Good to get a winner for my subscribers yesterday.  Minella Trump 2.15 Sedgefield, was advised at 6/4 in the morning, heavily backed into 8/11, he pulled clear from 2 flights out, winning by 11 lengths.

Saturday racing and finding winners is always tough.  Aintree racing starts at 11.30 am, with a decent race between some nice types.  Harry Senior and Edwardstone look as though they could be fighting out the finish, it’s a spin of a coin between them.  Later in the card One For Arthur returns, he goes at 1.30, it would be nice to see him win again.  Native River also runs at 2.40.   He takes on Might Bite and Black Corton, I expect Native River to win this, he has had a couple of racecourse gallops, so should be ready.

Blackjack Kentucky 12.55 Chepstow looks to have a solid chance of winning, he was second to a useful horse last time, and his course form and experience should be enough to get the job done at short odds.

A really fantastic achievement by Hollie Doyle yesterday.  Riding 107 winners in a year, breaking the previous record held by a lady jockey, Josephine Gordon the former record holder I am sure will be pleased for Hollie.

On to today’s racing.  Sandown looks hard work, as does Sedgefield, Exeter doesn’t look as testing.  I thought the cards were quite difficult to access today, really competitive racing, Friday cards are mini Saturdays these days.  An interesting Novice Chase coming up at Exeter 1.30, Earlofthecotswolds is favourite, he won’t get things all his own way, as Present Value and Kateson will not make it easy for him.  A couple of races this evening at Newcastle look worth a look, I’m just watching the betting markets at the moment.

More later.

A few races gone already.  Market Rasen looks as though it is quite soft ground.  A nice horse lining up in the 12.45 Leicester.  Hold that Taught looked a nice prospect when winning on his first run under rules, he is short odds to win again today.  At Kempton this evening Pyramid Place 5.40 should come forward for his debut fourth at the track.  He is likely to improve from that run, as is the norm for the John Gosden trained horses, this may be a good opportunity for him to get his head in front.

More later.

A good winner yesterday for my subscribers.  I advised Maypole Class 2.45 Lingfield At 9/4 in the morning.  He galloped on strongly from the last hurdle, after making a slightly awkward jump.

Todays card at Ludlow has been called off.  I had advised backing one at the meeting, but have hopefully found one at one of the other meetings.  With soft ground at Haydock, it will be hard work for the runners.  I did think Keep Wondering 1.20 ran a really good race last month, that could be good enough to win this, if reproducing that run.  At Kempton 4.10 Al Dawodiya drops back to 6f today.  She ran a really good second over 7f on her last run, making the running that day.  She is well drawn in stall 1, her racing experience could well edge it for her in this race.  A couple of rivals that are unraced, Never Dark could well be the one to give her most to do.

I was just reading about Apprentices on the flat, who will receive 80% of their win percentages and riding fees in the future.  Currently entitled to 50% from their boss, who is supposed to pay half of their travel expenses.  Under the new rules, the riders will not receive any expenses from the trainer they are employed by, who will get 20% Of fees and percentages the apprentice makes.    I am assuming this will apply to conditional  National Hunt jockeys as well.

I know when I was conditional jockey for the late Brian Swift, he paid me full fees, he told me that as I had ridden on the flat for a few seasons and was experienced, he believed jump jockeys deserved to get full fees, it was really generous of him, as he could of taken his 50% of my fees.

A good winner yesterday for my subscribers.  Bubble And Squeak 6.45 Wolverhampton, was advised at 9/4 , scored a nice victory under Ben Curtis, who is riding very well. It was his third leg of a treble.

Racing goes ahead today at Lingfield and Southwell over jumps and Wolverhampton on the flat later today.  At Wolverhampton, in the 4.45 Dubai Quality is short odds to win on debut.  She has been showing plenty at home, and should win. Northern Poet 12.45 Lingfield, will try to follow up over course and distance, he stayed on strongly to win 21 days ago, and has a solid chance again here.  Southwell has attracted only small fields for most of the races. I do like the look of Loveherandleaveher 12.30, she should get punters off to a good start.

Hopefully the injury picked up by Buveur D’Air on Saturday will not be a career ender.  He was lame after his short head defeat by Cornerstone Lad.  I was pleased to see the winner become the first Grade 1 victor for trainer Micky Hammond, he has been training well for a number of years.  I rode with Micky, he was a good jockey and is doing a good job as a trainer.

Only the evening racing at Wolverhampton left today.  One race gone and just about to go in the 4.15.  At 4.45 I like Singing Sheriff, he is 1lb ‘well in’ with the favourite Arabic Culture from when they met at the track a few months ago.  The latter got the race in the stewards room that day, it is a concern that the pace looks as though it will be slow, nothing in the race has made the running before, so it will be tactical, hopefully it will be not ran at a crawl. I may well wait and have a bet in running, as that may be the best option.

A couple of horses I like running later in the day.  Homesick Boy 5.15 is another horse in decent form of late, he will have to overcome stall 10 to win, which is never easy, getting a position and not racing wide, giving ground away is never ideal. Hopefully young Angus Villiers can get a good tune out of the Ed Dunlop trained horse, this young 7lb claimer is getting plenty of chances of late, he rides well and is value for his claim.

More later.