Southwell Runners

There are two jumps meetings today at Southwell and Taunton and we have two runners at Southwell, Indulto Rouge and Purple Owl.  Jack Tudor is on board both of our horses and Indulto Rouge runs in the bumper at 3.00pm and I see he is favourite.  He has had just the two starts for us this season, finishing third in a bumper at Hereford and then finishing down the field in a listed event at Ascot before Christmas.  That was behind the very good Bass Hunter who ran well in the Champion bumper at the Festival and the ground was too soft for our chap that day.  He was impressive in winning his Irish point to point on quicker ground last year and will appreciate returning to today's surface.  He has always worked very well at home and following wind surgery he has to go and do it on the track this afternoon.  While ultimately bought as a staying chaser of the future he shows more than enough at home to be winning this race today so we will have to see what happens!

Purple Owl runs in the 2m4f handicap hurdle at 4.30pm and he also is having his first run since having a wind op.  He has some form that reads well from his novices hurdles earlier this season and although disappointing on handicap debut at Wincanton when last seen I think you will see a different horse today.  The last day, he was racing on ground that was nearly un-raceable and today will be much more to his liking.  While quite a competitive race I cannot believe he is such a big price today.  He does have to bounce back from a poor run but there were reasons for that, he's had a wind op and will like the ground today.  He goes nicely at home and there is scope for improvement off his rating of 106.  I will be disappointed if he is not in the first three today so have a few pennies on each-way at 20/1!

There is a good card at Taunton this afternoon with plenty of runners and while no racing in Ireland there is an all-weather flat card at Wolverhampton.  Rian Corcoran is not in action at the moment has he serves his seven day ban which he picked up at Newcastle for a whip offence when riding a winner earlier in the month.

I was reading that former champion flat jockey Jim Crowley will not be back in action until May after undergoing further surgery on his leg which was not healing that well following his horror fall a few months ago.  That reminded me that I was speaking with David Noonan at Kilworthy point to point on Sunday.  He was actually helping on the day and was acting clerk of the scales, weighing the jockeys in and out!  He has been out of action I think since September after getting kicked at the start of a race at Fontwell.  He suffered a nasty lower leg injury and his comeback was delayed after he required further surgery a bit like Jim Crowley.  The good news is that he is seeing the specialist again today after doing lots of work in the gym and rehab and he is hoping he might be given the green light to ride again soon.  He doesn't plan to rush things with the season drawing to a conclusion next month but he has made a lot of progress since his second op and there is now light at the end of the tunnel which was great to hear.

Scientists have found that cows produce more milk when the farmer talks to them.

Apparently it's a case of in one ear and out the udder!

Have a good day.