The weather yet again has a big say in whats on for today but we do indeed have racing from Lingfield and Wolverhampton. Leicester and Wetherby went many a day ago and the outlook for the rest of the week is looking bleak... Wednesday has already lost Catterick, with Ayr and Exeter having inspections sometime today... Thursday has already lost Warwick and has a inspection for Fakenham today... Friday needs confirmation from Doncaster and Huntingdon as to what the state of play is there... Saturday has Doncaster, Cheltenham and Uttoxeter to worry us, but it dosnt sound good on the weather reports for any of em... So we must be grateful for small mercies and that the AW courses can provide us our entertainment and equine enjoyment for today, and maybe the rest of the week... Please post any thoughts good or bad for today's racing to help us pass the time of day with...
Morning, troops. Nothing for me today and am therefore am waving the old ‘No bet’ banner. I see old boy Pricewise has plumped for the Cotton Mill each-way at 33’s in the ‘Champion Hurdle’. In his piece he was somewhat disparaging of Mr Henderson’s beasts though calling Darlan a poor jumper and saying Grandouet wasn’t tough enough! I say Outrageous with a capital ‘O’! Is he not aware that any deficiency will be iron out by post time by the forum’s favourite trainer! My mole at the ‘Met’ predicts the old thaw will set in from Saturday, people. Whether this will be enough to save Cheltenham, at the weekend though is somewhat debatable. Eyecatching entries, at this stage, re that card would be Walkon back over hurdles in the Cleeve and Mr Henderson’s Cocktails At Dawn in the Grade 2 novice hurdle. My regular readers will recall me waxing lyrical about the latter prior to his debut last month and it is testament to how high he is regarded that Mr Henderson is considering such a prestige race for his next start. Good luck if you do wager with a bookie chappie.
As SBC quite rightly says - an absolute disgrace to call Grandouet ...not tough enough . My cash is down on Grandouet ... lets await the outcome. Had a small whisper for Inis Meain in the Boylesport Hurdle on Saturday at Leopardstown .. currently 5/1 fav .. good luck to all who play ..
I wonder how flexible Cheltenham can be regarding this weekend? Whilst it looks touch and go for Saturday (2 sharp frosts Weds and Thurs night, hovering around freezing point on Friday), surely Sunday would be a "slam dunk" with daytime temperatures expected to be around +7°C on Saturday. If the meeting can't go ahead on Saturday, could they simply put it back 24 hours to Sunday? Surely wouldn't have any effect on the horses in terms of readiness and I'm sure Fontwell and Sedgefield wouldn't suffer unduly with their meetings on the Sunday? How difficult would it be to put Cheltenham back 24 hours?
Oddy, according to today's Guardian a switch to Sunday may be possible if that is the way the cards are dealt by old girl, Mother Nature. http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2013/jan/21/cheltenham-festival-trials-switched-sunday
Thanks for posting that link Sir Barney. Here a paragraph from it: "Channel 4 are understood to have been involved in the discussions about alternative dates for Festival Trials day but a spokeswoman for the broadcaster would not be drawn about whether the card might be shown if held over to Sunday afternoon, for which the 1982 film Annie is scheduled. Without coverage by Channel 4, the card's sponsors are unlikely to be willing to make the same commitment to prize money as for Saturday." One would hope common sense would prevail - they could show Annie on Saturday afternoon instead
Its such a good card for Saturday that it would be a crying shame for the punters not to see these races... Common sense, we would hope, could come out on top for once...
Whilst perusing the Guardian website I came across this interesting article. You can't beat a good old fashioned German mixed-sex sauna. I was in one just this last Sunday and, by crikey, it was a sight to behold. I remember during Euro 96 the entire German football team marched proudly into their hotel sauna (somewhere in Cheshire if I recall correctly) wearing their birthday suits and startled the local forty-somethings who were all sat there wrapped in their towels
Today AppraiseForm puts itself in the firing line again as we engage the enemy in the 4.10 at Wolverhampton with top rated FAFFA....7/4 For staking plan follow on Twitter @AppraiseForm we are currently break even since November 1st...this following a 10 month spell of significant profit.
EW Lucky 15: 3:10 Wolverhampton - Yungaburra 13/2 3:35 Lingfield - Chjimes 11/4 3:40 Wolverhampton - Blue Noodles 5/1 4:05 Lingfield - Ace Of Spies 20/1
Can we turn another hot fav over here in the next at Lingers... Doubt it but Abhaath would be the one...
Afternoon lads I backed Homeboy there but in the w/o the favourite market so took 13/8. I can honestly say it feels like i've had a loser. First time i've looked at that market let alone punted in it. Never again. Paddy is loving me right now. Taking 13/8 about a 6/1 winner.
Exeter has now gone... Unlucky Bob, yeah i know what you mean, you feel hard done to a bit... But a winner is a winner though...
I'll stop there today. Nothing else really takes my fancy. Whatever else i note down today on here will be just for interest.