Racing resumes tomorrow.  Only racing in France today.  I’ve just been watching a few races from Chantilly, my former work colleague Laurent Barbarin is in the Sky studio, trying to give viewers advise on the horses on show today, he gives a selection in most of the races, he gave a couple of winners yesterday at Angers National Hunt card.  It is tough at this time of year, as some horses are having their first run of the year, and fitness is the key ! A number of yards don’t have their horses fully tuned for their first run of the year.

So hopefully I can find a winner or two tomorrow for the return of UK racing, I do like a horse running at Chantilly later today.

No racing today, and racing resuming on Wednesday looks doubtful, the latest news that has evolved overnight is that four horses have shown flu symptoms from trainer Simon Crisford’s yard.  Bad news for Simon, and with it being in Newmarket, a larger threat of horses possibly catching the virus.  I understand Simon”s horses had been exercising on Newmarket Heath in the afternoon, as he had a runner at one of the tracks that Donald Mcain had runners at. so he had to train them in the afternoon.  But I am assuming his string was not the only yard doing this.  Hopefully no more yards will show up with positive results from the current swab tests.

Will racing resume on Wednesday as planned, I am not sure.  Having no racing is difficult for the bookmakers and also other people who also make a living from doing it, the jockeys are the biggest sufferers, some have no other form of income, bookmakers still have racing in other parts of the globe, jockeys only get paid when riding.

More later.

Only Punchestown in Ireland, and racing at Cagnes Se Mur in France, in the next at Punchestown 2:20, I think Chosen Mate will be hard to beat, he looks a progressive type, and his main rival is fragile.

More later.

Another blank day in the U.K. for horseracing.  Naas has a jump meeting in Ireland, a couple of good races.  I like the profile of Front View in the last race, he is from a powerful yard, with the stables runners in great form.  So Front View will be tough to beat.  Racing will be shown from Cagnes Ser Mur on Sky Sports racing, I was talking with my old work colleague last night Laurent Barbarin, he will be giving his views on Sky racing today.  We both agreed that the 12:45 race was between Kanuka and Etoile, with a slight preference for the former, she has a bit more experience and has ran in a Group 3 last season, where she was a good 5th, not beaten very far.

Hopefully racing may resume next week in the U.K. it all depends on if any new cases of horses showing symptoms of the flu virus appear over the next few days, swab testing over a large number of racing yards is currently ongoing.

With no UK racing until next week, due to the equine flu problem, only racing at Dundalk this evening.  I do see racing is taking place at Jebel Ali today, it is one of the racecourses in the UAE.  Always difficult to equate form at the track, as it is a different surface to Meydan.  Looking at the Dundalk card, nothing catches the eye yet.  I may update later with something.

Nice to get a double for my subscribers yesterday.  Sir Ox 1:50 Kempton & Zorawar 7:15 Wolverhampton, advised in the morning at 5/2 and 6/5, both horses won well.

Morning Vicar was also advised to followers yesterday, he won gamely the final race yesterday at Ludlow, nice price at 15/8.

Today has the shock news that racing has been abandoned in the U.K.

A number of horses have been found with Equine Flu symptoms, I am not certain on who trains the horses, I have heard one trainer mentioned, but it’s not been officially confirmed as yet.

I will update later , hopefully something from racing at Meydan or Thurles will be worth a bet.

A bit later post today.  Looking at the remaining races, at Ludlow Morning Vicar has a good chance of getting off the mark over timber 4:50 Ludlow, he ran well on his first run this year over hurdles, and the race will of brought him forward.

At Wolverhampton tonight, I thought it could be a night for the short odds players.

Awful fall at Kempton in the first race, hopefully Robert Havlin is not too badly injured, he has been taken to hospital.  I backed the winner, but that is the last thing to be of concern, it looked a nasty spill.

I hope followers may have had the double I had yesterday.  Gantier 4:30 Lingfield and Marhaban 8:25 Wolverhampton, they were a bit short when I mentioned yesterday that I had backed them in a double, but both did the business ! Not too sure Gantier is in love with racing, he made hard work of winning.

Racing at Market Rasen goes ahead, a few decent types racing at the Lincolnshire track today.  Bachelor will be hoping to get some prize money for connections at 1:50, he fell last time behind a very useful horse, and may just edge it today over Lisheen Castle, if none the worse for his recent tumble.  At Newcastle, I thought Tetradracham was a convincing winner last time at Wolverhampton.  He has been raised 9lb for that, but he won by 7 lengths that day, he seemed a different horse in the tongue tie, which he wears again today.

I have been reading about the trainer Darren Weir in Australia.  He looks like getting a ban for possessing illegal electronic devices, known as jiggers, after they were found at his stables by police and stewards during a raid.  He is a leading trainer, having trained a Melbourne Cup winner in 2015. A “Jigger ” is the local name for an electronic device, usually used with a whip, and is designed to deliver an electronic shock to a horse in a bid to produce a better performance on the track.  All I can say about it, is if he has been using Jiggers, he deserves a ban, if you have to resort to that kind of training, you don’t belong in the sport.

I was just looking at some footage of Kachy win on Saturday at Lingfield, his time was a course record, a second track record over 6f, he was clocked at an incredible time over the first 5f of the race as well, under 57 seconds, which is rapid !

Looking at some of the results today so far.  Hathal was a game winner of the 5:55 Wolverhampton.  Arcanada was heavily eased in the race, hopefully he will be ok, he was never in his usual front running position, and was beaten 3f out, he has put in a few bad runs in his time, so may be a horse to back “in play” in the future.

The next few days look pretty tough, only Newcastle and Market Rasen on tomorrow, maybe the clerk of the course will look at the jump track tomorrow.

Another good WINNER yesterday for my subscribers.  Sir Erec was a very easy winner of the 1:15 Leopardstown, he returned at 13/8.  A healthy start to February.

Today looks quite tough, a couple of good things running, Gantier 4:30 Chelmsford, and Marhmoon 8:25 Wolverhampton, but ridiculous prices, I actually backed them in a double last night, they were bigger odds than they are now !

One race that is hard to work out is the 5:55 Wolverhampton.  A small field go to post, the horse I prefer is Arcanda.  A winner of this race last year, he likes to make the running, his time was good last time he ran when winning at Lingfield.  He has a very good jockey riding as well, so a lot of positives.  I believe Hathal could be his biggest danger, he is third best in the betting, so an interesting race.

More later.