Yearly Archives: 2024

This is a three-horse race where we have an odds-on favourite to beat. Hurlerontheditch will need to have improved from Lingfield to beat him, but will try his best to do so.

Book Of Tales has been off for 15 months and is handicapped on his one winning hurdles run at Fontwell. Effectively, he's still a novice and meets these much more experienced opponents. It will be tough, but he has ability and is ready to run. Interesting.

Slow starts and mid-race surges have been the pattern for C'Mon Kenny the last twice, but with vastly different outcomes. If he can get away a little more alertly and make more stealthy headway, he could be very dangerous.

Beat The Edge ran an excellent debut race for the stable when a running-on 2nd at Sedgefield. He is 8lb lower over fences than hurdles and I give him a great chance to add to his single win for previous connections early last year.

Henry's Friend won three in a row last season and he showed he has continued to progress with a battling 5th in the Coral Gold Cup over this 3m2f last time. A repetition of that run would probably be good enough to resume the winning thread.

Green Team has been placed in five of his last six runs, including gaining an only place from five career AW outings. His consistency hasn't allowed any leniency from the handicapper, so we're probably going there with place more than win expectations.

Finn Russell collected three AW wins last winter and added one on turf at Carlisle in the summer. He had a break after an unsuccessful trip to Downpatrick but came back with a whimper at Lingfield. He has had time to recover and we hope he is geared up for another fruitful winter, possibly starting…

Green Team has been placed in five of his last six runs, including gaining an only place from five career AW outings. His consistency hasn't allowed any leniency from the handicapper, so we're probably going there with place more than win expectations.

Samuel Spade is probably our stronger candidate in this. He'll be ridden more positively and hopefully that will mean a better result. He should be in the three.

Leader In The Park was very disappointing last time out but I haven't lost faith, although we are slightly running out of options with him. He's a lovely horse and very well handicapped and I'm hoping more positive tactics will work.

A couple of seasons ago we thought a lot of Gege Ville. He won his bumper nicely then got a leg which has held him back. We hope he gets a nice run around and is sound in the morning then we can go on from there.

Fiercely Proud came from too far back when 6th in the Greatwood. We will ride him much handier today and hopefully get a big result. He deserves to win one of these.

Crambo looks great and always goes well first time out., He won this last year but I think Strong Leader will take a lot of beating. He's done plenty of work and there's a lot more zest about his schooling than there has been in the past. Place chances.

Naughty Niall has beaten only one rival in four runs back since a summer break. He needs to wake his ideas up.

Hippocratic Oath missed the break last week at Kempton but ran on strongly for 2nd behind a useful Godolphin juvenile. He's 2lb well in as his new mark doesn't come into play until tomorrow. Big chance.

De Kingpin was 2nd in both his bumpers and was 3rd and then 5th in his two hurdle runs this year. I fear that form is not good enough to win a novice at Newbury. Place chances.

Meetmebythesea did well to make a winning debut around here and should improve. However, he could well  have his work cut out to deal with The Kemble Brewery.

Herakles Westwood ran very well at Taunton first time over fences and back from a break. He has come out of that race well and we're hopeful he can go one better today.

Margaret's Legacy won just short of a year ago at Market Rasen for his previous stable and was 2nd soon after. He returns after 11 months off in a first-time hood. Hoping for a bright start.

I've a slight worry about the ground for Alien Storm and also I'm not sure there's much pace on. Maybe we'll have to change tactics and ride him closer to the front. He likes the track though so hopeful.