Winning Attack

      Panic Attack Winner at Huntingdon

It was great to get winner number 46 of the season at Huntingdon on Saturday thanks to a superb display by Panic Attack under David Noonan. She was making her chasing debut but you would not have known it as she jumped brilliantly and loved every minute of it. She made one little mistake but basically from being too brave and standing off a bit far from the fence. She never looked in any real danger and powered clear from her rival who has the same rating as her over hurdles from the last. She is a big powerful mare and although early days, she already looks like she will be a better chaser than hurdler and there are some exciting times ahead. There is a great schedule of races for mares over fences and there is a good race for her at Warwick early next month over 2m4f. David Noonan had a double on the card so very well done to him.

Our other two runners were up at Haydock on Saturday and unfortunately the ground was not soft enough for either. Brinkley ran below expectations but it was a competitive race and he has come back fine with is the main thing. He will be better when ground conditions are heavy, whether that be over hurdles or fences next time.  Sizing Pottsie ran well to finish second in the novices hurdle. The winner was impressive and while we may not have run to our rating, it did look like he may get swallowed up by his rivals late on but kept going well to keep on for second. He will appreciate softer ground and will continue to give us a lot of fun when more rain arrives.

I had an afternoon out at yesterday to Exeter but both our runners were disappointing. The softer ground and stiffer track did not play into the hands of Borntobealeader and he couldn’t reproduce the same level of form as his win at Ludlow last time. We know he is better than this and a return to better conditions and sharper track will see him in a better light.  Neon Moon travelled and jumped really well in the 2m3f novices handicap chase. He cruised up behind the leaders going well as they turned for home but dropped away nearly as quickly. The wind specialist will look at him this week as it was a similar story to his first run of the season and there is perhaps something holding him back.

Today we have six runners across two meetings so a busy day on the action front but winners may be tough to find. Ocean Heights is our sole representative at Ludlow and he runs in the opening race on the card, a 2 mile maiden hurdle. He has had a wind operation but has been off through injury and makes his return from absence today. It looks a hot race on paper and it will be good to get him back on the track, come home safe and sound and have something to build on for next time.

We have five runners at Kempton, Lock Out, Moodofthemoment, Itacare, Duc De Beauchene and Bashful Boy.  Lock Out and Moodofthemoment run in the novices hurdle at 12.40pm. Lock Out is two from two for the yard having won a bumper and a hurdle race already this season. This will be tougher under a penalty and he will appreciate further in time but he has a really likeable attitude, has done nothing wrong so far and hopefully he will not be too far away. Moodofthemoment is making his stable debut. He is a lovely young horse who has won an Irish point to point and goes nicely at home. He will probably want further in time and this course maybe a little on the sharp side but he will like the ground and it will be interesting to see how he gets on.

Itacare runs in the three mile handicap hurdle at 1.50pm and he is about 10/1 in the betting. He is returning from having a little break after being a disappointing on his last run at Uttoxeter. He goes well fresh as he proved the last time he returned from a holiday when winning at Ludlow but this time he does have to race off a 9lb higher handicap mark.  Fingers crossed the break will have done him good and I think he has a small each way chance.  Duc De Beauchene runs in the 2m4f handicap chase at 2.50pm. He made is comeback at a Bangor last time but he is a huge horse that usually improves with a run or two under his belt and he is one of the outsiders in the competitive looking race.  Bashful Boy completes our Kempton line up and he runs in the 3.25pm conditional jockeys handicap hurdle. Jockey Philip Armson though he got quite tired at Newbury last time and hopefully he will have come on a lot for the run. He is the outsider of the field in a competitive little race but hopefully he can bounce back to the form we saw earlier in the season where he won at Market Rasen and he ran really well in the Swinton hurdle at Haydock.

Flat racing is currently taking a break for a few days but there is a third jumps meeting taking place today up at Musselburgh.  It is currently pouring down with rain here at Pond House, I am quite glad to be inside and not riding out!  Let's just hope Newbury gets this rain for later in the week.

I hope everyone has had a good weekend and I shall leave you with my Monday joke… My wife said ‘why don’t you write a book instead of your stupid word play jokes?’  I said ‘that’s…a novel idea!!’