- Saturday, 01 September 2012 07:14
- Written by Chelsea Eggleton
Decoy (nearside)
Today there are four flat cards at Chester, Bath, Sandown and Beverley plus a jumps card at Market Rasen. Sadly, Newton Abbot had to call off there meeting today due to a waterlogged track but as I mentioned yesterday they are hoping to race tomorrow, there second day of there usual two day Summer Festival. They have moved the big handicap chase from today over to tomorrows card which is fantastic. The course does have to pass a 10am inspection this morning for racing to go ahead tomorrow but it was dry yesterday and so far today so fingers crossed the meeting gets the go ahead. To these smaller tracks when they lose a meeting in the summer it is a big hit as it costs them a lot of money. The Newton Abbot racecourse is surrounded by a river which is tidal and this effects the water leveks which is why it can often be very wet at the Devon track. Let's hope the meeting goes ahead as there is sure to be a bumper crowd and if you are in the area it will certainly be worth going along for a good day out. David has eight intended runners and I will talk more about them tomorrow but Decoy will contest the big handicap hurdle of the day. He is one of four runners for David in the race and was a winner at Worcester on his latest start. He will be partnered by Tom Scudamore.
- Friday, 31 August 2012 06:30
- Written by Chelsea Eggleton
It was a shame that Newton Abbot have had to abandon the first day of their big summer fixture on Saturday. Given the amount of rain that we have been enduring it is hardly surprising, but you do have to feel for the course - you don't expect to lose your main meeting to rain at this time of the year! It will surely cost them through the gate and behind the bar, but they must be congratulated on moving fast to rearrange the valuable (Listed) Lord Mildmay Chase to the Sunday...providing that passes an inspection of course! With the forecast set fair for the remainder of the weekend, let's hope that it goes ahead and the course is rewarded with a bumper turnout on Sunday.
- Thursday, 30 August 2012 07:16
- Written by Chelsea Eggleton
It looks like being a busy afternoon with runners at both National Hunt meetings. Bathwick Man and American Art who finished first and second at Stratford take each other on again at Fontwell and once again there shouldn't be much between them at the revised weights. Bathwick Man will once again be ridden by Tom Scudamore and Conor O'Farrell is in the saddle aboard American Art. Meanwhile Kusadasi (ridden by Kieron Edgar) is our only runner at Hereford where amazingly despite some overnight rain, they will be watering this morning. You certainly wouldn't need any water here - we had no less than 27mm over the last 24 hours with 10mm of that coming in less than an hour yesterday afternoon!
- Wednesday, 29 August 2012 06:59
- Written by Chelsea Eggleton
As you can see from the picture above, it is yet another damp and dreary day in the west country, but at least we have our first runner for a few days this afternoon when Keep The Cash takes in the Worcester bumper at 3.20pm. Keep The Cash is a half brother to prolific winner and former Pond House inmate Seven Is My Number and it is his racecourse debut this afternoon. It is a big day for these unraced youngsters as they get taken to the races for the first time...the experience of all the people, racing in a group of horses for the first time, being put under pressure - everything is new to them. There isn't much form to go on in the race so it is difficult to assess his chance - we will just have to see how he gets on in the hands of Tom Scudamore.
- Tuesday, 28 August 2012 07:10
- Written by Chelsea Eggleton
Today there are four meetings taking place, with three on the flat at Epsom, Ripon and Southwell as well as a jumps card at Sedgefield. Personally I have only ever been to Sedgefield the once but they did make us feel very welcome with their hospitality. Indeed, they were so hospitable that one of our conditional jockeys had to drive the car home! The stable has no runners today, although we will most likely have some at Worcester tomorrow...weather permitting of course.
- Monday, 27 August 2012 07:46
- Written by Chelsea Eggleton
As you would expect from a Bank Holiday Monday there is plenty of racing action taking place this afternoon with no fewer than seven meetings - five of them on the flat at Epsom, Ripon, Warwick, Newcastle and Chepstow as well as two over the sticks at Bangor and Huntingdon. All this despite the loss of Cartmel due to heavy rain waterlogging the track - Clerk of the course Jonathan Garratt proclaimed it "...Catastrophic as normally the fixture attracts 20,000 people and it would wipe about £100,000 off the balance sheet". That is a lot of money in anyone's language, especially a small track like Cartmel, however safety has to be the paramount concern.
- Sunday, 26 August 2012 00:00
- Written by Chelsea Eggleton
There are three meetings taking place on the flat this afternoon at Beverley, Goodwood and Yarmouth. The pick of the action is definitely at Goodwood with the Sussex track hosting a Group Three contest. There is a seller on the same card and in Martin's day we would have been there to buy the winner of the 1m3f selling stakes for three year olds. I can remember once attending a meeting at Bath - they had a claimer and we claimed the first three home! Some people may scoff but remember Champion Hurdler Make A Stand came from a Leicester claimer (along with a number of other top class hurdlers/chasers down the years).
