1000 Up For Scu!

It was a memorable day for the stable and the Scudamore family at Musselburgh yesterday as Impulsive American bolted up by nine lengths in the maiden hurdle.  The winner was the 1,000th success of Tom's career which is a marvellous achievement and he joins his father amongst others in the very exclusive band of people to have achieved this.  In doing so they became the first father and son combination to ever achieve the feat.  I thought I had just better mention this this morning otherwise Tom's wife Lottie will be on barking in my shell-like!  Impulsive American won well and provided the handicapper does not go crazy, he looks as though he will be competitive in handicaps from this sort of mark. 

Meanwhile Chic Theatre ran a blinder to finish runner-up to 1/4 favourite William H Bonney at Towcester and a reproduction of this sort of effort will certainly see him winning before long.

There are four meetings taking place this afternoon with jumps action from Kelso, Fontwell and Leicester (who have passed an early morning inspection) as well as an all-weather flat fixture from Chelmsford City.  David runs Prideofthecastle at Leicester - he was a winner on soft ground at the track last time on his first start for 690 days and providing the dreaded 'bounce factor' isn't in evidence he should go well once again.  He stays well and conditional jockey David Noonan takes 5lbs off his back - Stilletto looks to be the one to beat.

Meanwhile David also has two runners at Kelso...yes, you read correctly, Kelso!  Today's runners; Soll and Pilgrims Bay travelled up with our Musselburgh runner.  Soll takes in the Ivan Straker Memorial Chase over 3m2f at 3.05pm and our veteran looks to hold a solid chance - he stays very well and looks to have Unioniste to beat.  We also run Pilgrims Bay in the 2m6 1/2f handicap hurdle - he won at Wincanton on his penultimate start and produced another good effort when runner-up at Leicester last time.  He is not the easiest to predict although he would also go well if putting his best foot forward.  Tom Scudamore is aboard them both.

There was some shock news yesterday as Champion Hurdle favourite Faugheen was ruled out of the Cheltenham Festival with a suspensory problem.  They say that mare Annie Power could now replace him in the Champion Hurdle and she is already favourite in most books although Willie Mullins also has the next two in the betting in Arctic Fire and Nichols Canyon...what an embarrassment of riches.  It is a shame when any horse gets injured but a superstar like Faugheen makes it an even bigger pity - he looked like the star of the Festival to me.  Racing needs it's stars so we wish him all the best and hope that he can make a full recovery.

*****

Tottenham Hotspur face a difficult away game at Fiorentina tonight and it covered live from 6pm.  I am tempted to back Fiorentina at 7/5 with Hills as I always wonder if these Premiership sides are going to put out a full strength team.  Meanwhile Manchester United play Midtjylland (I had to look them up to find out they are actually a Danish side!) and I would have thought that United would be far too strong and they could be even stronger without Rooney...he's not a striker and he is not playing that well.  At 7/10 they look worth an interest.

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