Busy day, if they all run
Ultimately neither DAN DE LION, DONOVAN nor ASTRONAUT ran, the good to firm ground with firm patches at Worcester ultimately judged too jarring to risk the last two named. BELLA FIORELLA did take her chance at Haydock, but was left behind in the last furlong and finished seventh of the 12 runners.
Safe jumping ground was to be had at Cartmel, however, and BALLYBOE BOY finally came up with the goods to win the Novices' Handicap Hurdle under Larry McGrath, although he might have been a bit fortunate as Richard Ford's Parisienne Gale flattened the last flight and came to a near halt when leading. A win is a win, though, and this was Richard Guest's sixth from 16 runners at the Lakeland track this season alone.
The first appearance of a Richard Guest Racing Club horse proved anticlimactic, however, as FIENNES practically fell out of the stalls and trailed in 18th of 20 runners in the Apprentice Handicap at Doncaster. Without the benefit of a rise in the weights that a win or above-par run might have effected, he is going to go back to struggling to find opportunities, you would have thought. Guest scholars will have noticed that JAHIA, one of the few complete flops from his New Zealand purchases - largely because she could barely stay 6f, never mind a hurdles trip - came home second in this race, only her second start for P T Midgeley since leaving Michael Madgwick. Ouch.
Today should see another appearance from the wonderful NOSAM in the 2m 5.5f Handicap Chase at Southwell - the same race, I believe, Richard Guest won with GATORADE on his first appearance for the yard two years ago - as long as the ground doesn't get too fast. It was down as good, good to firm in places last I looked. COLLEGE CITY is also engaged to run in a 2m 1f Handicap Chase, trying to defy a 7lb penalty for his win last time out, but I personally don't expect to see him take part unless the heavens open or the track has watered a bit too freely.
There's a nice purse to be had at Hamilton tonight, with the latest renewal of the Scottish Stewards Cup over 6f. LES ARCS, now up to a career high mark of 88, takes his chance in this really competitive handicap, the £18,000+ first prize an obvious lure. He won't mind the going as long as it doesn't go to extremes, and he won over a mile here last June. Tony Culhane, who should have been on EUROPEAN DREAM last week before her defection, takes the ride tonight.
Ten minutes before this race over at Pontefract, and a few rungs down the ladder, well-exposed sprinter ROAN RAIDER tries his hand at a trip of a mile for the first time in two years in this, his first outing for Richard Guest. Formerly one of the large number of animals in owner Paul Dixon's portfolio and trained by Mark Polglase, he has been moved to Guest by Mike Tomlinson - latterly a co-owner of the horse but now seemingly totally in charge of him - and he's been doing some nice pieces of work at home (including during the Brancepeth Open Day). Fran Norton has the ride.
Safe jumping ground was to be had at Cartmel, however, and BALLYBOE BOY finally came up with the goods to win the Novices' Handicap Hurdle under Larry McGrath, although he might have been a bit fortunate as Richard Ford's Parisienne Gale flattened the last flight and came to a near halt when leading. A win is a win, though, and this was Richard Guest's sixth from 16 runners at the Lakeland track this season alone.
The first appearance of a Richard Guest Racing Club horse proved anticlimactic, however, as FIENNES practically fell out of the stalls and trailed in 18th of 20 runners in the Apprentice Handicap at Doncaster. Without the benefit of a rise in the weights that a win or above-par run might have effected, he is going to go back to struggling to find opportunities, you would have thought. Guest scholars will have noticed that JAHIA, one of the few complete flops from his New Zealand purchases - largely because she could barely stay 6f, never mind a hurdles trip - came home second in this race, only her second start for P T Midgeley since leaving Michael Madgwick. Ouch.
Today should see another appearance from the wonderful NOSAM in the 2m 5.5f Handicap Chase at Southwell - the same race, I believe, Richard Guest won with GATORADE on his first appearance for the yard two years ago - as long as the ground doesn't get too fast. It was down as good, good to firm in places last I looked. COLLEGE CITY is also engaged to run in a 2m 1f Handicap Chase, trying to defy a 7lb penalty for his win last time out, but I personally don't expect to see him take part unless the heavens open or the track has watered a bit too freely.
There's a nice purse to be had at Hamilton tonight, with the latest renewal of the Scottish Stewards Cup over 6f. LES ARCS, now up to a career high mark of 88, takes his chance in this really competitive handicap, the £18,000+ first prize an obvious lure. He won't mind the going as long as it doesn't go to extremes, and he won over a mile here last June. Tony Culhane, who should have been on EUROPEAN DREAM last week before her defection, takes the ride tonight.
Ten minutes before this race over at Pontefract, and a few rungs down the ladder, well-exposed sprinter ROAN RAIDER tries his hand at a trip of a mile for the first time in two years in this, his first outing for Richard Guest. Formerly one of the large number of animals in owner Paul Dixon's portfolio and trained by Mark Polglase, he has been moved to Guest by Mike Tomlinson - latterly a co-owner of the horse but now seemingly totally in charge of him - and he's been doing some nice pieces of work at home (including during the Brancepeth Open Day). Fran Norton has the ride.
posted by Jeremy Grayson @ 12:36 AM
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