- Wednesday, 19 September 2012 07:18
- Written by Chelsea Eggleton
It's a big day for the yard today as the stable has one of the favourites for the valuable Kerry National at Listowel today - the race is a three mile handicap chase with a first prize of €96,400. Our runner is the ten year old Premier Dane who is in the form of his life having won all three of his starts since joining us at Pond House. He posted a personal best effort when winning Newton Abbot's valuable hurdle on soft ground last time prompting the handicapper to give him a career high hurdles mark of 145 - he competes in today's chase from a mark of 129 so hopefully is nicely wieghted on 10-10. I wonder if the sponsors will be dishing any of their goods away to the stable staff...I am sure it would be much appreciated (Guinness are the sponsors!).
- Tuesday, 18 September 2012 07:32
- Written by Chelsea Eggleton
Personally I don't think that enough is being done to promote racing to potential new race-goers. We are enjoying a golden age of flat racing with the likes of Frankel doing wonders for ticket sales wherever he runs. However, a superstar like him comes along once in a lifetime and once he has finished his career, which is likely after Ascot next month, the courses need to think of other ways to keep the crowds coming back for more. I have long advocated free entry for under 18's and more concessions for people from other age groups, but Musselburgh went one better than that yesterday by offering free admittance to people applying on-line. They were rewarded with 5,156 racegoers as compared to last year's corresponding fixture where only 866 people paid to get in. I wonder, of those 5,156 people, how many of them spent money once inside the track - surely it has to be worth the racecourses while? It's about time that some of the other tracks offered such forward thinking ideas.
- Monday, 17 September 2012 07:01
- Written by Chelsea Eggleton
This afternoon there are just three flat cards taking place at Musselburgh, Brighton and on the all-weather at Wolverhampton. If you are that badly in need of a jumps fix then there is a mixed card in Ireland at Listowel for the first day of their week long meeting. It is good to see jockey Ruby Walsh back in action and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him successful aboard both of his mounts for Willie Mullins this afternoon. They must have had plenty of rain over in the Emerald Isle as the going at Listowel is currently given as heavy - goodness knows what it will be like by Saturday if they have further downpours! Our runners, Premier Dane (Kerry National, Wednesday) and The Pier (handicap hurdle, Thursday) both left this morning so let's hope that they have an uneventful journey across the Irish Sea.
- Sunday, 16 September 2012 00:00
- Written by Chelsea Eggleton
It's a quiet day on the racing front with just a couple of meetings on from Bath and Ffos Las - they are situated relatively close together in the scheme of things...I wonder which genius at race planning thought to put those two meetings on this afternoon?! Why are there not more meetings on a Sunday? It is the one day that most people do not work! What is more, where is the jump racing? Rather than giving the jumps boys the odd week off here and there, why not give them a proper break at the end of the season and then kick off again at Newton Abbot like they did in the old days?
- Saturday, 15 September 2012 07:20
- Written by Chelsea Eggleton
There are five flat meetings taking place on these shores this afternoon at Doncaster, Chester, Bath, Newcastle and Kempton, not to mention a good card in Ireland at the Curragh. Of course, all eyes will be on Doncaster as Camelot bids for his place in history as the first Triple Crown winnner since Nijinsky in 1970. Aidan O'Brien's star three year old is a best-priced 4/9 chance to manage the feat and in the process pick up first prize money of over £311,000. There are only nine runners and the sixth home will pick up nearly £7,500...while I agree that the best races should be awarded the best prize money, it does make me wonder whether the entire scale is a little top heavy? Looking through some of the owners with runners in the Leger, I don't think that messrs Smith, Magnier, Tabor, Niarchos, Nielsen, Strawbridge, Sir Robert Ogden or Godolphin will be out on the streets if they don't win the season's final Classic. I just feel for some of the jump owners who find it hard to keep just one horse in training and are competing for £1,600 first prize money. I know some of you will point to the fact that they are privileged to have a horse in the first place, but remember this, these small owners are keeping stable staff in jobs too...I will now get off my soap box!
- Friday, 14 September 2012 06:44
- Written by Chelsea Eggleton
With the latest break from jump racing now upon us, we have four meetings on the flat to look forward to at Doncaster, Chester, Sandown and on the all-weather at Wolverhampton. The stable has a runner, Martial Law on Chester's Roodee in the two mile handicap. Our six year old doesn't know how to run a bad race and young Willy Twiston-Davies (who was in the saddle when he finished a good second at Ascot last time) takes a handy 7lbs off his back. Even over two miles, the draw at Chester is important and a draw of five is not too bad so we will be hoping for the best at 3.20pm this afternoon. The St Leger meeting continues at Doncaster and the highlight of the day is the Doncaster Cup, a race that Martin won with Far Cry in 1999 - there are three Group races up for grabs at the Yorkshire track this afternoon so it is a quality card.
- Thursday, 13 September 2012 07:06
- Written by Chelsea Eggleton
I thought that yesterday's runners performed creditably enough. American Art finished runner-up under Conor O'Farrell in a race that was quite hot for the grade. The two mile trip looked as though it was on the sharp side for him and I wouldn't be at all surprised if he were to win something similar over a bit further next time. Katchmore was a fair third in the competitive handicap hurdle under joint top-weight - the significant rain just before racing that eased the ground certainly wouldn't have been in his favour. He is a great big, scopey sort and I cannot wait to see him jumping fences in the future.
