A Friday Quartet!

Pachacuti runs at Warwick today!

Today we have four runners across two meetings with two at our local track Exeter and the other two are a little further afield at Warwick.  Pachacuti and Panic Attack are our representatives at Warwick and the former goes in the EBF novices hurdle at 2.30pm with Jack Tudor in the saddle.  He has run well on his last two starts, having finished second at Hereford and then going on to win impressively at Fakenham.  Coincidently he will go down in the record books as being Tom Scu’s last winner!  That was a handicap and at the weights he does have a fair bit to find with a few in today’s race but the first four qualify for the final at Sandown next month and hopefully we can do this.  I do think there is plenty more to come from our six year old so it will be interesting to see how he gets on.

Panic Attack runs in the mares handicap chase at 3.35pm with Harry Cobden on board.  She won a mares chase at Huntingdon this season on chasing debut and I think her two runs since at Kempton and Cheltenham where she finished third and fourth were as good if not better form than her win.  She had excuses last time over 2m4f in a competitive handicap at Cheltenham when a couple of mistakes put her on the back foot at a crucial stage.  What I was most pleased about was her resolution under pressure and she galloped all the way to the line passing rivals over 2m4f.  I think she will appreciate going back up in trip today and will love the ground.  She has to carry top weight against some okay rivals but with Harry on board I would like to think she won’t be far away.

Our two runners at Exeter are D’jango and Gwencily Berbas and they both run in the Devon National at 3.15pm.  D’jango is ridden by James Best who has got on well with our gelding when he has ridden him in the past and after a win at Lingfield last week he heads to Exeter in good form.  He was impressive in victory last week and whereas sometimes his jumping can let him down a little he was foot perfect and hopefully he can be again this afternoon.  He enjoys a test of stamina and with the ground unseasonably dry at the moment this is also in his favour.  Providing he gets off on a good foot early in the race with his jumping I think he will run well again.

Philip Armson rides Gwencily Berbas who is a former course and distance winner.  He is becoming well handicapped and ran well enough last time at Market Rasen where I am not sure the front runner tactics suited him.  Usually help up, we know he likes the track and I think the ground will be okay although ideally I think he would like it softer.  He is one of the outsiders of the field but discount him at your peril!

There was very good trade once again at the Cheltenham sales yesterday.  Top lot was a horse called Jersey Des Brosses who was bought by Gordon Elliott for £370,000.  He finished second in his recent Irish point to point and it is the highest price given for a four year old at the sales since 2019.  A further four horses were sold for over £200,000 and ten were sold for £100,000 plus.  Horse prices still remain crazily high in my opinion!

Last night Manchester United beat Barcelona 2-1.

Tonight there is one Premiership football match with Fulham at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers which I think will be a tight game but I shall be cheering on Wolves for my nan!

I’ve been trying to break up with an optician recently…it’s really hard!

Every time I tell him I can’t see him anymore he moves an inch closer and says, “how about now?”  Happy Friday!