Exeter Runners

   Gentleman Toboot runs at Exeter Today

Today we have two runners at Exeter, Gentleman Toboot and Best Night and Jack Tudor rides both.  Gentleman Toboot runs in the novices hurdle at 12.48pm and he is favourite and I hope he will take all the beating.  He is a horse we hold in high regard and he won his hurdling debut at Newton Abbot, his only start of the season so far.  That was over 2m5f and today's race is only two miles but Exeter is a completely different course and so I don't see the drop back in trip being a problem.  The runner up from Newton Abbot, A Pai Du Nom has boosted the form twice since by winning at Cheltenham and then winning at Leicester yesterday over two miles himself.  Our five year old was a bit novicey with his jumping the last day but he has schooled well since and again with the different track I think today will suit him better.  It is a competitive 16 runner field but I hope he should win.  Rain is forecast for today and the more rain they get before his race the better!

Best Night runs for the David Pipe Racing Club in the 2.33pm novices handicap hurdle.  She won on hurdling debut at Newton Abbot and ran okay to finish fifth at this track last time on her handicap debut.  That was her first run since a wind op and so I think she will improve a bit from that and I also think she will also prefer the slight step up in distance this afternoon.  It looks a very competitive race and she is about 20/1 in the betting but I wouldn't put anyone off have a small each way bet.  She has a terrific attitude and that is always half the battle with horses!

Exeter is one of three jumps meetings today with there being a cracking card at Sandown and racing also up at Sedgefield as well.  There is an all-weather flat meeting at Newcastle and in Ireland they race on the flat at Dundalk.

Chemical Dave ran a nice race to be third in the bumper at Market Rasen yesterday.  This was his first run of the season and he has grown up a lot over the summer and it showed in his performance.  He travelled nicely behind the leaders but just got stuck on the rails as the race began in earnest up the home straight.  His main rivals quickened past him on the outside and he had nowhere to go and it was effectively race over from there.  However, when Jack got daylight, pulled him out and asked him to quicken he did nicely and hit the line very strongly to be a closing third.  It was good to see and he can definitely win a similar race on this evidence and is a nice prospect for hurdling later down the line as well.

I don't want to talk about football this morning as Manchester United did not play well last night and drew 1-1 at home with West Ham.  Once again it is not the result the bothers me, it is the performance and the seeming lack of desire to want to win!

Joe Root made the first century down under yesterday, making an impressive 138 not out as England reached 334 in their first innings of the second Ashes test against Australia in Brisbane.  Australia are batting well in reply and at the time of writing are over 200 runs with just three wickets down.  While better for England, it still looks like they are going to be up against it.

I fired my fruit delivery driver today.

I hate to let the mango but he was driving me bananas!

Happy Friday!