Nina's National!

There were great scenes at Fairyhouse yesterday when Nina Carberry won the Irish National aboard Organisedconfusion for her uncle Arthur Moore - talk about keeping it in the family!  She is so good that a lot of people forget that Nina is still an amateur jockey - she also became the fourth Carberry to win the big race following in the footsteps of father Tommy who won it twice aboard Brown Lad, brother Paul aboard Bobbyjo and Philip on Point Barrow - what an amazing family achievement.

*****

There were bumper turnouts at the races over the Easter period, due I am sure in no small part to the amazing weather.  Fakenham hosted a crowd of 4,500 paying customers, while the free under-17's boosted the crowd to nearer 8,000 - I bet it was quite tight for room as Fakenham isn't the biggest track at the best of times!

*****

So much for people saying that drifters cannot win...I noticed yesterday that both ATR and Racing UK were reporting how much the David Simcock trained Fathsta was drifting in the markets and that people were only interested in laying the six year old.  Needless to say that the gelding won at a massive 7/4 - I say massive, he was forecast to go off at odds-on!

*****

I see that one of the weighing-room's senior faces has decided to hang up his saddle after twenty three years.  Warren Marston has called time and can do so in one piece following a distinguished career that included over seven hundred successes including Cheltenham Festival winners Nahthen Lad and Indefence.  I didn't know Warren very well, but he seemed well-liked and respected by his colleagues - he seems to have been around longer than I have and that's saying something!