Worcester & Uttoxeter Runners

We have runners at both Worcester and Uttoxeter this afternoon and Tom Scudamore faces a race against time as he rides at both meetings.  Tom rides Shoegazer at Uttoxeter before making the dash to Worcester to partner Terfel's Toscar and Kusadasi.  Decent hurdler Shoegazer won well on his chasing debut at Hereford last time out and jumped better as the race progressed - with that experience under his belt, hopefully he will be able to make it two from two this afternoon.  Our other runner at Worcester, Midnight Tuesday (pictured above) will be partnered by young Tom Bellamy who has already won aboard the seven year old and who claims a handy 7lbs off the topweight's back.

It was a great few day's racing action from Chester - owner Doctor Marwan Koukash had no fewer than 28 runners during the meeting and enjoyed 3 winners and 6 seconds, as well as a shock 50/1 winner of the Chester Oaks.  The Doctor must certainly like the Roodeye!  I'm sure Donald McCain Jnr must like it too after landing a couple of winners at the track...I wonder what his father Ginger would have made of it all.  Ginger was a jumps trainer through and through and I can't recall a time when he even had a runner on the level!

The flag starts at Chester certainly sorted out a few of the flat jockeys - I don't like to see flag starts on the level and keep any bets on these contests to a minimum.  Perhaps it is advantageous to have a jump jockey on your side during these races - former jump jockey's Jim Crowley and Graham Lee certainly didn't seem inconvenienced as they both rode winners at the meeting.  Indeed, Graham Lee in particular continues to impress following another double on Friday - he has now ridden eight winners since switching codes.  He was frightened that he would make himself look an idiot, but he has already cast any doubt aside and will surely pick up a job in a major yard before long.  I wonder how many of the flat jockeys (Eddie Ahern aside!) would have the bottle to switch codes to National Hunt?  I reckon the answer would be "not many!".  I remember when Frankie Dettori rode once for MCP over hurdles - the horse was a good jumper and Frankie said that he just closed his eyes and the horse jumped the hurdles perfectly, but he did say "never again!".