- Saturday, 19 November 2011 08:33
- Written by Chelsea Eggleton
The stable runners performed creditably without quite getting their heads in front at Ascot and Haydock yesterday, in fact we had a second, two thirds and a fourth. The drop back to two miles proved to be the undoing of Decoy, while Piraya and Swing Bill also performed well in the handicap chases under big weights.
It would be great to fare a little better with our runners this afternoon - Lough Derg, Dan Breen & I'msingingtheblues go at Ascot and Buena Vista, Dynaste and Tamarinbleu run at Haydock. It is a cracking day's action with Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Long Run making his seasonal debut in the Betfair Chase and if ever he is going to get beaten, it could be on his seasonal reappearance - I can't imagine that he would be fully wound-up at this stage of the season and the big bookies Ladbrokes and Hills are offering odds-against him this afternoon.
- Friday, 18 November 2011 08:28
- Written by Chelsea Eggleton
We have four runners this afternoon, including two that are bidding to supplement their successes from last week's Cheltenham Open Meeting. Dashing grey Swing Bill will now be partnered by Conor O'Farrell as he replaces Tom Bellamy, while he is also reunited with Decoy who escapes a penalty for winning the conditional jockeys' race last week. Conor is also aboard our other Ascot runner Piraya, while Tom Scudamore makes the journey up to Haydock for the mount on Sure Josie Sure.
- Thursday, 17 November 2011 08:01
- Written by Chelsea Eggleton
We don't have any runners this afternoon but we have plenty of entries over the coming few days. While I was on the gallops I was able to capture a couple of those on camera - Shaking Hands, who has entries at Exeter and Ffos Las, and Teshali who is in at Ludlow on Monday. Shaking Hands worked in company with the evergreen Lough Derg, while eshali was upsides Consigliere.
- Wednesday, 16 November 2011 08:02
- Written by Chelsea Eggleton
I see that following his spectacular win in the Paddy Power Gold Cup the handicapper has raised Great Endeavour by 10lbs to a new career-high rating of 157. With a 4lbs penalty in The Hennessy, that leaves him theoretically 6lbs "well-in" at Newbury - let's just hope that we do not get too much rain between now and then and the going does not come up too testing as I think he is a better horse on goodish ground. Personally, I think that he will stay the trip - remember he finished a very close third over hurdles at Cheltenham over 3m1 1/2f on soft ground as a five year old...I guess that question will be answered if he takes his chance on Saturday week.
- Tuesday, 15 November 2011 08:15
- Written by Chelsea Eggleton
It was yet another good day for the yard yesterday with a double at Plumpton. I thought that Notus de la Tour jumped really well around Plumpton yesterday afternoon in the novices' chase on only his second outing over fences. He was well supported in the market and duly justified that confidence by bolting up and odds of 4/9. Plumpton is quite a tricky course with those downhill fences on the far side of the course taking plenty of jumping. I didn't see him make a semblance of a mistake en route to an emphatic twenty-four length success and I think that David will soon have to step this one up in class.
- Monday, 14 November 2011 08:20
- Written by Chelsea Eggleton
What an incredible Open Meeting the yard enjoyed at Cheltenham over the weekend with Great Endeavour's impressive Paddy Power success supplementing the hat-trick enjoyed by the yard on Friday. Great Endeavour produced an amazing performance to dot up in the big race - he received a great ride from Timmy and even a mistake at the last did nothing to stop his momentum as he bounded up the hill. He certainly looks as though he will get further and David will now have to decide whether to aim him for the Hennessy at Newbury over 3m2f - he would receive a 4lbs penalty in the Newbury feature, which would make him attractively weighted - I am sure the handicapper would give him a good sight more if the weights had not already been announced!
- Sunday, 13 November 2011 00:00
- Written by Chelsea Eggleton
It is the final day of the Open Meeting at Cheltenham this aftenoon and we have just the one runner, African Broadway in the red-hot Grade 2 novices' hurdle. He has looked to be a highly progressive individual in his two starts since arriving at Pond House, winning a Newbury bumper and a Chepstow hurdle in good fashion and he is certainly deserving of another step-up in class. Tom Scudamore takes the ride.
