- Monday, 09 February 2015 08:50
- Written by Chelsea Eggleton
What a way to announce your retirement - you ride your 200th winner of the season in a big race like the Game Spirit Chase and then tell Channel 4 that is the last time you will do it as you are hanging up your boots at the end of the season. The word legend was invented for A P McCoy - in my mind he is the greatest single athlete of all time. At the end of April he will be crowned champion jockey for an incredible 20th successive season and while he has been handsomely rewarded, the reward is certainly not proportionate to the risks he takes. Every time he gets the leg up aboard a horse he risks his life whereas footballers risk very little. McCoy has earned £3 million in percentages down the years - not bad at all I know, but when you consider that Wayne Rooney would take just 10 weeks to earn that, something is clearly wrong. McCoy the legend, Rooney the moaner (he was booked for it yesterday at West Ham)!
- Saturday, 07 February 2015 12:52
- Written by Chelsea Eggleton
Today there are just two meetings taking place (early morning inspections allowing) from Exeter and Southwell. The stable has plenty of runners at our local track, Exeter on top of Haldon Hill. It has been a bit warmer down this way over the last couple of days so let's hope we get some great jumping action. We are represented by Knight Of Noir, Top Wood, Poole Master (pictured above) and Soll, while Kings Palace ran at Newbury yesterday and was only left in here as a second preference should Saturday's card have fallen to the weather. Knight Of Noir has run two excellent races in narrow defeat at Cheltenham this season and deserves to pick up a nice prize - this is a series qualifier for the Pertemps hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival - the first eight home will all be eligible for the big one.
- Saturday, 07 February 2015 08:12
- Written by Chelsea Eggleton
There are five meetings scheduled to take place this afternoon although the prospects of the jump meetings at Warwick and Uttoxeter hinge on early morning inspections. Newbury goes ahead without any problems, while there are also all-weather flat fixtures from Lingfield and Wolverhampton. The stable has five runners at Newbury this afternoon; Shotavodka, Bygones Sovereign, Balgarry, Swing Bowler and Kings Palace (pictured above). Balgarry and Swing Bowler contest Europe's richest handicap hurdle The Betfair Hurdle, while Kings Palace is set to complete his Cheltenham preparation in the novices' chase. He has jumped with aplomb over the larger obstacles in two starts at Cheltenham and a clear round should suffice this afternoon. He is also entered at Exeter tomorrow although that is very much a second preference.
- Friday, 06 February 2015 09:20
- Written by Chelsea Eggleton
The stable enjoyed another nice winner yesterday when Skylander outbattled Sternrubin in the novices' hurdle at Taunton under conditional jockey Michael Heard. Michael has been in tremendous form of late and the horses really seem to be running for him. He is good value for his 7lbs claim and it would be a shame if he did not start to pick up more outside rides on the back of his good form. With the third home rated 121 this looked like a decent contest for the track and a good effort from our progressive winner.
- Thursday, 05 February 2015 09:13
- Written by Chelsea Eggleton
There are four meetings taking place this afternoon and the good news is that both Taunton and Huntingdon have passed early morning inspections so we have some jump racing to look forward to once again. It cetainly was nothing like as cold around here overnight. There are also all-weather flat meetings taking place at Wolverhampton and Chelmsford City. The stable has ten runners this afternoon at Taunton including promising types such as Skylander (pictured above), Sir Frank Morgan and Rathealy. Sir Frank Morgan makes his debut for the stable this afternoon and has his first try over hurdles having shown a decent level of form over staying trips on flat. Meanwhile, Miss Williams (a daughter of Wee Dinns who was also trained at Pond House) makes her racecourse debut this afternoon and will be partnered by Nick Scholfield.
- Wednesday, 04 February 2015 08:26
- Written by Chelsea Eggleton
Following another bout of freezing temperatures overnight there are just two all-weather flat meetings surviving this afternoon from Chelmsford City and Kempton. Consequently the stable has no runners and there are inspections today ahead of tomorrow's jump meetings at Doncasater and Huntingdon. There is light at the end of the tunnel however as there is no inspection planned at our local track Taunton - it must be something to do with their own little micro-climate or being in the Gulf Stream or such like!
- Tuesday, 03 February 2015 08:18
- Written by Chelsea Eggleton
With the loss of Market Rasen and Sedgefield to the weather we are left with just a couple of flat cards from Southwell and Kempton. As regular readers will know, it is not very often that I say thank goodness for the all-weather, but at least it saves us from a blank day this afternoon. Today is the first time this winter that I have had a frost on my car and judging by the weather forecast we could be in for a few more abandonments in they days to come. Fortunately there are no anticipated problems at Newbury ahead of their meeting on Saturday as they have had covers on the course since last Thursday.
