Waiting on Inspections

   Vision De Maine runs at Wincanton Today

The fate of jumps racing today is currently waiting on morning inspections, with Sandown, Wincanton and Cork all having a look at the ground at 8am although I imagine there could be later morning inspections as well.  Temperatures weren't actually too bad for us overnight but there is some white stuff about locally so I am told.  There are two all-weather fixtures today at Lingfield and Southwell with the Newcastle jumps fixture having already been called off yesterday.

If racing goes ahead, we have three runners today, two at Wincanton and one on the all-weather at Lingfield.  Vision De Maine and Purple Owl are our Wincanton representatives and are ridden by Jack Tudor while Ocean Heights travels to Lingfield and Jack Dace rides.  The latter runs in the 1m4f handicap at 2.20pm and it looks a tough race.  The handicappers is giving him a chance but there will definitely be easier opportunities for him.

Vision De Maine runs in the 1.30pm handicap chase over three miles.  He has to bounce back from pulling up at Exeter last time but he can be forgiven that run as it was on atrocious ground at Exeter when the meeting was called off part way through.  I think today's conditions will be much more to his liking and he wears first time blinkers just to help him travel better in the early part of the race.  It is a tricky little race with only seven runners but you cannot rule any of them out.  We are about 6/1 in the betting and I hope he won't be too far away.

Purple Owl makes his handicap debut in the 2.05pm race over two miles off a mark of 108.  He has run well enough in his novice hurdles to suggest there is scope for improvement from this rating and I would like to think he has a good chance.  The first time tongue strap seems to help last time and the ground and track will be fine.  You would think he might appreciate a step up in trip at some point but his best runs so far have been at this distance.  It is another competitive races but at 9/1 in the betting I hope he has a good each way chance.

While I am writing this morning, I have just heard the news that racing goes ahead at Sandown which is good to hear.  The Veterans handicap chase final and a good mares listed hurdle are the feature races.

Last night I enjoyed watching the Darts semi-finals, there were two cracking matches and tonight's final looks set to be a thriller with two young stars of the game, Luke Littler and Gian van Veen going head to head.  The match gets underway at 8.15pm.

There are four Premier League football matches today with Aston Villa against Nottingham Forrest the early kick off at 12.30pm.  Bournemouth against Arsenal it the tea-time game at 5.30pm.  There should also be a great rugby premiership game today with Exeter Chiefs travelling to Bath at 3.05pm.  

This morning I coughed up a pawn, a bishop and a rook.  I must had a chess infection.

It was a rough knight!

Happy Saturday!