My information was terrible yesterday, which is a bit worrying. I think there are a few bugs flying around. One runner today – Hope Road, who goes in the first at Kempton and I’m pretty hopeful. He’s high in the handicap but this is a maiden and he’s well in. He has a bit of pace and he’s reliable enough – …
Go on the flat
I’ll post a few notes about tomorrow’s racing now as I have a busy day tomorrow riding on Thomas the Tank Engine around the Watercress line. I may even take the kids with me. At this time of year, and with little evidence to go on, I tend to concentrate on looking for 4yos with a progressive profile. There are a …
Bring it on
It’s slightly irritating to come to my blog today and see that the post I wrote yesterday didn’t get posted for some reason. I was waxing on about how amazing it was to be sitting in the Betfair tent listening to Harry Findlay and Clive Smith with Jim Lewis sitting on the side – Betfair is briefly the centre of …
Day 1
Quick today as I have to rush to Cheltenham. We had a box for the whole week but unfortunately it blew away yesterday. I’m still going for the week, but I won’t have a base, which is annoying. I think most of the favourites look solid today. There are only three bets I like, Noland – Catch Me and Ashkazar.
Just the One
A longer blog in due course as I have a fair bit to write up. Several horses I’m watching today, but for the most part I’ll be watching. I’m backing in the bumper, opposing the well fancied debutante from the powerful Henderson yard with the Gifford trained Dee Eee Williams. Nick thinks a lot of this horse, and he is a …
Hope at Warwick
Bert and his family moved yesterday and are without internet access today, so he has asked me to add a quick comment about a runner at Warwick this afternoon. Bert has a share of Hope Road, Tom Dascombe’s only hurdler, who runs in the first. I spoke to Tom this morning and he thinks the horse has an each way …
Saturday thoughts
I’m short on time so a quick summary; At Ascot Princelet goes well in the second (E/W) and Conflictofinterest is the value against the Henderson odds on jolly in the last. At Wincanton Torshuffle of Hendersons goes well against the Fanshawe odds on jolly, but Katchit may score later for favourite backers. At Haydock Estate may make amends for his unlucky …
Goals at last
A 3-0 win for Swindon was just the ticket – it’s the first time we’ve scored three goals for 19 matches in the league. It’s three points and a boost for our goal difference – just as importantly it may get the team going as they’ve looked a little tense lately. I didn’t go to the match but I had a full …
A ray of hope
A poor day on Saturday on all fronts. Swindon lost to an early goal in a tight match with few chances, which following on from last weeks draw against Northampton makes the play-offs look a bit distant again. Gary and Jamie Moore won the big race, and of course Jamie would have been riding Mon Michel had we made the …
Lovesick pooch
Half way through the Wednesday of Cheltenham last year I slipped out and bought a dog – a “Landseer” Newfoundland puppy to be precise (Robbie, named after Wee Robbie at Nick Gifford’s yard). The small bundle of fluff as he was then has grown to be a hairy monster weighing in at over ten stone (although he’s got a long way to go before …