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.

Good cards today.  Newcastle has passed the early inspection.  With the main race on the card at 2.05.  The Betfair Fighting Fifth Hurdle (Grade 1) has only 5 runners, but Buveur D’Air can hopefully win this race for the third time.  It looks pretty straightforward for him, he looks a penalty kick.  At Bangor 12.10 Ballymoy looks a good thing, he ran well on his seasonal appearance, and should get his chasing career going in this race, I actually backed him last night when he was 4/5.  The very open Ladbrokes Trophy Chase(Handicap) Grade 3 at 3.00 at Newbury over 3 miles and 2 furlongs looks a race where luck in running is a must ! 24 line up, West Approach could be suited by the large field, he would be my choice each way at around 13/2 generally.

I thought Floressa could well get revenge on Silver Forever 12.05 Newbury.  They are both good mares and it should be between these two again today.

More later.

I advised backing Champ 2.25 Newbury  at 5/6 this morning to my subscribers.  Anyone who saw the race would of wondered what Barry Geraghty was doing after jumping the last fence, head down and not looking what was directly ahead of him, he had to yank hard on the right reign,  as he realised he was going to go the wrong side of the railed elbow,  which was about half way on the run in from the last fence.  Geraghty would of had a very embarrassing moment if he had gone the wrong side of the elbow, as his mount would of been disqualified.  I can’t understand some jockeys, you should never take your eyes away from what is ahead of you, Barry is not the only jockey guilty of not looking where he is going, hopefully he won’t make the same mistake again !

A good Winner yesterday for my subscribers.  Stick With Bill 12.25 Ffos Las was advised in the morning when 6/5, he was heavily backed into 8/11.  Staying on strongly in the latter stages, to get the better of Fado Des Brosses, who shaped well.  Both horses are useful types.

Today has some strong fields at Newbury.  Fanion D’Estruval 12.45 is a French import.  He was very useful over there, and should be in the mix, currently around 13/2 he is value, in what is his first start in the UK.  Racing gets under way at 12.15 with a well contested maiden hurdle over 2 miles.  Coconut Splash was just pipped on his last run at Aintree, he would be my choice in this race.  Some really nice types line up, King Roland is fancied, he has solid bumper form, he tries hurdles for the first time, and is likely to start favourite for this event.  I hope L’Inganno Felice can run a decent race in the 2.00 Southwell.  He has won at the track previously, and this race looks ideal, although you could make a case for at least 6 of the 7 starters.

More later.

Hopefully some of my followers will have backed the two horses I advised yesterday.   Big Shark 2.10 Hereford was a convincing winner under Richard Johnson, he returned at 6/4.

Today has 4 meetings in the Uk.  Two over jumps at Taunton and Ffos Las and Lingfield and Chelmsford both on the flat on the artificial surfaces.

At Lingfield Nazaghi 3.00 looks to have found a really good race to get off the mark, Transition could well be one for forecast backers with the short odds favourite.

At Chelmsford 4.00 Kilconquar could well have decent each way claims, a good third on debut, when friendless in the betting, he ran really well and should come forward for that race.

Happy with the Sir Valentine 1.50  run, Evens without two horses I really feared in Ribble Valley and Proschema, with a good second to easy winner Ribble Valley, who looks a very useful horse.   A couple of interesting races later today.  Tynecastle Park 3.05 Southwell has good track form, and could well win again today.  Big Shark would be my option in the 2.10 Hereford, he is narrowly preferred to Mr Muldoon, it could be a good race for such a small field of only three runners.