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    The Liquidator runs at Punchestown

Today there are five flat meetings at Bath, Kempton, Windsor, Southwell and Wolverhampton.  If you are a real glutten for punishment then you could go to Kempton and then pop down the road for the evening meeting at Windsor!  I have just been looking through all the Punchestown entries for this week.  I see that Mr Mullins has two runners in the 5.30pm race tomorrow - the 2 mile champion chase.  David runs Ballynagour in this.  Our eight year old has run two solid races at Cheltenham and Aintree recently and this looks a very imteresting race with 200,000 Euros up for grabs.  If you get into trouble you could do worse than follow the Mullins horses in all the races at Punchestown in the coming days!  David also has The Liquidator running in the 4.20pm champion novices hurdle on Tuesday.  Again Willie Mullins has the favourite Faugheen who will take all the beating but The Liquidator did win the champion bumper at Punchestown last season so does not mind travelling across the Irish Sea!  Tom Scu rides both of these.  One thing is for certain there will be a lot of guiness drank this week!

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    Ballynagour heads to Punchestown

Today there are just two flat cards at Ayr and Kempton.  The jumps season has finished and for once there is a few days break before we start again.  Quite often everything has started again today but it is nice even just to have a few days off!  I still think a two month break would suit everyone, including the horses but I don't see this happening anytime soon.  All jockey's amd trainers are back to zero again and it is a clean slate for everyone.  The big meeting coming up for jumpers now is Punchestown next week.  It is like a real party out there and the Irish do know how to look after you!  David is likely to have a few runners with The Liquidator, Ballynagour, Seven Nation Army and Tullyesker Hill already on there way over there.  Un Temps Pour Tout and Western Diva could follow them later in the week.  I know some of our staff are looking forward to going or at least hoping to go!

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     Dynaste before his bubble bath!

Top Wood put up a good performance to finish fourth carrying top weight at Chepstow last night.  He lead and was only overtaken and beaten narrowly on the run in under Tom Scudamore.  David does not have any runners today as unfortuantely No Secrets was balloted out of the Bet365 chase at Sandown.  David is still going to the season finale and we are parading Dynaste as part of the day's proceedings.  He has been enjoying going out to grass of late and rolling in the mud as you can see from the photo above!  He had to have a bath yesterday in preparation for today!  

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         Top Wood on the Gallops

His Excellency ran a good race to finish fourth at Perth yesterday.  He was not beaten that far and stayed on all the way to the line.  He always seems to run well and consistently without winning!  He even looks like he may want a bit further on this evidence so maybe worth a try over three miles.   Our two Perth runners arrived home safely during the night and are all fine this morning.  There is plenty of racing on today, five meetings.  There are two flat cards at Sandown and Doncaster plus jumps cards at Perth, Newton Abbot and Chepstow.  David runs Top Wood at Chepstow in what looks like quite an open and competitive handicap hurdle.  He is quite consistent having won 5 of his 12 career starts, he has won at the course before and he would have a chance at 15/2 in the Racing Post.

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       Swimming at Pond House

We opend our doors to the Thoroughbred Breeders Associtaion yesterday and welcomed about 50 members for a tour of the yard and to watch the gallops.  We had a very enjoyable morning, meeting old friends and making many news ones which culminated in lunch down at the local Culm Valley pub.  They witnessed a parade of horses, looked round the yard as well as viewing some horses loose schooling, going on the treadmill and swimming before watching third lot on the gallops.

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      Problema Tic - runs at Perth

There are five race meetings on today, the over the sticks at Perth, Taunton and Southwell plus flat cards at Epsom and Catterick.  David runs Problema Tic up at Perth in the 5.00pm hndicap chase.  He ran okay up at Ayr on his latest start over hurdles and is dropping down the weights but does have to step up on form on recent runs to take a hand in the finish.  We have sent travelling head lad Craig Wylie to Scotland as he will understand what the locals are saying, am not talking about you Sean!  Keep the Cash is our only other runner of the day but he is running a bit closer to home, at Taunton, in the 5.25pm race, the second race on the card of their evening meeting.  He does have to improve on recent form to figure in this race and young Michael Heard is on board.

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   Too Generous runs at Ludlow today

May I start by saying congratulations to Tom Scu who got his two winners at Market Rasen yesterday to make it to 100 winners for the season.  Western Diva was winner 99 and Gifted Leader for Ian Williams brought up his first ever 100.  Western Diva wa very impressive on her hurdling debut.  Despite being keen she quickened away nicely, appreciating the step up in distance.  She enjoyed the better ground and hopefully she can build on this promising effort in the future.  I like Tom's honesty after the race, he said "the last time I gave Roger Brookhouse advice I told hom not to run Western Warhorse in the Arkle!"  I think Tom is riding better than ever - it must be Lottie's influence!

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