Apologies for no post on Saturday. It was a strange race the Group 1 King George V1 and Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes at Ascot. The front pair in the betting, Auguste Rodin and Emily Upjohn ran no sort of races. The O’Brian horse was beaten fully 3 furlongs from home. He must have some issue and it was a similar story with the filly Emily Upjohn, she found nothing when asked to go by her rider Frankie Detttori.

It ended up a good finish with Hukum just prevailing from Westover. I thought both horses got good rides, and the best horse won.

On to today. At Vittel in France I like Haiti Du Berlais in the 11.10 race, she is around 11/10 and although she has top weight, she won well last time and should be too good for her rivals.

At Lingfield this evening I like Magic Memories each way in the 6.57 race, he has not got the ideal draw in 3 but ran well last time when third at Windsor and if he can master the current favourite Molaqab, he should win. He is around 11/2 with most firms.

More soon.

Good racing today with 6 meetings in the UK and Down Royal and Cork in Ireland. At Ascot where the ground like most tracks at the moment will be on the soft side. I thought Gaassee could have a good chance of getting back in the winners enclosure 3.35. His stable are in form and he should be fine on the ground. At Thirsk where it will be soft ground, Darnation 2.35 was a good third on debut at Haydock at the start of this month, with progress expected from that run she could be worth backing at around 3/1.

At Newmarket this evening, racing gets under way at 5.52. The son of Calyx and current favourite is Habrdi who makes his debut, he looks good on paper and is from the astute George Boughey yard. He could be well drawn in 14 and has been showing some talent on the gallops. Naqeeb will be short odds to win the 7.35 race, he stayed on strongly last time at Newbury over 10f, today he has an extra 2f and should be too smart for his rivals.

I will put a post out tomorrow, with a really good card at Ascot. The big race at 3.40 is the King George V1 and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Group 1) with a really top-class field. I am not sure what I would back if given a choice, possibly Emily Upjohn each way as she has Dettori back on top. It is an open race and looks like a really intriguing contest.

Some good racing today at Newbury where the going should be good. Maximum Dividend 2.25 was a good second at Sandown earlier this month and will improve a good deal for that run. He can be too smart for his rivals, although I have heard that the Roger Varian horse Boiling Point is nice. At Newmarket this evening I like Ziryab in the 7.30 race, he ran well at Ascot on his last run and should get the better of the older rival Royal Symbol.

In France at Vichy where the going could be on the soft side, Pepete 3.00 has been second on her last three runs. She wears cheekpieces but looks honest enough and this looks her best opportunity so far to win. She was second to a useful horse in Kumaite twice, and nothing of his quality line up unless the unraced Astra Dream is useful.

More soon.

Some good racing today in France at Dieppe. I like two horses in the 12.12 race. Kenito should just get the better of Krakan, both have had one run over hurdles so far, the former was second at Compiegne and Krakan was third on his only run, when he was tenderly handled. I think it is between the two of them.

At Hamilton George Boughey sends Crows Nest on the long journey north from his Newmarket base, he was a nice third at Windsor on debut behind a couple of horses with experience. He looks as though if he beats Macauleys Tavern he can win the 2.30 which is over 6 furlongs.

More later.

Today at Aintree it is the Grand National at 5.15pm. Trying to find the winner this year looks as difficult as always. If I have an interest bet it will be Delta Work, who ran well last year when 3rd. He handles soft ground and has been in good form, so a lot of ticks! I also think Le Milos could run a good race, possibly the biggest concern is will he stay the trip !

I always find trying to find a winner on a Saturday very difficult, more so than any other day of the week. One horse I do like is Kandy Park in the 10.40 Moulins. A good 2nd on debut at Lignieres last month, he stayed on stoutly and was beaten by just over 1 length. I think he could go one better today, in a French bumper race. Hopefully he can get the day off to a good start.

More soon.

Back from a break, hopefully I can find a winner or two today. At Huntingdon today the ground will be good. Pass The Love On 1.15 should get favourite backers off to a good start. She ran ok last time over 2 miles, and should relish the step up in trip today. It may be a day to back the short odds runners in France as well, at Auteuil Il Est Francais has a change of jockey today, his regular rider James Reveley is out with injury, and is replaced by Felix De Giles. He will be hard to beat in the Grade 3 race at 2.50. At Pornichet later today, Endless Chain 4.17 will be hard to beat, she was a bit unlucky last time, when she had a wide trip, and was only beaten as the winner got the jump on her from 2 Furlongs out, and ran on strongly in the straight from a better ride on the inside rail saving lots of ground on the tight left handed track.

More soon.

With the recent cold snap taking its toll on a few scheduled race meetings today, I have looked at Cagnes Sur Mer in France. in the 10.50 race Swing For Me has solid claims, he was given a fair bit to do last time, and with only 5 runners here, he will be closer to the pace, he is a tad keen, so i would think Demuro will try to get a bit of cover if possible, and close late. His likely main threat is Hoxton, who has solid form, she ran a decent second on the all weather surface last time at Lyon La Soie, although its a big drop in trip today, so preference is for Swing For Me.
More soon.

Very testing going at the moment, with lots of rain around. Plumpton has an inspection at 8.30 am to see if they can go ahead with the racing.
At Wolverhampton, where racing should have no problems because of rain, I do like Cicely in the 1.40, she has put in two good runs since being acquired at the October sales by her trainer Kevin Philippart de Foy and her improved run last time was possibly because of the cheek pieces first time, so with a 5lb rise she will be hard to beat again. She is around 11/8.
City Escape is a lot better off at the weights with Cicely today, so could be worth a few quid each way as well at around 11/2 generally.
More later.

I have just been reading John Francome’s article in the racing post, some good stories about some of his previous racing snipits especially one about former trainer Richard Head who brought his horse to gallop with Fulke Walwyn’s horses, as he kept telling Walwyn that he had a hunter that was better than some of the horses he was riding out for Walwyn, this was before he started training himself. And the horse ended up winning at Cheltenham as a 12 year old !

I was a bit surprised that he seems to rate Harry Cobden so highly, as no doubt Cobden can ride, but for me he is not the bravest, as he very rarely goes the shortest route, he normally rides middle to outside, which for me is a signal that your not the bravest. He is riding very good horses, and to be honest, you find it harder to get beat on horses like he rides, they are pretty much point and steer !

Looking ahead to the rest of the week, jump racing in the UK until the weekend, then the flat returns, only Dundalk tomorrow on the level.

More soon.

Reflecting on the racing yesterday. At Cheltenham in the 3:30 race over 2 miles 5 furlongs which looked a competitive handicap hurdle, Unanswered was a cosy winner, well backed throughout the morning, he eased to return at 2/1, he actually won like a 4/7 shot ! His shrewd trainer Tony Martin played down his chances a bit before the race, but I’m sure that connections had a few drinks last night, as he landed a bit of a ‘touch’ for the Irish.

At Lingfield 3.10 it was good to see Missed The Cut get up on the line to win by a whisker under Jim Crowley, I had heard he was in good shape, but did not back him, as I thought stall 10 may be hard to overcome on quite a tight track, as I do think this horse will be seen to better effect over 12f in time, or a galloping 10f like Ascot, where he won before. But obviously his shrewd trainer is looking at races possibly on the all weather or he may well be heading abroad for some big races over the next few months.

Today has some good races at Cheltenham, in the 3.30, I do like Springwell Bay, who was going away when winning at Carlisle last time, although this is a much better race, and he will need to improve for his last run to win this. But I do think he is the one to beat.
Massive prize money in the 1:33 Auteuil today, a grade 1 hurdle worth £157,000 to the winner ! It will be a good race, with the two at the head of the market meeting again , difficult to split them, but a good race to watch.
More soon.