A Quality Day's Racing

It looks to be another high quality day's racing ahead and the stable has runners at three of this afternoon's meetings, Ascot, Haydock and Wincanton.  I'm So Lucky is the stable representative in the Victor Chandler Chase.  With over £100,000 up for grabs (and prize money down to sixth place) it is obviously a very competitive race with five of the eight runners already winners so far this term.  I'msingingtheblues contests the other valuable chase on the card and has to contend with topweight, although Conor O'Farrell takes a handy 3lbs off his back.  He won at this course three starts back, so let's hope he can do it again today!

It looks to be another high quality day's racing ahead and the stable has runners at three of this afternoon's meetings, Ascot, Haydock and Wincanton.  I'm So Lucky is the stable representative in the Victor Chandler Chase.  With over £100,000 up for grabs (and prize money down to sixth place) it is obviously a very competitive race with five of the eight runners already winners so far this term.  I'msingingtheblues (pictured right, on the gallops last week) contests the other valuable chase on the card and has to contend with topweight, although Conor O'Farrell takes a handy 3lbs off his back.  He won at this course three starts back, so let's hope he can do it again today!

Over at Hayock (where I am pleased to report that they have passed an early morning inspection) Consigliere runs in the valuable Peter Marsh Chase.  The step up in trip seemed to bring about some improvement in our nine year old last time and hopefully that will continue this afternoon.

At Wincanton we have two runners, Bathwick Brave and Waterunder who are both ridden by Johnny Farrelly.  It looks to be a difficult day's racing, but we look to have a few decent chances...fingers crossed!

The stable had just one runner yesterday afternoon at Chepstow.  Ladyvie wasn't beaten all that far into fifth place in the mares' handicap hurdle under amateur jockey Mikey Ennis.  She is one of those mares that doesn't seem to have a trip - whe she is up in distance she does not look like she stays, when she is back in trip she looks like she will get further.  She will win, I just wish I knew when!

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Many happy returns to Attheraces presenter and former jockey Richard Pitman.  Richard is 69 today and I still vividly remember the awful "syrup of figs" (wig) that he used to wear during his after dinner speaking.  It was a savage wig and Richard used to take it off halfway through his speech - it looked like one of those that you would buy out of a paper for a couple of quid...and no, I have never bought one!  Anyway, happy birthday Richard.

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It looks like being another enjoyable sporting weekend - there is a good fight on tonight between giant Scouse heavyweight David Price and big bad John McDermott.  When you see these guys fight, you realise just how good Henry Cooper and Joe Bugner were.

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I will be doing a little yankee on the weekend's footballing action and reckon that Everton (8/13), QPR (11/10), Southampton (Evs) and West Ham (8/13) could be the ones to bring home the bacon to the Barnes household.  It all looks to easy this week, although I have heard that before somewhere!