NOVEMBER 2010
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Tuesday 30
November 2010 |
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Meally Thornton’s latest
diary was published today on the Eclipse website. And she explains that she was struck down
by a sickness bug, hence the delay since the last edition; and she’s keeping
her fingers crossed that their baby doesn’t arrive in the next few days,
otherwise she may have a problem getting to hospital through the snow! Having
heard ‘Love the Races’
representative Rosella Short being interviewed at Newbury last Saturday, I
checked out their website and found this video of Choc at Kempton Park on 17
October, when he offered his comments during the saddling demonstration in
the Parade Ring: http://www.lovetheraces.com/voices-of-the-races/rosella?voice_tab=videos&video=3731 There’s
good news regarding Noel Fehily, as it transpires
his wrist was ‘only’(!)
dislocated, not broken. More There
appears to be little hope that the current cold spell will end in time to
save next weekend’s Tingle Creek fixture at Sandown Park. More The
contingency plan would be to run the Tingle Creek Chase at Cheltenham the
following weekend, although that might not suit Twist Magic who only seems to
act on a right-handed track. More Brrrrrrrr it’s cold. Snow arrived in Hertfordshire overnight,
although we’ve only had around an inch and most of that melted during the
day. However, where it remains,
tonight’s frost has made the pavements sparkly and slippery too. And, understandably, I’m still paranoid
about slipping over, as I cannot countenance the idea of hurting my back or
ribs again, or possibly breaking any bones either. I do plan
to write a brief diary of my day at Newbury races, however I’ve not started
the draft yet, as during this cold snap I prefer to be snuggled up in bed
rather than slaving over a laptop at midnight! And my ‘locks’ are no more ... my hair was
cut short on Sunday ... |
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Monday 29
November 2010 |
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Choc went
to see his surgeon today, hoping to receive initial clearance to race ride
again. If he’s had a positive outcome,
then the next step is to also gain permission from the BHA’s doctor. So I’m on tenterhooks now, wondering
whether his return is imminent, weather permitting of course! Anyway, I’m sure news will filter through
in due course. There is
no good news on the horizon regarding the current cold spell, with no
fixtures taking place for the foreseeable future. More Today’s Folkestone
meeting was a late abandonment. More There’s a
news article about the Martin Keighley trained Champion Court and his
proposed next racecourse appearance. More AP has
been nominated as one of the 10 contenders for the BBC’s Sports Personality
of the Year 2010. More And, being a Monday, Choc’s
latest Racing Post column was published too. More |
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Sunday 28
November 2010 |
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Diamond Harry
and jockey Daryl Jacob return to the Winners’ Enclosure after their
victory in the 2010 Hennessy Gold Cup I enjoyed
my trip to Newbury yesterday, although it was a very very
cold day, with temperatures not exceeding 2 degrees. I wrapped up warm, 2 thermal vests, a
knitted tunic, a fleece, a cardigan, a fleece gillet,
another heavier duty fleece, and my longer length faux sheepskin coat, and a
pair of treggings with woolly tights underneath
too. Despite this, the cold eventually
got through to me ... and I’ll also need to wear another pair of socks inside
my long boots next time. Gloves were the
worst problem, mainly because kept having to take off the right-hand one to
take photos. I know it is cold when I
have a problem pressing the key fob to unlock my car at the end of the day! I had been
a little concerned about attending, just in case I got to the races and then
returned to Hertfordshire to find snow but, fortunately, it remained dry all
day apart from the odd flurry of snow in Berkshire on my way to the
course. It was a
fabulous day’s racing – 8 races including the Fighting Fifth Hurdle which had
been transferred from abandoned Newcastle and, of course, the Long Distance
Hurdle and the 54th running of the Hennessy Gold Cup (the 51st at
Newbury). The
Fighting Fifth Hurdle was won by the Donald McCain trained Peddlers Cross,
ridden by Jason Maguire, with Starluck in 2nd and
Binocular 3rd. More Big
Buck’s, not surprisingly, won the Long Distance Hurdle. Diamond
Harry won the Hennessy Gold Cup off 10 stone.
Denman ran his usual game race, but it was an impossible task to carry
top weight of 11 stone 12 lbs, especially when only 3 of his rivals on
ratings carried weights within the handicap proper (Neptune Collonges, Taranis and Madison
Du Berlais).
However, despite this, Denman did finish 3rd and received as much
applause when he arrived back in the Winners’ Enclosure as the winner did! More My selections for the
race were Burton Port and Weird Al, who finished 2nd and 8th respectively (18
ran). Alan King
had 4 runners at Newbury yesterday: Dona
finished 3rd in the Novices’ Hurdle (16 ran). Rustarix unseated his rider in
the Amateur Riders’ Handicap Chase (11 ran). Stoney’s Treasure finished 4th
in the Novices’ Handicap Chase (14 ran) The Betchworth Kid finished 4th in the Intermediate Hurdle
(Listed) (the Gerry Feilden) (12 ran). Noel Fehily is due to see a specialist on Tuesday and it is
hoped that his wrist injury may not be as bad as first thought: Sam Thomas
gets the ride aboard the enigmatic Twist Magic in next Saturday’s Tingle
Creek Chase: More There
must, however, be a doubt that the fixture can survive the weather, as snow
is forecast in the south-east mid-week and this could settle on the frost
covers making it impossible to remove them! Veteran
Monet’s Garden will miss the Peterborough Chase due to a setback: Folkestone
will inspect again tomorrow to see if racing can go ahead: If
Folkestone does survive, Alan King has one runner at the fixture: 13:25 Invictus – NH Novices’ Hurdle, to be ridden by Wayne
Hutchinson Tuesday’s
National Hunt meetings at Southwell and Hereford
have already been abandoned due to frost, as has tomorrow’s meeting at Ffos Las.
Leicester and Carlisle being lost today due to snow. I arrived
home at 18:00 yesterday, ate my tea whilst watching Strictly Come Dancing ...
and then decided to retire to the warmth of my bed! Hence no blog yesterday. Then, this morning, it was time for another
laptop ‘nightmare’ ... my November
blog file had been corrupted, for the second time this month. So I’ve now deleted the earlier results
tables, which appeared to be the root of the problem earlier in the month, so
maybe this time too. Tomorrow
being Monday, it’s time for Choc’s next Racing Post
column which, of course, I always look forward to. And he’s also due to see his specialist
tomorrow, to get initial clearance to race ride. After which he’ll need the BHA’s doctor to
give him the go-ahead too. So he might
return sooner rather than later, weather permitting! |
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Friday 26
November 2010 |
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The
biggest story of the day is one of a jockey’s misfortune – Noel Fehily took a crashing fall from the Paul Nicholls
trained Rivaliste this afternoon ... and has broken
his wrist. I’m beginning to think that
someone has put a curse on any jockey who rides for the yard these past few
months. So, for the time being, he’s
now out of the picture as Ruby’s main substitute too. More Anyway,
tomorrow’s beneficiary of Noel’s temporary demise is AP McCoy, who takes the
rides aboard Big Buck’s in the Long Distance Hurdle and Neptune Collonges in the Hennessy Gold Cup. Alan King
had a good day at Newbury, marked by two winners: Smad Place won the
Juvenile Hurdle by an impressive 27 lengths, which came as a complete
surprise to his trainer as evidently the horse has not shown that sort of
form at home on the gallops! The
horse, having shown plenty of stamina today, will probably be best suited by
a slightly longer trip. (9 ran) Little
George won the Novices’ Handicap Chase with a late challenge after the last
fence, his first outing over the larger obstacles (10 ran). A double for jockey Wayne Hutchinson too. Call Me A
Legend ran well and finished 4th in the Handicap Chase – a very satisfactory
return following an injury break. The Jo Davis trained Passato
finished in 5th. (10 ran) Neither
Celestial Halo nor Spirit River covered themselves in glory during the
Novices’ Chase. The former made a
couple of quite serious errors and finished 3rd, with Spirit River falling at
the 11th fence after having put up a good jumping performance up to that stage. It was reported that Celestial Halo will
now revert back to hurdles. More Tomorrow
is Hennessy Gold Cup Day at Newbury, and the Fighting Fifth Hurdle has also
been transferred to the card following the loss of Newcastle’s fixture. Alan King
has 4 runners at Newbury tomorrow: 11:55 Dona
– Novices’ Hurdle, to be ridden by Wayne Hutchinson 12:55 Rustarix – Amateur Riders’ Handicap Chase, to be ridden
by Mr J Banks 13:30 Stoney’s Treasure – Novices’ Handicap Chase, to be ridden
by Wayne Hutchinson 14:00 The Betchworth Kid – Intermediate Hurdle (Listed) (the Gerry Feilden), to be ridden by Wayne Hutchinson Other
races of interest are the aforementioned Fighting Fifth Hurdle, which will be
run at 12:25. The 5 competitors are
Binocular, Peddlers Cross, Starluck, Nearby and
Bygones of Brid. Big Buck’s
runs in the Long Distance Hurdle at 14:30, his main rivals being Duc De Regniere and Duke of
Lucca. The
Hennessy is now the 7th race on the 8 race card (15:05), and features Denman,
Weird Al, Burton Port, Diamond Harry, Neptune Collonges
(returning from injury) and Big Fella Thanks
amongst others. Here is
the link to Wayne Hutchinson’s most recent column in the Sporting Life. More And Martin
Keighley’s column in the Gloucestershire press too. More Today’s racing at Newbury finished early to
enable the frost covers to be deployed before temperatures dropped too
low. I prefer cold and sunny to dank
and miserable weather, but not when it’s quite as cold as this! Gates open at 09:30 tomorrow, so I’ll aim
to leave home at around 08:00 as the journey takes around 90 minutes – M25 /
M4 / A4 – as I like to leave the M4 motorway at Reading West. |
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Thursday 25
November 2010 |
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Here are
the results from the first day of the Newbury Winter Festival: Top Mark
finished 10th in the Conditional Jockeys’ Championship Handicap Hurdle (12
ran). Thetwincamdrift finished 4th in the
Handicap Chase (11 ran). Gospel
Preacher finished 2nd and Next Man In 8th in the Standard Open NH Flat Race
(9 ran). Meanwhile
at Taunton: Yukon
Quest finished 6th in the NH Novices’ Hurdle (14 ran). The
afternoon was marred by the death of the Tom George trained Tell Massini who, having sustained a back injury when falling
at the cross fence during the Novices’ Chase, had to be put to sleep. More Tomorrow,
Alan King has 3 runners at Newbury, all to be ridden by Wayne Hutchinson: 12:30 Smad Place – Juvenile Hurdle 13:00
Little George – Novices’ Handicap Chase 14:45 Call
Me A Legend – Handicap Chase for the Jim Joel Memorial Trophy. (The Jo Davis trained Passato also runs in this race) Other
runners of interest are Celestial Halo and Spirit River, who have an outing
in the Novices’ Chase at 14:10. I’m concerned that the weather will close in by
Saturday, putting my trip to Newbury in doubt. So, even if the racing goes ahead, I may
not be able to get there from Hertfordshire!
L Saturday’s fixture at Newcastle, which would have
featured the Fighting Fifth Hurdle, has already been abandoned due to
snow. With the bad weather arriving so
early, it looks like we will be having another severe winter. |
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Wednesday 24
November 2010 |
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Alan King
had 3 runners at Wetherby today and this is how
they fared: Nulato finished 3rd in the
Handicap Chase (6 ran). Sweet
Irony finished 3rd in the NH Novices’ Hurdle (18 ran). Dhaafer finished 2nd in the
Juvenile Maiden Hurdle (9 ran). Tomorrow
is the first day of Newbury’s Winter Festival, and Alan King has 4 intended
runners: 12:30 Top
Mark – Conditional Jockeys’ Championship Handicap Hurdle (Charlie Huxley) 14:10 Thetwincamdrift – Handicap Chase (Wayne Hutchinson) 15:50
Gospel Preacher (Wayne Hutchinson) and Next Man In (Charlie Huxley) –
Standard Open NH Flat Race Alan also
has one runner at Taunton: 13:10
Yukon Quest – NH Novices’ Hurdle (Gerard Tumelty) I’m on
holiday for the next two days and then, weather permitting I’m off to Newbury
on Saturday for the Hennessy Gold Cup. |
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Tuesday 23
November 2010 |
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Alan King
has 3 intended runners at Wetherby tomorrow, all
ridden by Wayne Hutchinson: 12:50 Nulato – Handicap Chase 13:20
Sweet Irony – ‘NH’ Novices’ Hurdle 14:25 Dhaafer – Juvenile Maiden Hurdle There’s an
interesting ‘plans and postscripts’
update on Alan King’s site: http://www.alankingracing.co.uk/news/news1.htm And I’ve
uploaded the photos taken at Kempton Park yesterday: Kempton Park Course Walk and Race Day Photos So it’s now time to start drafting my Kempton
Park diary. |
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Monday 22
November 2010 |
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Tousled hair and
boyish charm! I wrapped
up warm today and headed for Kempton Park to see Choc. Once again I signed up for the final
furlong course walk, and this time also took advantage of a trip to the start
of one of the races (the 5 runner Beginners’ Chase). I did ask if it was okay for me to repeat
the final furlong course walk, this being my third ... yes, that’s fine, and
I can even do it again if I arrive early enough on Boxing Day or the day
after! Choc
revealed that he rode out at the Alan King yard early this morning (Monday
being a schooling day) ... and experienced his first fall since his
accident. However, he was pleased to report
that his knee came through this mishap perfectly okay. Choc will be visiting his surgeon next
Monday for a final check-up and, following that, he needs to get clearance to
race-ride from the BHA’s doctor ... so his return could even be as early as mid-week
next week or anything up to a month’s time ... so I will be waiting with
bated breath to learn of his first ride. J There are
a number of results to report: Ffos Las Ponchatrain finished 3rd in the
Amateur Riders’ Handicap Chase (Martin Keighley) (6 ran). I saw this race on the ‘big screen’ at Kempton and it looked for a while that young Tom
Bellamy might win, however it was not to be, especially when his mount veered
off to the right after the last. Kempton Park Love of
Tara finished last in the Mares’ Listed Hurdle (Martin Keighley) (6 ran). Kauto The Roc won the
Handicap Hurdle (Alan King) (12 ran).
Good placement, as the jockey claimed 10 lbs as stable Conditional! Rodrigo
Gonzales finished 5th in the Handicap Chase (Martin Keighley) (6 ran). Won More Night finished
9th in the Conditional Jockeys’ Novices’ Handicap Hurdle (Martin Keighley)
(10 ran). She ran well for a long way
but got tired in the home straight – Martin mentioning in his blog that she
would need the run. I believe
poor Oddshoes died following a fall at the 6th
fence during the Novices’ Chase.
Another sad loss for the Philip Hobbs yard. Following
on from my query following Saturday’s racing, I’ve also now found an entry on
the Racing Forum Memorials page for the Neil Mulholland trained Winsley Hill, who died at Ascot from a suspected heart
attack. Being a
Monday, Choc’s latest column appeared in the Racing
Post. More Tomorrow there are a couple of National Hunt
fixtures, but no runners of special interest! |
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Sunday 21
November 2010 |
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Firstly
today’s results from Towcester, where Alan King had
two runners: Topflight Wildbird finished 11th in the Handicap Hurdle (17 ran). Bardolf finished 2nd in the
Intermediate Open NH Flat Race (13 ran). Not
surprisingly after yesterday’s falls, AP McCoy took today off, but will be
back in action at Ffos Las tomorrow. Meanwhile
at Aintree, the first race over the Grand National fences, the Sefton Handicap Chase, was won in great style by the bold
front running Frankie Figg, who finally and
well-deservedly completed the course.
Sadly the Philip Hobbs trained Private Be collapsed and died after the
race. More Another
big day for Sam Twiston-Davies, who won the Becher Handicap Chase aboard Hello Bud. Although it was reported that he was
awarded a 5-day ban for whip abuse. More Tomorrow
there are 3 National Hunt meetings, Ludlow, Ffos
Las and Kempton, with specific runners of interest at the latter two
fixtures. Ffos Las 15:35 Ponchatrain – Amateur Riders’ Handicap Chase (Martin
Keighley/Mr Tom Bellamy) Kempton Park 13:30 Love
of Tara – Mares’ Listed Hurdle (Martin Keighley/Warren Marston) 14:35 Kauto The Roc – Handicap Hurdle (Alan King/Peter Hatton) 15:10
Rodrigo Gonzales – Handicap Chase (Martin Keighley/Warren Marston) 15:45 Won
More Night – Conditional Jockeys’ Novices’ Handicap Hurdle (Martin
Keighley/Stephen O’Donovan) I
understand that Warren Marston’s next winner will be the 700th of his career
and, understandably, Martin and his team are keen for him to ride this
milestone winner aboard one of their horses.
The weather
forecast this week is described as ‘getting
colder’ with the possibility of even the odd snow shower! Damn.
I hope the bad weather holds off until after the Hennessy Gold Cup
next Saturday, as I’m very much looking forward to a great day out at the races. I’m on
holiday tomorrow and, as I’m feeling much better today, I will be going to
see Choc at Kempton Park ... mind you having said that, I don’t think my trip
was ever in doubt! I’m also on holiday
on Thursday and Friday. |
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Saturday 20
November 2010 |
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Today’s
results are as follows: Ascot Hong Kong
Harry finished 2nd in the Novices’ Hurdle (12 ran). Asturienne finished 3rd in the
Mares’ Handicap Hurdle (15 ran). Did
something happen to Winsley Hill, as green screens
could be seen during a vista shot down the course? Karabak finished 2nd in the
Coral Hurdle (8 ran). Lariat Sam
finished 6th and Lord Liath 4th in the Standard
Open NH Flat Race (12 ran). Master
Minded won the Amlin 1965 Chase with ease, Albertas Run falling 3 out when under pressure. It was a torrid day for AP, who had 3 falls
from his first 4 rides and was stood down for the remainder of the day. Wayne Hutchinson took the ride aboard Karabak, and Brian Harding rode Lariat Sam in the
last. Silviniaco Conti won the Coral
Hurdle in style, Zaynar showing temperament today. Huntingdon Balzaccio finished 3rd in the
Novices’ Chase (6 ran). Groove
Master fell in the Juvenile Hurdle (12 ran). Prince Du Seuil finished 3rd in the Handicap Hurdle (13 ran). Il Duce finished 3rd in the Veterans’ Handicap Chase (6
ran). Mister McGoldrick
won this race, he’s rising 14. Sadly Ellerslie George had to be put down having broken a leg –
another blow for the stable, as they lost Newbay
Bob at Wincanton on Thursday. At Haydock,
Imperial Commander won the Betfair Chase, from the
enigmatic and fast finishing Tidal Bay. Tomorrow
Alan King has 2 runners at Towcester, both ridden
by Wayne Hutchinson: 14:40
Topflight Wildbird – Handicap Hurdle 15:50 Bardolf – Intermediate Open NH Flat Race I felt so ‘rubbish’
today that I spent the morning in bed, and the remainder of the day I’ve been
moping around the house in my nightdress and dressing gown! How slummy is that? |
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Friday 19
November 2010 |
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Today’s
results from Ascot are as follows: Lidar finished 7th in the
NH Novices’ Hurdle (Alan King) (12 ran). Mille
Chief finished 2nd and Tuanku 3rd in the Handicap
Hurdle (Alan King) (13 ran). The
horses ran well, considering the winner was Aegean Dawn who had also triumphed
impressively at Cheltenham last Friday! Tomorrow,
Alan King has runners at Ascot and Huntingdon: Ascot 12:20 Hong
Kong Harry – Novices’ Hurdle (Wayne Hutchinson) 13:30 Asturienne – Mares’ Handicap Hurdle (Wayne Hutchinson) 14:35 Karabak – Coral Hurdle (AP McCoy) 15:50
Lariat Sam (AP McCoy) and Lord Liath (Wayne
Hutchinson) in the Standard Open NH Flat Race Other
highlighted horses at Ascot are Master Minded and Albertas
Run in the 14:05 Amlin 1965 Chase (2 miles 3
furlongs); Zaynar, Restless Harry and Silviniaco Conti in the Coral Hurdle. Huntingdon 13:05 Balzaccio – Novices’ Chase (Charlie Huxley) 13:40
Groove Master – Juvenile Hurdle (Charlie Huxley) 14:45
Prince Du Seuil – Handicap Hurdle (Jimmy McCarthy) 15:15 Il Duce – Veterans’ Handicap Chase (Jimmy McCarthy) And I
can’t not mention the 15:25 Betfair Chase at Haydock, with
Imperial Commander, Nacarat, Planet of Sound and
What A Friend amongst others competing. Here is
the link to Martin Keighley’s most recent column in the Gloucestershire
press. More And the
link to Wayne Hutchinson’s column in the Sporting Life too. More As foreseen, I’ve now got a streaming cold and,
yes, I already resemble Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer! However, I have a long weekend to look
forward to, with channel hopping between Racing UK and At The Races tomorrow
and Sunday, and a trip to Kempton Park on Monday to see the ’cute one’ again! J |
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Thursday 18
November 2010 |
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After a
very good start to the week, today’s results overall were disappointing: Hereford Franklino finished 7th in the
Juvenile Hurdle (Alan King) (11 ran). Midnight
Appeal finished 8th in the Novices’ Handicap Hurdle (Alan King) (14 ran). Itea Du Fau was pulled up in the Mares’ Handicap Chase (Alan
King) (7 ran). Market Rasen Deep
Reflection finished last in the Beginners’ Chase (Martin Keighley) (7 ran). Peter
Grimes (Alan King) was pulled up and Hypnotic Gaze (Martin Keighley) fell in
the Handicap Hurdle (11 ran). The Fox’s
Decree finished 3rd in the Lady Amateur Riders’ Handicap Hurdle (Martin
Keighley) (5 ran). There is a
sad postscript to the 14:40 where Alan’s runner, Let’s Live Racing’s Peter
Grimes, lost his life having broken his off-hind leg. And Hypnotic Gaze was unlucky, having
fallen as a result of the Peter Grimes’ misfortune. Wincanton Perception
finished 2nd in the Handicap Hurdle (Alan King) (6 ran). Tomorrow
there’s National Hunt racing at Musselburgh, Exeter and Ascot, Alan King
having runners at the latter: 13:00 Lidar (Wayne Hutchinson) – NH Novices’ Hurdle 15:55 Mille Chief (Wayne Hutchinson) and Tuanku (Charlie Huxley) – Handicap Hurdle |
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Wednesday 17
November 2010 |
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Lots of
runners of interest at Warwick today, and success for both the Alan King and
Martin Keighley yards: It’s A Date finished 5th
in the Handicap Hurdle (Alan King) (14 ran). Brimham Boy finished 5th in
the Handicap Chase 2 miles 4½ furlongs (Martin Keighley) (8 ran). Habbie Simpson won the
Novices’ Hurdle (Alan King) (17 ran). Gilded Age
finished 3rd in the Novices’ Chase (Alan King) (5 ran). High
Benefit won the NH Novices’ Hurdle (Alan King) (16 ran). Ukrainian
Star won the Handicap Chase 3 miles 2 furlongs (Martin Keighley) (5 ran). Congratulations
to Martin and his team on another winner!
And it’s good to see that Alan’s horses are running well this season,
following a very disappointing 2009/2010 campaign. Three
National Hunt meetings tomorrow, with one or more runners of interest at
each: Hereford 13:00 Franklino – Juvenile Hurdle (Alan King/Wayne Hutchinson) 14:30
Midnight Appeal – Novices’ Handicap Hurdle (Alan King/Wayne Hutchinson) 15:00 Itea Du Fau – Mares’ Handicap
Chase (Alan King/Charlie Huxley) Market Rasen 13:40 Deep
Reflection – Beginners’ Chase (Martin Keighley/Gerard Tumelty) 14:40
Peter Grimes (Alan King/Gerard Tumelty) &
Hypnotic Gaze (Martin Keighley/Jimmy Derham) -
Handicap Hurdle 15:10 The
Fox’s Decree – Lady Amateur Riders’ Handicap Hurdle (Martin Keighley/Miss
Steffi Brett) Steffi is
making her racecourse riding debut, so I wish her good luck, and The Fox’s
Decree definitely deserves to win a race too. Wincanton 13:20
Perception – Handicap Hurdle (Alan King/Peter Hatton) I shall
watch today’s racing highlights on Racing UK this evening, to see for myself
how all the Warwick runners got on.
That’s after I’ve watched Escape to the Country (I wish) as I just
love that programme. It’s an early
night for me, as I’ve succumbed to a cold virus, which is still at the sore
throat stage and my first of the winter, how depressing. L But, looking on the bright side, it’s only 5
sleeps until Kempton Park’s next fixture! J Although I will probably have to dose myself up with Day Nurse and may, by then, resemble Rudolf
the Red Nose Reindeer! |
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Tuesday 16
November 2010 |
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Another
day, and another winner for the Alan King stable: Ravethebrave winning the Novices’
Chase at Folkestone (6 ran). That’s
jockey Wayne Hutchinson’s 13th winner of the season. Lots of
runners of interest tomorrow, this time at Warwick: 13:00 It’s
A Date – Handicap Hurdle (Alan King/Wayne Hutchinson) 13:30 Brimham Boy – Handicap Chase 2 miles 4½ furlongs (Martin
Keighley/Warren Marston) 14:00 Habbie Simpson – Novices’ Hurdle (Alan King/Wayne
Hutchinson) 14:30
Gilded Age – Novices’ Chase (Alan King/Wayne Hutchinson) 15:00 High
Benefit – NH Novices’ Hurdle (Alan King/Sam Thomas) 15:30 Ukrainian Star – Handicap Chase 3 miles 2
furlongs (Martin Keighley/Warren Marston) |
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Monday 15
November 2010 |
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A very
successful day at Plumpton for the Alan King
runners: Union
Island won the Novices’ Hurdle (7 ran). Jetnova won the NH Novices’
Hurdle (9 ran). Mister
Stickler won the Handicap Chase (9 ran). So a
treble for Wayne Hutchinson too. Tomorrow,
Alan King has one runner at Folkestone: 13:40 Ravethebrave - Novices’ Chase, to be ridden by Wayne
Hutchinson Check out
Martin Keighley’s blog for his overview of the weekend’s racing at
Cheltenham. http://www.martinkeighleyracing.com/Martins_blog.php There’s an
overview from Alan King on the success of his runners too: http://www.alankingracing.co.uk/news/news1.htm And, being a Monday, Choc’s
next Racing Post column has been published. This week he writes about his dieting regime, Medermit’s out of character refusal at Huntingdon last
week, and his recently sidelined colleagues. More |
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Sunday 14
November 2010 |
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I was
glued to Channel 4’s racing coverage this afternoon, with Choc putting in
another appearance in the commentary box alongside Jim McGrath and John Francome. Choc
definitely seemed more at ease in his role today. He also
took part in a ‘rugby challenge’
taking place in the Parade Ring before racing, when participants tried to
kick a rugby ball to hit the crossbar ... no he didn’t hit it, he cleared
it. But I did hold my breath as he
took aim with his right foot ... Today Choc
revealed that the most highly strung jockey in the Weighing Room is ... Paddy
Brennan! Many
congratulations to Martin Keighley and his team, Champion Court winning the
Novices’ Hurdle, a promising first outing over hurdles, as he was a little
bit ‘green’. Menorah won the big race of the day at
Cheltenham, the Greatwood Handicap Hurdle. More Cheltenham Oh Crick
finished 6th in the 2 Mile Chase (Class 2) (Alan King/Wayne Hutchinson) (7
ran). Manyriverstocross finished 3rd in the Greatwood Handicap Hurdle (Alan King/Wayne Hutchinson)
(17 ran) Champion
Court won the Novices’ Hurdle (Martin Keighley/Warren Marston) with Total
Submission (Martin Keighley/Wayne Hutchinson) finishing in 4th (8 ran). Balzaccio (Alan King) was a
non-runner in the Beginners’ Chase at Fontwell
Park. Tomorrow,
Alan King has 3 runners at Plumpton, all to be
ridden by Wayne Hutchinson: 13:00
Union Island - Novices’ Hurdle 14:00 Jetnova – NH Novices’ Hurdle 14:30
Mister Stickler – Handicap Chase And
there’s more news regarding the unfortunate Christian Williams, who John Francome went to visit in hospital today. More I’ve
completed my cross-stitch project; it just needs to be washed, ironed and
framed. I keep my hands meticulously
clean when I sew, but I still like to wash my projects before I frame
them. I wonder
who will be voted off Strictly Come Dancing this evening? There are 9 couples still in the
competition and my current thoughts are that Kara Tointon,
Matt Baker and Scott Maslen should be the 3 finalists. Patsy Kensit and
Pamela Stephenson are just below the level of the aforementioned; and I think
Gavin Henson (who has less personality than a plank of wood), Michelle
Williams, Felicity Kendal and Ann Widdecombe (the
comedy factor) should be the next 4 competitors to leave the show. Oh dear, that waste of broadcasting space starts
on ITV this evening – I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here. I’ve enjoyed watching Downton
Abbey for the past few weeks, as I like period dramas, so perhaps I’ll tune
into the second series of Garrow’s Law tonight. |
|
Saturday 13
November 2010 |
|
It was
nice to get a brief glimpse of Choc and to hear his dulcet tones as a member
of the panel in the commentary box on Channel 4 racing this afternoon. Although I guess he was a little nervous,
as he ‘dried up’ once or
twice. Bless his cotton socks. I think I would be tongue-tied too as,
being an introvert, I find writing far easier than talking! The big
race of the day, the Paddy Power Gold Cup, was won by the Nigel Twiston-Davies trained Little Josh, ridden by Sam Twiston-Davies.
Sam’s biggest race win to date, although the jockey did say afterwards
that his win aboard Baby Run at last year’s Festival is his favourite career
moment to date. More A good advert for Weird
Al, with whom Little Josh dead-heated at Carlisle on 31 October. There is
very bad news regarding Christian Williams, who sustained two breaks to his
left arm and also fractured his right arm when he was brought down aboard Beshabar at the 2nd last fence during the Novices’
Chase. Poor Christian was catapulted
out of the saddle head first and I guess it’s a reflex to outstretch ones
arms to save oneself. More My younger brother
Neil broke his left wrist and a few years later his right wrist when trying
to save himself from falling during school PE lessons! It seems
to me that moving the notorious 2nd last hasn’t actually improved the
situation ... as just as many horses are falling at the fence – Gwanako also fell at the fence during the Paddy Power
Gold Cup, having fallen at the same fence during the last meeting! The Paul
Nicholls trained Sam Winner won the Juvenile Hurdle impressively – Racing UK
spoke with Ruby Walsh on the phone yesterday and he was very upbeat about
this horse’s chances today. Wayward
Prince won the Novices’ Chase. Any
Currency ran well, but couldn’t peg back the progressive Midnight Chase up
the home straight. Today’s results are as follows: Cheltenham Wolf Moon
(Martin Keighley/Wayne Hutchinson) finished 6th in the Novices’
Chase (8 ran). Any
Currency (Martin Keighley/Noel Fehily) finished 2nd
and Wind Instrument 10th (Alan King/Wayne Hutchinson) in the
Handicap Chase (17 ran). Awesome
George (Alan King/Charlie Huxley) pulled up in the Paddy Power Gold Cup
Handicap Chase (18 ran). Sir Harry Ormesher
(Alan King/Charlie Huxley – replacing the injured Christian Williams)
finished 6th and Maucaillou (Martin
Keighley/Wayne Hutchinson) fell at the last flight in the Handicap Hurdle
(Listed) (13 ran). Devil To
Pay (Alan King/Charlie Huxley) won the Novices’ Handicap Hurdle, Wild Desert
(Alan King/Wayne Hutchinson) finished 8th, and Mark of Love
(Martin Keighley/Sam Twiston Davies was pulled up
(19 ran). Wetherby Roko Dancer (Alan
King/Gerard Tumelty) finished 10th in
the Handicap Hurdle (11 ran). Bless The
Wings (Alan King/Gerard Tumelty) finished 2nd
Novices’ Hurdle (14 ran). Uttoxeter Double Pride (Alan King/Andrew Thornton) finished
3rd in the Beginners’ Chase (6 ran). There are
a number of runners of specific interest tomorrow too: Cheltenham 13:45 Oh Crick - 2 mile Chase (Class 2) (Alan King/Wayne
Hutchinson) 14:20 Manyriverstocross
- Greatwood Handicap Hurdle (Alan
King/Wayne Hutchinson) 15:30 Champion Court (Martin Keighley/Warren Marston)
and Total Submission (Martin Keighley/Wayne Hutchinson) - Novices’ Hurdle Fontwell 13.25 Balzaccio - Beginners’ Chase (Alan
King/TBA - Christian Williams was originally to ride) Other
horses to look out for are Tataniano and Forpadydeplasterer in the 13:45; and Menorah, Get Me Out
Of Here, General Miller, Sanctuaire, Issaquah and Orsippus in the 14:20 Greatwood
Handicap Hurdle. My Grand National tickets arrived today, so I’m
just waiting for my Hennessy Gold Cup day ticket to be delivered now. It’s bound to be dank and miserable at the
end of November, but Hennessy Gold Cup day is not to be missed! |
|
Friday 12
November 2010 |
|
Alan King
had just one runner at Cheltenham today ... Rustarix returning to form to
win the Amateur Riders’ Handicap Chase (12 ran). Very good value at 14-1. Amateur
jockey Richard Hawkins (brother of Conditional jockey Giles) lost
consciousness having been unseated from Cornish Sett during this race but the
good news is that, following a visit to Cheltenham General, he has been
discharged. More And have
you noticed that Alan King has a lot of success when his horses run in the
first race of the day? The very
talented Cue Card was impressive, winning his race by 8 lengths, well-held. Time for
Rupert won the Novices’ Chase, also by 8 lengths, with the ‘infamous’ Hell’s Bay finishing
2nd. Evidently Hell’s Bay was picked
up very cheaply at the sales – I can’t imagine why(!)
... and has already paid for the outlay when winning at Newton Abbot at the end
of August. The most
exciting finish of the day was in the Cross Country event – with the very
game and genuine grey Lacdoudal, trained by Philip
Hobbs and ridden by Richard Johnson, prevailing from favourite and course
specialist Garde Champetre. A much deserved victory as it was the
horse’s first win since the Betfred Gold Cup (aka
Whitbread Gold Cup ... I’m showing my age!) in April 2006; also a double on
the day for the owners, who won the first race of the day with Rustarix. More Both Alan King and Martin Keighley have a number
of runners tomorrow: Cheltenham 13:20 Wolf Moon (Martin Keighley/Wayne Hutchinson) - Novices’ Chase 13:55 Any Currency (Martin Keighley/Noel Fehily)
and Wind Instrument (Alan King/Wayne Hutchinson) - Handicap Chase 14:35 Awesome George (Alan King/Charlie Huxley) - Paddy Power Gold Cup Handicap Chase 15:10 Sir Harry Ormesher (Alan
King/Christian Williams) and Maucaillou (Martin
Keighley/Wayne Hutchinson) - Handicap
Hurdle (Listed) 15:40 Devil To Pay (Alan King/Charlie Huxley), Wild Desert (Alan
King/Wayne Hutchinson) and Mark Of Love (Martin Keighley/Sam Twiston-Davies) - Novices’ Handicap Hurdle Wetherby 14:20 Roko Dancer (Alan King/Gerard Tumelty) -
Handicap Hurdle 15:55 Bless The Wings (Alan King/Gerard Tumelty)
- Novices’ Hurdle Uttoxeter 13:10 Double Pride (Alan King/Andrew Thornton) - Beginners’ Chase Other
horses to look forward to are Wayward Prince in the 13:20 at Cheltenham;
Junior, Razor Royale, Tricky Trickster, Midnight Chase, From Dawn To Dusk,
Character Building and Ogee in the 13:55; Long Run, Mad Max and Passato (I’ve got a soft spot for the latter) in the
Paddy Power Gold Cup. And I especially
hope that Mark Of Love goes well again. Here is
the link to Martin’s column in the Gloucestershire press: More And a
detailed overview in Wayne Hutchinson’s Sporting Life column this week,
including his take on the ‘Medermit’ incident at Huntingdon on Wednesday: More I’ve not done much today, apart from housework
... boring! But I did watch the racing
on TV this afternoon, and I must work on my cross-stitch project tomorrow
(it’s almost finished). |
|
Thursday 11
November 2010 |
|
The
results from Taunton today are as follows: Topflight Wildbird finished 3rd in the Mares’ Handicap Hurdle (15 ran). Lake
Legend finished 3rd in the Novices’ Chase (7 ran). Dineur finished 3rd in the
Maiden Open NH Flat Race (7 ran). A touch of
‘third-itis’
me thinks! Alan King
has just one runner at Cheltenham tomorrow: 13:15 Rustarix (Mr J Banks) – Amateur Riders’ Handicap Chase The 13:50
race is interesting, as Cue Card makes his second appearance over hurdles,
and the 16:05 Novices’ Chase sees Time for Rupert, Reve
De Sivola, Quantitativeeasing,
Mr Thriller, Othermix and the ‘infamous’ Hell’s Bay, amongst others, doing battle. This race was won by the talented Weird Al
last year. Today is
my ‘Friday’ as I’ve booked tomorrow
as leave, so I will be glued to the TV tomorrow afternoon, watching the
racing from Cheltenham’s Open Meeting.
I’ve still got 13½ days holiday to take before the end of February in
fact, and I’ve not taken more than 6 consecutive days (including a weekend)
since last November! How sad am I? And the
good news is that my broadband connection appears to have returned to normal,
following four very ‘slow’ days. |
|
Wednesday 10
November 2010 |
|
Today’s
results are as follows: Huntingdon Soleil D’Avril finished 4th in the Novices’ Hurdle (16 ran). Dona won
the Handicap Hurdle (10 ran). Medermit, who was leading the field,
decided to refuse at the 6th fence (4 ran).
More and it came as a complete surprise to Alan King
too http://www.alankingracing.co.uk/news1.htm
(Alan’s
website has recently been revamped). Trade On
finished 5th in the Junior Standard NH Flat Race (16 ran). Bangor Dhaafer finished 4th in the
Juvenile Maiden Hurdle (8 ran). Tomorrow,
Alan King has runners at Taunton
(which, according to Choc, has the coldest Weighing Room on the racing
circuit). 13:10
Topflight Wildbird (Wayne Hutchinson) – Mares’
Handicap Hurdle 13:40 Lake
Legend (Wayne Hutchinson) - Novices’ Chase 16:10 Dineur (Chris Timmons) – Maiden Open NH Flat Race The aforementioned Chris Timmons, not surprisingly,
got ‘hauled over the coals’ by the
stewards at Bangor today. |
|
Tuesday 09
November 2010 |
|
Firstly,
today’s results: Lingfield Park American Ladie (Alan King) finished 2nd and Golbelini
(Martin Keighley) last in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (13 ran). Radius
Bleu (Alan King) finished 2nd in the NH Novices’ Hurdle (10 ran). Ponchatrain (Martin Keighley) won
the Handicap Chase (2 miles 4½ furlongs) (7 ran). King Ozzy (Martin Keighley) finished 2nd in the Handicap Chase
(2 miles) (6 ran). Management
(Alan King) finished 2nd in the Intermediate Open NH Flat Race (11 ran). Many
congratulations to Martin Keighley and his team on another winner, and
hopefully the yard’s good form will continue to Cheltenham’s Open Meeting
this weekend. Exeter Shrewd
Investment (Alan King) finished 4th in the Novices’ Hurdle (13 ran). Way Back
When (Alan King) finished 4th in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (15 ran). Tomorrow,
Alan King has runners at Huntingdon and Bangor: Huntingdon 13:20
Soleil D’Avril (Wayne Hutchinson) – Novices’ Hurdle 14:20 Dona
(Wayne Hutchinson) – Handicap Hurdle 14:50 Medermit (Wayne Hutchinson) – Novices’ Chase 15:50
Trade On (Wayne Hutchinson) – Junior Standard NH Flat Race Bangor 14:40 Dhaafer (Sam Thomas) – Juvenile Maiden Hurdle Here’s a
brief article about Medermit’s intended run at
Huntingdon tomorrow. More Ruby Walsh
is aiming to return to the saddle in 12 weeks. More And Paul Nicholls is undecided as to who will
ride Kauto Star during Ruby’s injury absence. More |
|
Monday 08
November 2010 |
|
Choc’s weekly column in the
Racing Post appeared today ... More There are
a number of runners of interest tomorrow: Lingfield Park 13:10
American Ladie (Alan King/Wayne Hutchinson) and Golbelini (Martin Keighley/Warren Marston) - Mares’
Novices’ Hurdle 14:10
Radius Bleu (Alan King/Wayne Hutchinson) – NH Novices’ Hurdle 14:40 Ponchatrain (Martin Keighley/Warren Marston) – Handicap
Chase (2 miles 4½ furlongs) 15:10 King
Ozzy (Martin Keighley/Warren Marston) – Handicap
Chase (2 miles) 16:10
Management (Alan King/Wayne Hutchinson) – Intermediate Open NH Flat Race Exeter 13:20
Shrewd Investment (Alan King/Charlie Huxley) – Novices’ Hurdle 15:50 Way
Back When (Alan King/Mr Sam Waley Cohen) – Mares’
Novices’ Hurdle And, for some unknown reason, I’m experiencing a
problem uploading my files onto the website ... it’s taking an age and
sometimes the transfer even times out and aborts! The problem first arose on Saturday. |
|
Sunday 07
November 2010 |
|
Firstly
today’s results from Hereford: Iron
Chancellor (Alan King) finished 3rd and Saffron Lord 7th (Martin Keighley) in
the Maiden Hurdle (10 ran). Wayne
Hutchinson gave up his rides for the remainder of the day, Charlie Huxley
taking over aboard Alan King’s Mister Chancer, who
finished 5th in the Novices’ Hurdle (15 ran). His other
runner, Asturienne, finished 3rd in the Mares’
Handicap Hurdle, with Gerard Tumelty aboard. There’s
bad news for Emma Lavelle’s stable jockey, Jack Doyle, who today sustained an
identical injury to Ruby Walsh. More Talking of
Ruby, he’s undergone successful surgery to repair his right leg. More I gather
that another Paul Nichols jockey is on the sidelines after a fall at
Wincanton yesterday – Harry Skelton having sustained a broken collarbone. Today was
a good day for Paddy Brennan though, as he rode a treble at Ffos Las! Speculation
has already commenced as to who might ride Kauto
Star in this year’s King George VI Chase on Boxing Day. Although, not surprisingly, AP McCoy has emerged
as favourite. More Zenyatta ... what a rubbish ride
the jockey Mike Smith gave the mare – although having been tailed off for
most of the race, had she actually managed to overhaul the winner Blame then
it would probably have been hailed as a miracle ride. Regardless, I didn’t approve of him
thrashing Zenyatta all the way up the home
straight. I hope Goldikova stays
in training next year, as she is a brilliant racehorse. And tomorrow being Monday, the next edition of Choc’s Racing Post column will be published. J |
|
Saturday 06
November 2010 |
|
Kauto Star was successful on his return to action at Down
Royal but, oh my God, Ruby Walsh took a fall in a later race and has now
broken his right leg ... more Paul Hanagan was crowned 2010 Flat jockey Champion today. Sandown Park Gold Reef
won the Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle (Alan King) (16 ran). Balerina finished 5th in the
Juvenile Hurdle (Alan King) (9 ran). Top Mark
was a non-runner in the Handicap Hurdle (Alan King). Wincanton Sweet
Irony finished 3rd in the NH Novices’ Hurdle (Alan King) (10 ran). Love of
Tara finished 6th in the Mares’ Handicap Hurdle (Martin Keighley) (8 ran). Romulus D’Artaix finished 7th in the Intermediate Open NH Flat
Race (Alan King) (10 ran). Meanwhile
on the flat at Doncaster – The Betchworth Kid
finished 2nd and Salden Licht
5th in the November Handicap (22 ran). The flat
season having ended, there are 3 National Hunt meetings in the UK tomorrow –
Market Rasen, Ffos Las
and Hereford; Alan King and Martin Keighley have runners at the latter: 13:00 Iron
Chancellor (Wayne Hutchinson) (Alan King) & Saffron Lord (Tom Siddall) (Martin Keighley) – Maiden Hurdle. 14:35
Mister Chancer – Novices’ Hurdle (Wayne Hutchinson)
(Alan King) 15:05 Asturienne – Mares’ Handicap Hurdle (Wayne Hutchinson)
(Alan King) And I’ve
found this article too, relating to the lovely Choc: http://www.dailystar.co.uk/racing/view/161335/Choc-Thornton-chomping-at-the-bit-to-return/ Finally,
French star Goldikova has just won her third
Breeders’ Cup Mile (Turf)! Workforce
was a non-runner in the Breeders’ Cup Turf. As I
write, the Breeders’ Cup Classic hasn’t been run yet ... so no news on Zenyatta. |
|
Friday 05
November 2010 |
|
Firstly,
today’s results from Fontwell Park, where Alan King
had 3 runners (not 2 as reported yesterday): Kauto The Roc won the
Conditional Jockeys’ Novices’ Hurdle, ridden by
Peter Hatton (12 ran). Stoney’s Treasure finished 3rd
in the Handicap Chase (7 ran) Custer of
the West finished 8th in the Standard Open NH Flat race (14 ran). Following
Mark of Love’s victory at Kempton Park on Monday, here is the link to Martin
Keighley’s latest column in the Gloucestershire press And Wayne
Hutchinson’s latest column in the Sporting Life too: Both Alan
King and Martin Keighley have runners tomorrow: Sandown Park 12:45 Gold
Reef – Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle (Peter Hatton) (Alan King) 13:45 Balerina – Juvenile Hurdle (Christian Williams) (Alan
King) 14:55 Top
Mark – Handicap Hurdle (Charlie Huxley) (Alan King) Wincanton 12:35 Sweet
Irony – NH Novices’ Hurdle (Wayne Hutchinson) (Alan King) 13:40 Love
of Tara – Mares’ Handicap Hurdle (Warren Marston) (Martin Keighley) 15:55
Romulus D’Artaix – Intermediate Open NH Flat Race
(Wayne Hutchinson) (Alan King) Alan also
has a couple of runners in the last big flat race handicap of the season –
the November Handicap at 15:10 at Doncaster – Salden
Licht and The Betchworth
Kid. I must
mention that Kauto Star is having his first outing
of the season at Down Royal tomorrow, when he runs in the 14:25 Grade 1
Champion Chase over a distance of 3 miles.
Amongst his rivals will be China Rock, Killyglen
and Sizing Europe. I’m having
a day out in Brighton tomorrow, with my friends Lesley and Fay, and we are
meeting up with Angy who lives in Eastbourne
now. We are going by train, although
it will terminate at Haywards Heath, with the
on-bound journey having to be completed by bus due to engineering works. But it all adds to the adventure. And I’m
very jealous of my work colleague, Lynsey, who will
be spending most of her weekends in Cheltenham from now on, as her boyfriend
has just moved there ... and with all that beautiful Cotswolds countryside to
explore. And her Jack Russell puppy,
Dexter, will love it too. |
|
Thursday 04
November 2010 |
|
There’s
good news concerning Jason Maguire, who returned to the saddle at Haydock Park today and he rode a double. More But bad
news for jockey Sam Jones, who suffered a neck injury in a fall at Chepstow
yesterday. More At Towcester, Way Back When was a non-runner. Tomorrow,
Alan King has 2 horses scheduled to run at Fontwell
Park: 14:50 Stoney’s Treasure – Handicap Chase 15:50
Custer of the West – Standard Open NH Flat race Both
horses will be ridden by Wayne Hutchinson And I’ve now completed my Kempton Park diary for
last Monday’s fixture, 01 November 2010. |
|
Wednesday 03
November 2010 |
|
The Racing
Post has reported that Choc’s recovery is gathering
pace, with a possible return to race riding in a month or two: J That being
the case, I may be gearing myself up for a few more days at the races sooner
than I thought. My current racing
diary consists of Kempton Park on 22 November; Hennessy Gold Cup Day at
Newbury on 27 November; and both days of the Kempton Park Winter Festival at
the end of December. Today’s
results are as follows: Warwick Pantxoa won the Juvenile
Hurdle (11 ran). Chepstow Awesome Freddie
finished 4th in the Maiden Hurdle (2 miles 4 furlongs) (15 ran). Pride in
Battle finished 4th in the Maiden Hurdle (2 miles and ½ a furlong) (15 ran). One runner
for Alan King tomorrow, at Towcester: 13:10 Way Back When – Mares’ National Hunt Novices’
Hurdle, to be ridden by Mr Sam Waley-Cohen. |
|
Tuesday 02
November 2010 |
|
Just one
result today, from Exeter: De
Forgotten Man finished last in the NH Novices’ Hurdle (10 ran). Okay, two
results, the Haldon Gold Cup was won by the Paul Nicholls
trained Tchico Polos
ridden by Ruby Walsh; Twist Magic completed in 2nd, with Somersby 3rd. Alan King
has one runner at Warwick tomorrow: 13:25 Pantxoa – Juvenile Hurdle, to be ridden by Wayne
Hutchinson And two
runners at Chepstow: 13:05 Awesome
Freddie – Maiden Hurdle (2 miles 4 furlongs), to be ridden by Charlie Huxley 14:10
Pride in Battle – Maiden Hurdle (2 miles and ½ a furlong), to be ridden by
Sam Thomas I hope to make a start on my Kempton Park diary
this evening ... although I confess I can’t remember what questions were
posed to Choc, or his answers, during yesterday’s ‘final furlong’ course walk – I’m obviously having too much of a
good thing at the moment, and I do tend to concentrate on taking photos. I really must write down some questions for
him for next time ... or if anyone can think of any questions they’d like me
to ask then please let me know. |
|
Monday 01
November 2010 |
|
As hoped,
I went to Kempton Park today and, yes, I did the ‘Final Furlong’ walk all over again! Also, for the record, Choc selected 5 out
of 7 winners when taking part in the punters panel at the last meeting. I also
took part in the ‘Integrity Tour’
today, whereby we visited the Commentary Box at the top of the grandstand; we
also saw the Press Room, the Stewards’ Room, and the Judge’s Room. We watched the third race of the day from a
vantage point at the top of the stand.
And we went to see the Weighing Room too. A number
of the jockeys took part in an autograph and photo session, so my race-card
has been signed by Barry Geraghty, Sam Thomas, Tom Scudamore, AP and, of course, Choc! I gather Ruby Walsh turned up late to the
session but, as I had to report to the meeting point for the Integrity Tour,
I missed him. Choc was
interviewed by the race-day presenter and, evidently, it may not be totally beyond
the realms of possibility that Choc could return to race riding in time for
their Winter Festival at the end of December!
Choc was also on hand to offer advice to a lucky race-goer who was
selected to choose the Best Turned Out horse prior to the 6th race of the
day. And now
for today’s results: Kempton Park Iolith won the Novices’
Hurdle (13 ran). Monty’s
Revenge finished last and The Laodicean 5th in the
NH Novices’ Hurdle (9 ran). Itea Du Fau finished last in the Novices’ Handicap Chase (7 ran). Rodrigo
Gonzales finished 6th in the Handicap Hurdle Qualifier (9 ran). Bakbenscher finished a tailed off
5th in the Graduation Chase (6 ran). Mark of
Love won the Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle and Quetzel
finished 3rd (11 ran). Many
congratulations to Martin Keighley and his team for their win with Mark of
Love, a great training feat as the horse had been off the course for 981
days! Plumpton Tuppenny Piece was pulled up
in the Handicap Hurdle (10 ran). Choc’s weekly column in the
Racing Post appeared today ... More And Meally’s diary too ... And,
finally, I’ve uploaded the photos I took today: And,
finally, finally ... One runner
of interest at Exeter tomorrow: 16:35 De
Forgotten Man – NH Novices’ Hurdle (Martin Keighley), to be ridden by Warren
Marston It’s
Exeter’s biggest race fixture of the season tomorrow, with the running of the
Haldon Gold Cup. |
