First Runners Back!

              Neon Moon runs today!
It is of course a bank holiday Monday and that means lots of racing! There are two jumps meetings at Kempton and Warwick and three flat meetings at Beverly, Windsor and Bath. In Ireland, they have a meeting under both codes they race on the flat at the card and over jumps at Down Royal. We have our first runners of the new season today with two at Kempton, Neon Moon and Kepagge.

Neon Moon runs in the 4:05pm Handicap Chase over 3 miles and Jack Tudor rides. He won last time out at Newbury and I think he will enjoy today’s track and ground, the paper questions whether he’ll be able to reproduce that form but I think the key to improvement that day was the better ground and so with that in his favour today I don’t see why he won’t run a big race. The handicap has put him up six pound, so that is probably the biggest question mark. his two wins have come over a rating of 124 and he struggled after that but again this will be the first time he is encountered some better ground when racing from a higher mark. It looks a competitive race on paper and we are about 13/2 in the betting. He is a horse I like and I think he has a good chance.

Kepagge runs in the 4:40pm handicap hurdle over 3 miles and Jack Tudor is in the saddle. His last four runs have been over fences but he returns to hurdles this afternoon. He doesn’t look to have enjoyed the larger obstacles and I do I think he will enjoy returning back to hurdles today. His handicap mark has dropped as a result, and if he bounces back to form, he shouldn’t be far away. He has never won over this trip, but I think a rounded sharp track like Kempton he will need every yard of this trip. It is again a competitive race and he is about 10/1 in the betting. If he returns to his best, he has a great chance.

City of Troy disappointed in the 2000 guineas at Newmarket on Saturday but well done to the Godolphin team, William Buick and Charlee Appleby with the win of Notable Speech who was a very impressive winner. Elmalka won the 1000 Guineas yesterday for Silvestre de Sousa and trainer Roger Varian at a big price of 28/1!

I was at South Hill point point yesterday and well done to our amateur Martin McIntyre who rode a winner on the card. The local action continues today at Vauterhill Devon.

There were wins for Brighton, Chelsea and Liverpool in the premiership football action yesterday. Arsenal and Manchester City were easy winners on Saturday and everything remains the same at the top of the table, Arsenal lead the way over Man City by a point but they have a game in hand. There is one game this evening, my team, Manchester United travelled to Crystal Palace, 8pm kick-off.

How many storm troopers does it to change a lightbulb?

None, because they are all on the Darkside!!

Happy bank holiday Monday!