A Start to A New Season!

Mr Tambourine Man runs at Kempton Today!

Today marks the start of the 2023-34 National Hunt Season!! There are two jumps meetings this afternoon at Kempton and Warwick and we have three runners at Kempton. Duc De Beauchene, Mr Tambourine Man and Shot Boii are our trio of runners and it would be great if we could start the new season with a bang!

Duc De Beauchene runs in the 3:40pm handicap chase and Jack Tudor rides. The combination were impressive winners at Wincanton when last in action and even though he has gone up 11 pounds and this is a stronger race I would like to think he has a great chance. He has won off higher marks in the past and he won’t mind the track and the ground. He seems in great heart at home and I don’t think he will be far away.

Mr Tambourine Man and Shot Boii both run in the concluding three mile handicap hurdle at 5.25pm. Jack Tudor rides Mr Tambourine Man and Fergus Gillard is on board Shot Boii. Mr Tambourine Man heads the weights and I think he has a good chance. He probably needed his comeback run at Taunton last month after having the winter off and he will prefer the better ground this afternoon. He is still high enough in the handicap but we think there is more to come and our son of Galileo is in good form at home. Shot Boii had a fantastic season just gone and literally just had the one bad run last time at Newbury. That was in a fairly competitive race at Newbury where torrential rain turned the ground against him. Win, lose or draw today he is likely to be going on a summer holiday after this and he is one I am looking forward to over fences in the autumn.

Alongside the two jumps meetings there are three flat meetings at Beverley, Bath and Windsor. In Ireland they race at the Curragh on the flat and at Down Royal over jumps. Jump racing in Britain takes a back seat for a few days with no jumping after today until the weekend. In the meantime, the amateurs get their evening at Cheltenham on Friday night for the hunter chasers.

On Saturday I thought there was a great season finale at Sandown. All the races seemed to produce exciting finishes and well done to Jack Tudor, Kitty’s Light and the Christian Williams team for winning the Bet365 Gold Cup.  It was a remarkable performance considering it came just seven days after their Scottish National victory but was a horse! I am delighted for Jack and it is even better that he is now the number one rider for Pond House and we get to utilise his huge talent.  Both Red Happy and D’jango ran with great credit and enthusiasm considering they were the outsiders in the race. I was in the yard yesterday morning and both were out enjoying some grass in the field having had a good roll and they were absolutely covered in mud- I was just glad I didn’t have to groom them!!

Unfortunately the point to point at South Hill I was going to was abandoned due to thick fog. The course is high up on the hill on Exmoor and unfortunately it descended not long before the first race and organisers were left with no choice. They are hoping to re-schedule for Monday 6th May. Well done to Martin McIntyre who did ride a winner at Flete Park point to point on Saturday.

There is a crucial relegation football match this evening and Leicester are at home to Everton at 8pm.

I told a joke on a zoom meeting and no-one laughed. It turns out I am not remotely funny!! Have a good bank holiday Monday!