Lots of Runners

               Premier Dane

It is great that Newton Abbot passed its inspection yesterday and racing goes ahead this afternoon.  There is also a flat card at Folkestone but I will concentrate on our local track as David has eight runners there this afternoon.  The ground at Newton will be very heavy and probably a little patchy after the heavy rain we have had earlier in the week in the westcountry.  There is great prize money on offer today, with a £25,000 chase and hurdle race plus £11,00 for a novice chase on the card as well.  David's runners are Dandyvic in the Maiden hurdle with Conor O'Farrell in the saddle.  She is a point to point winner but she would have to improve on recent form to win.  Premier Dane with champion jockey AP in the saddle, Raslan (Danny Cook), Decoy (Tom Scu) and Ashbrittle (Conor O'Farrell) are David's four runners in the valuable handicap hurdle of the day.  Premier Dane has won both of his starts since joining Pond House, his lastest in a chase at Stratford.  

    
                   Raslan                                                         Shoegazer

Raslan has won this race twice in the past but has not won for a little while now.  He ran a cracker on his penultimate start at Market Rasen and he is reunited with Danny Cook this afternoon who won this race on him a few years ago.  Decoy was a winner on his latest start in a hurdle race at Worcester and his the mount of Tom Scu.  Ashbrittle is the final runner of our quartet.  He ran a fine race on the flat at Royal Ascot in June before having a little trouble in the stalls on his latest flat outing at York.  He has been schooling well at home and I really cannot say who will come out on top of the four stable runners!  I think it will be just down to who can handle the ground the best this afternoon.  In the big chase of the day David has two runners, Shoegazer and Enfant De Lune.  Shoegazer was holding every chance when he fell at the second last in his most recent chase at Newton Abbot.  He has come out of that okay and has schooled well at home since.  Enfant De Lune returns from a mini break and just creeps in at the bottom of the weights.  If on form he may have an each way squeak.  Too Generous completes the eight runners in the bumper.  She was a very game dead-heat winner of her only start so far and we are looking forward to seeing her run again this afternoon.

In the football it is Liverpool versus Arsenal today at 1.30pm.  Arsenal are yet to score a goal in the Premier League and Liverpool only managed a draw with Hearts in the week.  I think it could be a game of lots of pretty football but not many goals!  In the other Premier League games Newcastle should beat Aston Villa and are best priced 13/20 and Southampton play Man United.  United have drifted from 2/5 to 4/7 and at 6/1 Southampton look like a small interest to me.