Paricolor at Haydock!

Today should have seen the return of jumps action to Newton Abbot for 2024, but unfortunately because of the weather the meeting was abandoned several days ago. That leaves two jumps meetings today at Carlisle and Haydock. We have one runner at the latter meeting, Paricolor Who runs in the 2:40pm Challenger stayers handicap hurdle final and Jack Tudor rides.

Horses in this race and some of the other finals on the Haydock card today must’ve ran in the qualifying race to take part. It is a great series and offers valuable prize money for horses that don’t usually compete for such prizes. There is £50,000 added prize money For this race and we hope we can grab a bit of it! Paricolor started off the season in great form and was placed at Cheltenham, but has been a little below his best of late, including last time out at Exeter just 11 days ago. No reasons have come to light for this poor performance and he seems in great form at home. The track and ground will suit and even though he is a big price in the betting at about 16/1 I think he has an each way chance. He is a multiple winner, and we have changed headgear to a first time visor this afternoon. The handicap has given him a chance and hopefully Jack will get on well with his first try on our gelding.

There is a turf flat meeting today up at Musselburgh with some good racing while they also race on the all-weather at Wolverhampton. In Ireland, they have a meeting under both codes with flat action at Cork and the first day of the Irish Grand National meeting at Fairyhouse. They also have a cracking card at Meydan in Dubai with plenty of British and Irish interest. Joe Derby, winner, August Road runs in the Dubai Sheema classic on the dirt at 4.00pm British time, and Ryan Moore rides. He heads the betting at 5/2 and I would love to see him returned to action with a win as it is fantastic he has been kept in training as a four-year-old.

I was saddened to hear the death of former top Irish horse, limestone Ladd at the age of 32. He is a horse I remember from my childhood growing up, and he was the winner of 35 races from 65 career starts. He was also placed on another 19 occasions as well. One of his most famous fixtures was overturning, the mighty Esther Brack in the 1999, Hatton Grace hurdle. Although he never won at the Cheltenham festival, he won four grade ones and over half £1 million in prize money. He was extremely tough and his front running style made him hugely popular.

Premiership football action returns today after the Intl break, and there are plenty of matches to keep us entertained. Newcastle against West Ham is the early lunchtime kick-off match at 12:30pm. There is a teatime kick-off at 5:30 for Aston Villa against Wolves. While my team Manchester United played Brentford, 8 pm kick-off.

I’ve been banned from the secret cooking society… I couldn’t stop spilling the beans!

Have a good Saturday!