- Friday, 12 January 2024 07:51
- Written by G Edwards
Today, hopefully, Wincanton will pass it’s 8:30am inspection and we will have two runners! Heure De Gloire and Rebel Angel are our two representatives, we did have Royal Mer declared but that was only in case Leicester was abandoned on Tuesday – thankfully it passed its third inspection and Royal Mer won – so he is a non-runner for today.
- Thursday, 11 January 2024 07:52
- Written by G Edwards
Royal Mer after his win at Leicester
It was great to get a nice win with Royal Mer at Leicester yesterday. He won on chasing debut at Ffos Las and then finished runner up at the track last time over slightly further and put in another good performance to win yesterday at the owner’s local track. He jumped and travelled well, looked like he might win easily but then was made to fight hard up run in but pulled out enough at the finish to score. Hopefully the handicapper can’t raise him too much for this win and I am sure there is more to come from our lightly raced six year old. He loves testing conditions and there is a race back at Leicester in a couple of weeks time which may be his next target.
- Wednesday, 10 January 2024 07:50
- Written by G Edwards
Today, hopefully racing goes ahead at Leicester and we have two runners, Royal Mer and Lady Balko. There is an 8am inspection at the track due to threat of frost but they are quite hopeful so fingers crossed! They are also inspecting at Doncaster at 8am ahead of their jumps meetings as well so hopefully there will be some jumps action to watch. Royal Mer runs in the opening race on the Leicester card, a 2m4f handicap chase and Jack Tudor rides. He has had two starts over fences this season, winning at Ffos Los and finishing second over this course last time over slightly further. I thought the step up in trip last time would suit but perhaps it didn’t and so I think he can go well in this race this afternoon back down in distance. He is a good jumper, loves testing conditions and has a good attitude so I don’t think he will be far away. I think the winner of his race last time, Val Dancer, is quite useful and coincidently runs at Doncaster this afternoon in the 3.05pm race. Maybe both he and Royal Mer can win today! There are nine runners in the race and we are just shading favouritism at 3/1 but it is quite close between a few of them at the head of the market.
- Tuesday, 09 January 2024 07:50
- Written by G Edwards
Today we have two runners at Market Rasen all being well, First Lord Du Cuet and Sizing Pottsie. We were due to have runners at Exeter as well but unfortunately that meeting was abandoned yesterday due to frozen ground. There is an all-weather fixture at Southwell and no racing in Ireland today.
- Monday, 08 January 2024 07:44
- Written by G Edwards
Today we have two runners at our local track Taunton. Johannes and Bashful boy are our two representatives and Jack Tudor rides both. Johannes runs in the 1.55pm maiden hurdle over 2 miles and is running for the second time over hurdles since joining us from France. he is the winner of a flat race in France and ran okay on stable debut at Exeter in a better race than this. The winner that day was the Gary Moore trained juvenile who went onto the win the grade one event at Chepstow after. I think the return to a sharper track will suit today and he has had wind surgery since that last run. This race looks weaker on paper than Exeter and he is about 7/2 second-best in the betting and hopefully he has a good chance.
- Sunday, 07 January 2024 07:27
- Written by G Edwards
Today we have two runners at Plumpton, Sidi Ismael and Iceo Madrik who run in the Sussex National at 2.50pm. Sidi Ismael’s season has not really gone to plan so far but loves soft going and stays very well and so fingers crossed he can have a change of luck today! He was unlucky to unseat Kevin Brogan early in the Becher Chase at Aintree and then made a mistake at Exeter last time when he cut himself and Jack Tudor wisely pulled him up before half way in the race. The handicapper has relented a few pounds and today he is reunited with jockey Fergus Gillard who finished second on him last season twice over 3m4f at Taunton and Ffos Las. The second of those was off a rating of 134 so he is four pounds lower today. He is a big price and you need to take a bit of a leap of faith to back him but hopefully he can take a step back in the right direction.
- Saturday, 06 January 2024 08:05
- Written by G Edwards
Bumpy Johnson runs at Wincanton today!
Today we just have the one runner at Wincanton, Bumpy Johnson, after unfortunately Sandown was abandoned yesterday due to waterlogging. Bumpy Johnson runs in the 3.15pm handicap hurdle over 2m5f and Jack Tudor rides. Our eight year old has had two runs over fences so far this season and after a promising enough chasing debut the wheels fell off last time at Taunton with his jumping. It is fair to say he probably did well to stay on his feet and finish as close as he did after all the errors he made on the way round but we have reverted to hurdles this afternoon to give him a confidence boost. There are just the seven runners and we are 14/1 in the betting but if he returns to the same level of form as he was in the second half of last season then he definitely has an each way chance. He is back down to his last winning mark of 120, the track and ground will be fine and hopefully he can show his true form this afternoon.
