I was getting very excited as they came down the hill towards two out.  Unfortunately for us, some rivals just quickened up past her and she was unable to go with them.  She loves a battle but she is not the quickest and would have preferred 2 1/2 miles on that ground.  It was a good run and she is still a very good mare.  Well done to jockey Tom Bellamy who rode his first Cheltenham Festival winner in that race.  He started working here as a 16 year old and has established himself as one of the top jumps jockeys but this meant a lot to him, as it does every jumps jockey and it was lovely to see.

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    Matt Chapman & David doing the Tips

I hope everyone enjoyed the action from the first day of the Festival yesterday, I did and I even managed to find a couple of winners which is always a good thing!  I was at Cheltenham yesterday helping in a marquee and there was some great racing and a fabulous atmosphere in or marquee and on the course in general I thought.  They seemed to have made a few changes for the better and to me it appeared to work well.  I believe there was a slightly bigger crowd than there was last year and everything was positive.  The horses are always the stars of the show and Lossiemouth winning the champion hurdle was very special.  Matt Chapman and David did the tips in our marquee before racing and would you believe they actually did quite well with winners between them!  It was also nice to see Ramses De Teillee parading before racing in the ROR parade.

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