- Monday, 27 February 2017 08:39
- Written by Chelsea Morgan
There are three meetings taking place this afternoon with jumps cards from Ayr and Plumpton while there is also an all-weather flat meeting from Wolverhampton. David does not have any runners today but stable jockey Tom Scudamore travels all the way up to Ayr where he has picked up some outside rides. I thought that Gevrey Chambertin was running a good race when unseating Tom in the Eider Chase at Newcastle on Saturday - he was certainly in with every chance at the time and I think he would have finished in the frame at the very least. He is not the easiest horse to catch right but he is clearly in good order at this time so let's hope that this experience does not diminish his enthusiasm...it sounds as though I am talking through my pocket!
- Sunday, 26 February 2017 12:08
- Written by Chelsea Morgan
There are just two meetings taking place this afternoon with jumping action from Fontwell and Southwell. David has one runner today as Saint John Henry contests the three mile handicap hurdle at Southwell at 4.10pm. It is a £10,000 contest so although there is not a big field, they are quite a competitive bunch. Saint John Henry is already a winner this term, although he remains 7lbs higher than that mark. Winning jockey David Noonan is in the saddle again today and he takes a handy 3lbs off his back. Meanwhile, there is some very good prize money up for grabs at Fontwell with £80,000 in prize money up for grabs and the highlight of the card is the National Spirit Hurdle. Well done to Fontwell on a job well done...it is good to see some of the smaller tracks putting on prizes like this, although just look at Naas where the least valuable race is worth £13,500 and that is for the bumper. It makes you wonder why the Irish trainers bother to come over!
- Saturday, 25 February 2017 08:22
- Written by Chelsea Morgan
There are five meetings taking place this afternoon with jumps cards from Kempton, Chepstow and Newcastle supported by all-weather flat meetings from Wolverhampton and Lingfield. We have just one runner today as Gevrey Chambertin (pictured above) takes his chance in the Eider Chase at Newcastle at 2.45pm. It is a 4m 1/2f handicap chase with 18 runners - he has to shoulder top weight of 11-12 but he has earned that weight as he is capable of some very smart form at his best. He ran a good race last time when runner-up at Kempton and if he can build on that, he could easily outrun his odds. David won the race in 2008 with subsequent Grand National winner Comply Or Die...let's hope that he can add to that tally today!
- Friday, 24 February 2017 08:17
- Written by Chelsea Morgan
It was good to see Mr Clarkson back in the winners' enclosure at Sedgefield yesterday following his unfortunate experience at Exeter last time when the bit went through his mouth and he had to be pulled up. I thought that David Noonan gave him well-judged ride from the front, setting sensible fractions in the testing conditions. A winner of his three completed starts since joining the Pond House team, Mr Clarkson is now a 33/1 chance for the Albert Bartlett at the Festival - that may be tilting at windmills but he has given his owners, Pipe's Prospectors some amazing moments already.
- Thursday, 23 February 2017 08:12
- Written by Chelsea Morgan
There are four meetings taking place this afternoon with jumps cards from Huntingdon and Sedgefield supported by all-weather flat cards from Chelmsford and Wolverhampton. David has one runner today as Mr Clarkson takes in the 3.20pm race at Sedgefield. It is a 2m1f conditional jockeys' handicap hurdle and his last start at Exeter is safely ignored as the bit slipped through his mouth - his previous two successes read well and a repeat of those efforts will see him go very close. David Noonan is in the saddle and takes 3lbs off his back.
- Wednesday, 22 February 2017 08:30
- Written by Chelsea Morgan
There are four meetings taking place this afternoon with jump cards from Ludlow and Doncaster and a couple of all-weather flat cards from Lingfield and Kempton. David does not have any runners this afternoon but stable jockey Tom Scudamore heads to Ludlow for a couple of outside rides. Citrus ran a lot better than his finishing position of fifth would suggest - he was second coming over the last hurdle but did not look to get home over the 2m3 1/2f trip. The blinkers certainly seemed to wake him up a bit as he travelled as well as the winner for much of the race and he can find another race, perhaps over a shorter trip.
- Tuesday, 21 February 2017 08:17
- Written by Chelsea Morgan
There are three meetings taking place this afternoon with jumps cards from Taunton and Wetherby as well as an all-weather flat card from Southwell. Tom Scudamore travels to Wetherby for the mount aboard Citrus (pictured above) in the handicap hurdle at 4.00pm. It is a very competitive nineteen runner race with plenty of possible winners - he has dropped 3lbs since his last run but he would need to return to the level of his Plumpton success.
