Monday's Meetings Carlisle N/H 7 Races 1:50-5:07p.m. Dundalk(E) A/W 8 Races 3:15-6:45p.m. Newcastle(E) A/W 6 Races 5:00-7:30p.m. Chelmsford Abandoned Lingfield Park Abandoned Racecards At The Races Sporting Life Racing Post Good Luck
BARNAY is an interesting runner in Carlisle's 3:35 tomorrow (assuming it passes an inspection). Won this race last year off 102 and now races off 99. This campaign has been mixed with chasing and hurdling and hasnt been at all bad. Last run is easy to forgive as he was mysteriously tried over three miles. It would be nicer if the yard were in better form but they have had a winner in the last fortnight. The 4yo Mister Pom Pom looks a real danger with his WFA allowance but thus far this year we have seen precious few runners of that generation take advantage. He will try to make all and is capable of doing just that. 7/1 looks very fair.
Very late today due various household chores! 17:07 Carlisle - Shoeshine Boy (Form and breeding suggests this French-bred Valirann gelding has a decent chance in this finale Class-5 Handicap Hurdle. Comes from an excellent NH family. Craig Nicol on board for the Donald Whillans yard. Best price 8/1, generally-available at time of writing. E/W possibly the best option?)
Studied this race for some time last night mate. Initially I was drawn to Jonjo's runner for obvious reasons but I watched back all its runs and I was left with a feeling that its no great shakes. I had a look at yours of course and thought it had EW possibilities. Light Flicker was interesting until you realise that its much better over fences. In the end the pin landed on the very progressive YOU SOME BOY although he has drifted almost from the moment prices were offered.
Hopefully, Stick, one of us is on the winner! Regardless of how Shoeshine Boy does, I have been very impressed with the website of Donald Whillans, the Borders trainer. Very punter/racegoer-oriented and, although I haven't fully looked at it yet, seems very informative. Frankly, it's possibly the best trainer website I have yet to see. Some are more a hindrance than any thing else!
I shall take a look. Some of them are really poor and ridiculously out of date. It's like they sacked the guy who set it up.
don whillans and his brother alistair are pig farmers from hawick , always been very capable trainers , like to pull off a touch as well .Ill never forget some info i got , Brian Harding had been badly injured , his comeback ride was a whillans horse at musselborough , got told in november that he would have a winner when he returned , it was january i think , horse went off at 7s i think , not really fancied , steering job , never in doubt ! alistair has handed his license over to ewan who was a competent jockey for the family . very shrewd outfit
Too true, with some of the websites. Going to have a real good look at Donald Whillans' website this evening, I hope my first impressions were accurate. Thing that first took my attention was the amount of effort put into the background of a horse, not just one either I guess, as the one I looked at was just for Shoeshine Boy. Which brings me to my selection today, who was nailed by a 66/1 shot by a length. Good grief, horseracing can be stressful sometimes! . Did suggest e/w thank goodness, and at the 8/1 at that time not so bad. Still, 66/1, jeepers!
a very open and in depth write up of every horse , but this applies to whole site, look at costs of ownership , no punches pulled , if you lived round there , i’d say you’d do a lot worse ,
Very interesting, Rudey, you certainly have an excellent memory! Must find the time to look properly at the Whillans' website. I was astounded, when I clicked-on the picture of Shoeshine Boy, at the amount of detail that came up, and that's just the one horse! That would be tons of work for all horses in the stable?
Rudey: We crossed-wires a bit but glad you were impressed with the website too. Rotten luck indeed with the Tricast, that longshot did make a mess of things!
These smallish stables know their onions , in order to survive they must be good , unless you have sugar daddy owners you’re in a results driven business , the whillans have always been trainers to keep an eye on , especially when punted , likewise stuart coltherd , another borders trainer , my mate who lives in Langholm where they hold flapping races says the whillans are feared by all when they have runners there ! Rugby and racing and drinking is borders culture !! iirc the horse Harding rode was Baby Ticker , ill, look it up see if my memory is still ok ! it’ wasn’t baby ticker , much earlier
ah , that’s racing , i did whillans horse to win , and nick kent’s third ew , coltherd horse came 4th ......
