Lucky Lingfield

        Lock Out runs at Lingfield today

Today we have one runner at Lingfield, Lock Out who runs in the 1.55pm novices handicap hurdle with Tom Scu on board.  Lock Out has done little wrong in three starts to the stable to date, winning his first two races, a bumper and a novices hurdle and then finishing fourth in a better race at Kempton last time.  He starts life in handicap company today off a mark of 105 which I think is well within his capabilities.  He will obviously appreciate a bit further in time but the track will suit better today thank Kempton and I think he has scope for improvement off this mark.  There are a couple of interesting types in opposition today but I would class us in the same category and we look a decent price at 15/2.  There is good prize money up for grabs in this race and hopefully we can take home the lions share of it!  Lingfield has been lucky for us in the last few weeks so fingers crossed it can be again today!

There is just one other jumps meeting today, up at Musselburgh and there is also a flat meeting at Wolverhampton that kicks off at 4.20pm.

There was some high class racing action over the weekend across all the meetings and while it looked tough for our horses beforehand, so it proved.  Paricolor fared best of our runners and ran a cracking race to finish second at Chepstow.  He looked like he may win for a lot of the way up the home straight but was just collared on the run in by the favourite.  He is a very honest and genuine horse and always tries his best.  The front two pulled clear of the third and it was a very good run.  He does have an entry at Cheltenham on Friday and he could be out again then, all being well.  Sizing Pottsie did not quite see out the 2m4f, jockey Fergus Gillard thought at Aintree while the blinkers probably lit up Sidi Ismael a little too much and he did too much too soon in his race.  Bashful Boy ran well and Gwencily Berbas also ran okay in the London Marathon chase.

My performance of the weekend probably has to be Edwardstone winning the Tingle Creek, he was mightily impressive and I think even surprised his own trainer, Alan King!  I was particularly pleased for jockey Tom Cannon who I think is a great rider.  Tom started off here at Pond House when he was 16, Lord Cannon as he was known here back then! 

I was disappointed that Honeysuckle suffered he first ever defeat at Fairyhouse in the Hatton's Grace hurdle yesterday.  I do love to see a super horse keep winning and she is very special.  I think it is good for racing to have superstar horses.  All good things do come to an end at some point however and it was by no means a bad run, she was not beaten very far.  Will we see her on the track again, I do hope so but I am sure that trainer Henry De Bromhead and owner Kenny Alexander will be the best decision for her.

Last night it was great to watch England progress to the quarter finals of the World Cup, beating Senegal 3-0.  Things were not all plain sailing in the first 35mins for the men in white and they were lucky to not concede a couple of goals to the African Champions.  Jordan Henderson's goal really seemed to settle our nerves however and we were very much in control after the second goal and cruised through the second half to win comfortably in the end.  They will need to play better however when they face the reigning World Champions, France in the next match on Saturday.  France beat Poland 3-1 in yesterdays other match and for me are looking the best team in the tournament I have seen so far.  Today, Japan play Croatia at 3pm while Brazil take on South Korea at 7pm.  Japan and Brazil to go through to the next round for me!

I bought my friends an elephant for their room.  They said "thank you".  I said "please don't mention it"!  Happy Monday!