Three Runners Today!

Sidi Ismael runs today in the Devon National!
Exeter must pass an 8am inspection for racing to go ahead today and if it does we have two runners at our most local Devon track, Heure De Gloire and Sidi Ismael.  Heure De Gloire makes a relatively quick reappearance after disappointing at Fontwell last week but she has come out of that run well and loves these conditions which is why we have decided to run her again quickly.  She has been to Fontwell three times in her career and has not really performed, so we have decided we probably won’t send her back there again!  Believe it or not, this will be her first visit to Exeter so hopefully she will like it today! 

She runs in the 2.33pm mares handicap hurdle and Gearoid Harney rides taking off seven pounds.  There are only six runners and she is about 10/1 in the betting.  If she returns to the form of her penultimate run when she won at Ffos Las she has a good chance but she does have to bounce back from a lesser effort last time.  She will definitely handle the ground while some will not, so I shall keep  my fingers crossed!

Sidi Ismael runs in the Devon National over 3m6f at 3.40pm and he is partnered by Gearoid Harney for the first time.  His last run in the Sussex National was a step back in the right direction after things had not gone to plan really for the first part of the season and a lot of that was not his fault!  The handicapper has given him some help and with Gearoid taking off seven pounds as well it all helps, he stays well and shouldn’t mind the ground and at 12/1 he looks a decent each way chance.  If Exeter happens to be abandoned he will be getting on the lorry and heading up to Newcastle to run in the Eider chase tomorrow! We declared him again with the weather looking a little dodgy so we will just have to see what happens!

Stray Bullet has been waiting in the wings to run over hurdles lately, but he wants a bit better ground and it keeps raining and so we have decided to give him another spin on the flat this evening at Wolverhampton.  He had the one start on the flat for us just after Christmas, but he was not given a great ride that day and I hope you will see a better performance tonight in first time blinkers.  He runs in the 6.30pm handicap over 1m4f and Aiden Brookes rides.  He drops down in grade of race and carries joint top weight but Aiden takes five pounds off.  There is a short priced favourite in the race, Optician and we are a big price at 20/1 but if the new headgear has a positive affect then our two time French flat winner could outrun his odds.   

Warwick was also set to race alongside Exeter over jumps today, but that was already abandoned but there are no inspections planned at Sedgefield ahead of their jumps action today. There is racing on the all-weather at Lingfield as well as Wolverhampton and in Ireland at Dundalk this evening.

The most interesting football matches this evening, come from the Women's game with the semi-finals of the UEFA Nations League.  Unfortunately England just missed out on getting through, so tonight it is France v Germany and Spain v Netherlands.  Both matches kick off at 8pm.

The cricket action returns today with the next Test between England and India.  England have been struggling in the last couple of tests so hopefully they can put up an improved performance in this match.

My husband just confessed that he broke my favourite lamp.

I don’t think I’ll be able to look at him in the same light ever again!

Happy Friday!