BBOTD - Thursday 28th of February

16.10 Lingfield: Living The Life @ 7/2 William Hill - 4pts win

Impressive last time out over course and distance when he attempted to make all. He really upped the pace from 4f out having the whole on the stretch and he kicked nicely way turning for home with a big lead in hand. One furlong out he looked the clear winner but he tired badly in the closing stages having to pay tribute to the strong pace he set before. He got caught close to the line and finished 2nd in the end. He can race off the same mark tomorrow and with a more sensible ride he should have every to chance to win this. He seems to be the only one who really wants to go from the front in this race and an easy lead at Lingfield is always an advantage.

BBOTD - Monday 24th February

16.00 Wolverhampton: All The Winds @ 7/2 Bet365 - 3pts win

Down to a really handy mark, 3lb below the last winning one and really caught my eye a fortnight ago over course and distance. He trailed a small field while they were absolutely crawling and he was simply to far off the slow pace when it increased. Yet he travelled like a dream on the bridle approaching the home straight and finished a good second but the eventual winner and front-runner was not to catch. Small field it is today again and pace not guaranteed but if his rider is a bit more ware of this threat he'll have him closer to the pace when it matters and then he must be in with a big shout of the current mark. 

Fairyhouse - Bobbyjo Chase Day

Fairyhouse - Bobbyjo Chase Day, a set on Flickr

Big day at Fairyhouse Racecourse yesterday: It was Bobbyjo Chase day! There were two Grade 2's on the card as well as a couple of competitive handicaps. 

Willie Mullins took the Grade Juvenile Hurdle with ABBYSSIAL who got the better of well fancied stable mate Adriana Des Mottes. The Paul Townend ridden gelding made all and kicked on approaching the last fence. Adriana Des Mottes stayed on nicely in the closing stages but too late, Abbyssial held on to complete a hat-trick of wins. 

A much improved performance saw the French gelding VALMY BAIE landing the 2m4f Handicap Hurdle in impressive style. He travelled like a dream in the hands of Danny Mullins and was an easy winner in the end. Surely one to keep an eye on as there should be much more to come from this lightly raced five year old. 

ON HIS OWN was very much on his own when approaching the final fence in the Grade 2 Bobbyjo Chase! No rival was able to match his pace when he drew clear to an impressive 12 lengths victory. On His Own could now be Grand National bound. 

Gigginstown horses were extremely disappointing in the Bobbyjo Chase but SI C'ETAIT VRAI made a bit of redemption in the Beginners Chase when he trounced his rivals by 20 lengths! Probably one of the easiest winners for young jockey Brian Cooper in his still young career. WARNE won the John McCarthy Memorial Hunters Chase in a grueling finish defeating last years Grand National favourite Seabass. Willie Mullins' WESTHORPE was too strong for the opposition in the National Hunt Flat race and could be an interesting horse for the future.

Surprise winner in the Balanchine - Certify disappointing!

Surprise victory for L'AMOUR DE MA VIE in the Group 2 Balanchine at Meydan today. Surprising because most would have thought the French mare wouldn't stand a chance with Godolphin's super filly Certify. Maxime Guyon delivered a ride to perfection on the five year old though. He had her in a prominent position from the very beginning, which was probably an advantage, considering the pace wasn't the strongest in this race. L'Amour De Ma Vie kicked on nicely once approaching the home straight and soon got a little break on the rest of the field which she never gave away to win in fine style eventually. 

L'Amour De Ma Vie scored for the first time on Group level today. but she showed that she could be well up to this standard when she finished a fine runner-up to Certify in the G2 Cape Verdi three weeks ago, even though she was fair and square beaten by the Godolphin filly. CERTIFY wasn't in the same form today though. She was left flat footed in the closing stagesand didn't even finish in the money. She loomed strongly on the outside for a moment around 400m out but this effort came soon to a rather disappointing end. Maybe the horse to take out of this is the other french filly, FLOTILLA . She was below par in the Cape Verdi, when she was beaten more than six lengths by Certify, but showed herself in much better light today. Flotilla trailed the field and travelled very much the strongest turning for home. She couldn't catch the winner but she had enough in the tank to finish a fine second in the end, leaving Pearl of Africa and Certifa behind in third and fourth.

BBOTD - Friday 21st February 2014

Novabridge was unlucky yesterday. Went off a 20/1 chance, awkward start from the wide draw, had to settle in rear which is always adisadvantage over the sharp 5f trip at Kempton, and then had an awful lot to do approaching the home straight, but came through the whole field finishing extremely strong in 2nd. Newtown Cross much in contract was a big disappointment. 

20.30 Wolverhampton: Appease @ 7/2 Bet365 - 3pts win

I do really fancy the favourite Appease but also the second favourite Excellent Puck. The latter ones last two performance definitely caught my eye but he probably run only to the current mark and might not be a big deal ahead. Could be a different story with Appease. he ran a huge race on his first start since September over course and distance eleven days ago. He travelled strongly, while not in the best position when the eventual winner who had the run of the race kicked on from the front and got a break which made the difference in the end. Appease made ground turning slightly wider than ideal for home and looked extremely strong from 2f out, motoring home. He might got a bit tired inside the final furlong, and lost narrowly out on 2nd place but still was less than a lengths beaten by the winner. First and second were 84 & 85 rated animals at that time, so it's fair to say he run to a mark pretty close to that. So it's a big chance given by the handicapper to be able to race off the same 77 mark tomorrow, even more so with natural improvement expected on only his fifth start. Tom Queally is in the saddle again, he has a fine record with John Butter, so that's another plus for Appease's chance.

Bets for Wednesday the 19th of Fenruary

17.25 Kempton: Novabridge @ 12/1 Paddy power - 3pts

Novabridge appeared to be extremely unlucky in his most recent start at Lingfield. He got hampered right after the start, had to settle in rear as a consequence and got then slightly hampered coming around the home turn again, the jockey had to take a pull. The nightmare didn't end here as Novabridge didn't get a clear run approaching the home straight, and when finally a gap opened over 1f out he finished nicely without getting asked for everything. With a clear run he would have gone very close no doubt, and as he gets another pound off the mark he looks to be weighted to win, down to his last AW winning mark too.

18.55 Kempton: Newtown Cross @ 6/1 Paddy Power - 3pts win

Newtown Cross won over course and distance three weeks ago despite having everything against himself. It was a slow run race, he travelled well off the pace and meat severe in-running trouble in the closing stages. Yet he won quite comfortably in the end. That was his first start since October, his first start over this long trip and his first All-Weather start, plus he is still rather lightly raced. So there should be much more to come from him and a rise of 3lb in the mark looks lenient actually. In fact this looks even a weaker race than the last one. So there is really no reason why he shouldn't go close once again.

BBOTD - Tuesday 18th of February

15.35 Southwell: Argent Touch @ 15/2 VC - 2pts win

Seems a more open race than it looks on paper. The favourite has to deal with a new surface and isn't sure to get it. For that reason I take her on. The rest of the field looks far from exciting, however I like Argent Touch, despite the fact that he is 3lb out of the Handicap. I felt though that he clearly run up to this mark on his most recent start over course and distance, since he got not an easy run the last time due to shifting horses, for that reason he had to switch wider and wider and got shuffled back early on, which made it difficult to find his rhythm, which in these 5f races at Southwell is crucial though. Yet he travelled strongly for a long time but tired inside the final furlong and didn't have a chance with the eventual winner, who subsequently run another fine race off an amended mark. So I think it's fair to say Argent Touch run definitely to his current mark and probably a bit more due to the interferences he encountered in this last race. He had only two starts and Southwell and he might be able to improve further on this surface which he clearly thrives on. One has just to see the way he travelled on his first ever start here, when he won a handicap, a poor one off a low mark in all fairness, but he was extremely keen for most parts of the races yet on the bridle approaching the final furlong marker. He clearly is a horse made for this surface, looks big and strong with some scope for improvement in my mind. So he has a chance to go really close here today, even more so with the useful 7lb claim of his apprentice rider. 

Jackson retired to stud!

Three times Grade 1 winner JACKSON has been retired to stud with immediate effect after a rather disappointing effort in the J&B Met. The five year old was the ante-post favourite for the race but never got really going in South Africa's premier Grade 1 over the 2.000 meter trip. Jackson will stand at Highlands Farm Stud under the Freeman Stallion banner. Bloodstock agent John Freeman said in a statement: "There is clearly something amiss and it appears to be internal, because we have done all the tests and he looked magnificent in the parade ring on Saturday [before the J&B Met]." 

Jackson won three Grade 1's in his classic season, which brought him the reputation of being the clear favourite for South Africa's most important race - the Durban July. However Jackson failed that day, finishing down the field. Jackson added another Grade 1 to his tally as a four year old, when he won the Champagne Cup in excellent style. He seemed back to his best earlier this year when he finished a strong 2nd in the Queen's Plate, however something was wrong with him on Met day. 

Jackson was an extremely good looking horse, with great character and the will to win. His trademark turn of foot from off the pace made him a very popular horse with racing fans. The decision to retire the son of Dynasty is the right one, since he has nothing left to prove and seemed to lack the sparkle of his old days in the Met. He'll be remembered for his biggest triumph, which came in the Cape Derby in 2012, when he defeated a certain Variety Club easily.

Variety Club is back!

South Africa's horse of the year is finally back! Variety Club has undertaken a long preparation since he was last seen on a racetrack when he won the 2013 Queen's Plate in tremendous style. Quarantine regulations doesn't make it easy to bring South African horses over to Dubai but according to Trainer Joe Ramsden it's all set and go for the superstar miler: 

“It’s all systems go for Variety Club. He’s had a marvelous preparation and he hasn’t missed a day’s work. Nothing appears to have gone wrong and touchwood it all comes together in the race.” Ramsden added: "“The track is our one worry. We know that there are any number of horses who work well on tapeta while being prepared, but don’t perform in the pressure of an actual race."

It was reported that Variety Club worked extremely well during the week with a Group 2 winner of Mike De Kock's yard, even though that piece of work came on turf. Variety Club will race on a Tapeta surface for the first time on Thursday however and that is obviously some kind of no man's land. On form and class he should be too good for the lot in the Grade 3 Firebreak Stakes - as long as he is fine on the ground.

Hennessy Gold Cup 2014

Hennessy Gold Cup 2014, a set on Flickr.

A selection of photos I've taken on the 2014 Hennessy Gold Cup Day at Leopardstown.

BBOTD - Wednesday 12th February 2012

16.45 Lingfield: Cathedral @ 7/2 Bet365 - 3pts win

Cathedral seems a very interesting runner for a new yard tomorrow due to a couple of reasons: First of all I thought he run quite well in his most recent start of a new career lowest mark. He missed slightly the break, was than extremely keen and pulling hard for quite a while until settling in midfield. He travelled then like an absolute dream, on the bridle until 2f out but I felt his jockey asked too late for an effort since Cathedral certainly lacks a "push button acceleration" and hit a flat spot when everyone one else was pretty much getting first run on him. Eventually he got asked for full effort inside the final furlong and he finished the race fine enough, without being too impressive though. But taking everything into account I think it was a decent enough performance. What's interesting tomorrow in the Apprentice race: He gets another pound off the mark and has an extremely talented 3lb claimer in the saddle who is also absolutely flying at the moment. So effectively Cathedral can race off a four pounds lower mark than the last time and that must give him a tremendous chance to win this race. Not to forget that he is still generally lightly raced for a five year old and didn't look entirely talent free as a younger horse.

Another one for Saturday the 8th...

15.45 Lingfield: Noble Deed @ 12/1 William Hill - 1pt win

Another one from my list for today, after long thinking I feel I want to be small on Noble Deed despite the step up in class. Usually he is best when he is ridden close to the pace and I expect this to be happen from his good draw today. Then he must have every chance to go close after he showed allot in his last run over CD when he had things pretty much against him. He had a good draw but got hampered soon after the start and lost position, so that he was forced to settle in rear. In fact he turned for home last and had to go widest around in order to get a clear run. He finished the like a train, staying on the best from all the horses coming from off the pace despite having the worst position. Form works out not badly already with the winner following up with a close 2nd and 4th winning well. Noble Deed was really progressive in 2013 and while he hasn't won on the All-Weather yet I feel there could be still more to come off his current mark.