Full House!

The stable's horses continue in good form with a winner on Saturday at Ffos Las, followed up by a double at Musselburgh on Sunday.  Shoegazer put up a convincing performance at Ffos Las, jumping into the lead at the last and scooting clear to win by 3 1/2 lengths and was a good winner for stable sponsors Wayne and Sarah Clifford who own Bathwick Tyres.  I thought that Minella Four Star also ran a cracking good race in the staying handicap chase to be beaten only two lengths by the resurgent Blazing Bailey.

Shoegazer and Sarah Clifford are interviewed by Luke Harvey after victory at Ffos Las on Saturday

The stable's horses continue in good form with a winner on Saturday at Ffos Las, followed up by a double at Musselburgh on Sunday.  Shoegazer put up a convincing performance at Ffos Las, jumping into the lead at the last and scooting clear to win by 3 1/2 lengths and was a good winner for stable sponsors Wayne and Sarah Clifford who own Bathwick Tyres.  I thought that Minella Four Star also ran a cracking good race in the staying handicap chase to be beaten only two lengths by the resurgent Blazing Bailey.

It was a good day too for owner Dai Walters, whose Oscar Whisky landed the Welsh Champion Hurdle in facile style.  It was a fitting success as it was the drive and ambition of  Dai to bring Ffos Las to fruition - he seems to have a live chance at the Cheltenham Festival with this one and I understand that connections will go down the Champion Hurdle route with him rather than take on Big Buck's and Grands Crus in the World Hurdle.

The eight hundred mile round trip to Musselburgh certainly reaped it's reward on Sunday when both runners scored in the colours of local owners Sean and Jo Tracey.  Hunterview received a positive ride from Tom Scudamore and our five year old seemed to relish the underfoot conditions which looked very testing to the naked eye.  It was David's first winner at Musselburgh (from his first runners) and means that he has now completed the set...indeed, in only his fifth season training David has now saddled a winner at every jumps course in Great Britain - that is some achievement when you think about it...not even Martin managed that (although that was only because Ffos Las wasn't in existence when he was training!).  Come to think of it, that must be one for the Racing Post's resident anorak John Randall - we are fairly confident that Martin and David are the only father and son combination to train a winner at every jumping course available to them during their careers in Great Britain...we will wait to hear from you John!

  
Above left: Sean & Jo Tracey greet Hunterview, and right: The Trace Shuffle completes a Musselburgh double

The Tracey Shuffle completed the double in near darkness in the bumper, with our five year old brother to Mr Thriller (and half brother to Gaspara) coming home clear by a wide margin.  Tom Scu seemed to spend most of his time looking around for non-existent dangers - he would have needed binoculars (and a set of headlights) to see them.  All in all it was an excellent weekend and provided an early birthday present for David who is 38 today...Many happy returns David!