Sadly this week saw the passing of Sam Vestey, who was a good man. We weren’t best buddies, but his huge skill with people was to make them think they might be. I knew him to talk to and to pass the odd hour with him and over the years he has on more than…
Crikey Bruce – that’s a bit rum
While Europe tries to remember its manners and its debt to others, and decides whether the subjugation of moral principle by political ideal merits such poor behaviour, I have to ask what on earth is going on in Oz, renowned for its incorruptible embracement of moral decency, culture, diversity and fair play? For almost a…
Mrs Paddy Power Mates’ Chase
St James’s Place Foxhunter Chase
1st February 2021 Willie Mullins’ son Patrick bought home BILLAWAY to land the Naas hunter chase yesterday. Bookies cut him to 3/1 (5/2 NRNB – 100/30 in a place) for this race, in which he was runner-up last year. “That was a fair performance on ground he didn’t like and on ground, he couldn’t really pick…
The Wellchild Cheltenham Gold Cup
22nd February 2021 Willie Mullins talking about AL BOUM PHOTO: I’ll give him a big bit of work this week. He’s in great shape. He worked well last week and he’s a big bit of work coming up this week. He’s uncomplicated, he’s very nice to train. I didn’t think when we were buying him…
Randox Health County Handicap Hurdle
Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Amateurs
26th Jan 2021 JERRYSBACK caught the eye, staying on for a 5l third to DASHEL DRASHER from a considerate Richard Johnson ride. (Ascot 2m 5f Handicap Chase). I don’t know what it is, but long absences suggest a fragility He ran off 142 and is 6lb lower than his very tired 3rd in the 2019…
Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate
Ryanair Chase
28th January 2021 Nicky Henderson is adamant ALTIOR will be going to The Champion Chase, despite yard jockey Nico de Boinville hoping to try the horse over further in the Ryanair Chase. Altior won the Champion Chase in 2018 and 2019 but has suffered defeat twice in his last three starts and missed last season’s…
Weatherbys Champion Bumper
8th February 2021 KILCRUIT bolted up in The Dublin Racing Festival Bumper with Patrick Mullins not having to move a muscle. He disposed of a high-quality field with total ease and in the process saw his Champion Bumper odds slashed. He’s now the 7/4 favourite for the race, having been available at 10/1 before he…
Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase
Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase
26th Jan 2021 Trainer Christian Williams reports POTTERS CORNER, winner of the Midlands and Welsh Grand Nationals, to be in good form following his run over hurdles in a Pertemps qualifier at Warwick this month and will now send the 11-year-old to contest the Glenfarclas Chase over the cross-country fences at the Cheltenham Festival as…
Queen Mother Champion Chase
8th February 2021 CHACUN POUR SOI was impressive in The Dublin Racing Festival’s Dublin Chase, and despite Min being pulled up, Chacun Pour Soi was still very impressive in retaining his crown. He’s now odds-on with every bookmaker, bar one for the Champion Chase, having been around the 11/10 mark before the race. SkyBet is…
Coral Cup Handicap
26th Jan 2021 The Henderson-trained CRAIGNEICHE despite his inexperience, took the G3 Holloway’s Handicap Hurdle very impressively by an easy 7l and off OR 127. He hadn’t been since this time last year when he won but bled. Seeing him get worked up beforehand certa\inly weakened hin in the market, but he travelled strongly throughout…
Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (aka The RSA or The Festival Chase)
8th February 2021 MONKFISH was another Willy Mullins Dublin Festival winner, and the way he beat Latest Exhibition by 11 lengths had race-watchers opening a Gold Cup rumour mill. He would need to be supplemented for that but for this race, he remains 5/6 Favourite. 1st February 2021 EKLAT DE RIRE, an imposing French-bred put…
The National Hunt Chase
1st February 2021 EKLAT DE RIRE, an imposing French-bred put in an impeccable round of jumping for Rachael Blackmore in the G3 Novice chase at Naas yesterday, staying strongly all the way to the line to win by almost 2l from Escaria Ten, with Pencilfulloflead, giving 8lb to the first two, 3rd. De Bromhead said: “He’s…
The Unibet Champion Hurdle
8th February 2021 HONEYSUCKLE won the Irish Champion Hurdle, blitzing the field under Rachael Blackmore. In turn, she was slashed for the Champion Hurdle, with connections now surely likely to go down that route, such was the manner of her victory. As big as 10/1 for the feature race on the opening day of the…
The Ultima Handicap Chase
26th Jan 2021 JERRYSBACK caught the eye, staying on for a 5l third to DASHEL DRASHER from a considerate Richard Johnson ride. (Ascot 2m 5f Handicap Chase). I don’t know what it is, but long absences suggest a fragility He ran off 142 and is 6lb lower than his very tired 3rd in the 2019…
The Arkle
8th February 2021 ENUGUMENE didn’t disappoint his fans in The Irish Arkle at Leopardstown never appearing to come out of first gear. Widely available at 5/1 before the race, he was slashed into 5/2 and 9/4 following his electric victory. The Tony Bloom owned seven-year-old didn’t jump with fluency during the race but hitting the…
What a week. Enquiries galore and a huge 21st
There are only a few weeks every year or so, that make one pause for serious thought. There have been even fewer in lockdown because unless you got a can of paint out, it has been a case of plus ca change pretty well every day. This week was different. There was a change to…
The Pharoah’s views on today’s racing
The Pharoah of Galway offers his suggestions for today’s TV racing.
Close Brothers David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle
18th Jan THE GLANCING QUEEN (14/1) may be aimed at The G2 Mares Novice Hurdle rather than the G1 Mares Hurdle. (50/1) A high-class bumper horse and a very creditable third in the Grade 1 Challow Hurdle at Newbury 16 days earlier, she won easily at Bangor on 14th Jan under her penalty, strolling clear…
Daylesford Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle
18th Jan SKYACE (20/1) will head straight to the Festival. The ex-Mullins bumper cost just €600 at Tatts Ireland, having failed to win three bumpers for WM. She joined Shark Hanlon and has won four times including a G3 at Down Royal and a Listed race at Punchestown by 5l under a penalty. The G3…
A reader writes…
Pleasingly, the Raceweb church attracts a diverse congregation. One might even, in the context of this article, be tempted to suggest it is catholic. I recently mentioned in these pages the famous Irish priest and Festival racegoer, Fr Breen the other day, and no sooner had the electrons dried on the screen than Raceweb member,…
Saturday’s racing and perhaps a few clues
Why I hear you ask, do you have a picture of a walk-in medical vaccine fridge, adorning your racing website? Because gentle reader, I and the team, had a busy day today, trying to explain to someone who sells thermometers for medical fridges or some such, that a fridge is a fridge, and that, strangely…
Marsh Novices’ Chase
28th Jan 2021 James Hill in Racing & Football Outlook has suggested an e/w punt on CHATHAM STREET LAD on the following interesting grounds. Compared to other Festival Hurdle winners transitioning to the Novice Chases, ENVOI ALLEN’s collective races under rules winning margins are way lower than normal for a horse with his OR. SHISKIN…
Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle
15th Jan 2021 BARBADOS BUCK’S had a 10lb penalty for his two Southwell wins over brush hurdles and was rated 131, when arriving at the start of his Kempton 4l victory on 9th Jan. He beat a decent field by 4l earning a rise of 8lbs to 139. They’ll have to send him chasing soon…
JCB Triumph Hurdle
27th Jan 2021 Fry is hoping he could provide the fourth successful female winner of the JCB Triumph Hurdle with FORTUNES MELODY. A Listed winner at Auteuil in September, she placed on her next three starts in Graded company for her former trainer David Cottin. She has yet to start for Fry. He said: “Fortunes…
Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
RACE TRENDS: The following profile would have found the last 10 winners and 14 of the possible 23 winners since 1998. Since that date, there have been 67 horses meeting the profile competing in 22 races and producing 14 winners and 17 places for a winning profit of £58.50 and e/w profit of £69.75. The…
Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle
28th Jan 2021 Mouse Morris’ SAMS PROFILE won the G2 John Mulhern Galmoy Hurdle at Gowran Park, despite missing the whole of the last campaign through injury. Sent off at 8/1, jockey Philip Enright kept him held up at the back of the 10-runner field on his 3m debut and worked him gradually forward. When…
Boodles Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle
15th Jan 2021 ADAGIO went into a lot of notebooks as a likely Triumph-type when he won the G1 Coral Juvenile Hurdle at Chepstow on Jan 9th, beating Nassalam by 2½l. However, the connections have always insisted that The Boodles (Fred Winter) was the intended target; with a grudging David Pipe saying “…we’ll have to…
Pertemps Network Final
11th February 2021 Hendo’s CHAMPAGNE PLATINUM may be aiming for this race, although at the time of writing he does need to qualify. Which was why I noticed he had a brace of hurdle entries that with his current mark of 138 would see him run here – possibly. His far-from fluent jumping at Newbury…
Martin Pipe Hcap Hurdle
26th Jan 2021 The Martin Pipe might become a target for the Henderson-trained CRAIGNEICHE, who despite his inexperience, took the G3 Holloway’s Handicap Hurdle very impressively by an easy 7l and off OR 127. He hadn’t been since this time last year when he won but bled. Seeing him get worked up beforehand certainly weakened…
Ballymore Hurdle
8th February 2021 GAILLARD DU MESNIL got things underway at Leopardstown’s Dublin Racing Festival, with a brilliant performance in the opener. The five-year-old was cut into favourite with most bookmakers for the race. 8/1 before the race, he’s now a best price of 7/2 and 3/1 with a number of firms. Sent off 13/8 favourite…
Statistically unlikely – yet Madame seems to be correct! Again!
Now and then one opens a door of enquiry, which one quickly regrets. In this case, I had chanced upon W.B Arthur’s 1994 essay in the American Economic Review and, within it, this insight: In interactive situations of complication, agents cannot rely upon the other agents they are dealing with to behave under perfect rationality,…
Don’t Panic. Well maybe just a little…
Following my thoughts on Altcar yesterday, Capt. S, whose work in the Intelligence Services is, in some countries, the stuff of legend, sends me a note. He reminds me that when his duties permitted he too could be found in The Nominator’s Car Park at Altcar. He remembered hearing two cockneys outside the gentlemen’s lavatory:…
If it ain’t Christmas, it must be Altcar
If I see another headline telling me that X is the New Z, I shall scream. Today’s X was Christmas decorations and suggested that Y was a happier mental outlook. Another went further, by suggesting that the nation keeps them up until every person in the UK is vaccinated. The drip-feed that now passes for…
Hacked Off ain’t in it
So the Scottish have just discovered that it can get quite cold in Scottyland – what a surprise! Quick send more money. Meanwhile to Cork, where once again the charming Irish have come to our rescue. 2:13 COMMENTARIOLUS ran well at Cork in November when fourth to Rebel Waltz. I think he could take this…
Ninth Day of Christmas and the Official Secrets Act
In these troubled times, I wonder whether we are worrying too much. So I am happy to say that there is not much to report. All quiet on the Great Western Front. Then I read that the number of patients acquiring C19 in hospital is soaring, and someone tells me that some/many/all doctors are being…
The Eighth Day of Christmas and, Please God, a far happier New Year
With dreams of eight maids a-milking probably best forgotten, from the window of my office at the Chateau d’If, I can see the Starlings getting increasingly territorial and vocal about their birdfeeders. A TV in the background offers a choice of apocalyptic disaster movies or nature programmes with Chris Packham admonishing me for breathing. The…
Five Gold Rings, The Mandarin Chase and The Matheson Hurdle
There has been some excellent racing at Leopardstown over the Christmas Festival, and it has offered many clues for the future. Throughout, I keep thinking how nice the place looks, despite the motorway, Creche, Microsoft HQ, and what looks like the early warning system from Day of The Triffids. Once this wretched Covid is over,…
4th Day of Christmas finds us in Ireland – mostly.
We started to get back into the swing yesterday with a few double-digit e/w shots, but the bruised boxing day ego still took a hit, when my favourite rails bookmaker, Simon Wallis, sent me an email. In it, he thanked me for my tips, which he had laid to great effect and thus offset a…
3rd DAY OF CHRISTMAS
My alter-ego Capt. Grinch was delighted for Bryony, pleased for Paul, and indeed was thrilled for Nigel Kent, but in the main he was unsurprisingly upset. Over in Ireland the surprises continued with Willie Mullins winning both G1 novice chases with his second strings in Franco De Port and Colreevy, his preferred winners (in market…
The 2nd Day of Christmas, St Stephen’s Day
What Ho, Ho, Ho. Yes, it’s true, Capt. Grumpy is becoming imbued with the spirit of Christmas, and is increasingly affectionate with small mammals, children, and even government statisticians. Before we go much further let me immediately say to you all, please have A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS and I wish you and yours as good…
Widows and Orphans – Repent of your sins and join The Puritans
Christmas has officially begun with the welcome delivery from the Pompey cousins of a side of Smoked Salmon. This gift will hopefully mark the beginning of my chillaxing for a dozen plus days where I will hopefully remain untouched by the stupidities of my form selections and the Government. In that vein, as afternoons go…
Off to Ascot for A Scotch Egg
I had decided to go on a Business Trip to Ascot, having been invited to trial the proposed Royal Scotch Eggs, which would only be served to Members of The Household, or The Trustees…. or possibly myself, if either HM or I wanted a sherbert. I could only imagine how business-like Friday would have been,…
Voulez-Vous un bain, ou un Soupe a L’Oignon, M. Rosbif?
I am appalled. The French, it turns out, sleep 5 minutes longer than us, and work a full hour less. They also do less care and voluntary work, but spend 20 minutes extra on shopping and housework. How do I know this? Thanks entirely to this wonderful chart, which also possibly explains why Les Grenouilles…
Oh, to be at Chelty now that winter’s here
The week has not gone quite as well as one could hope. Nil By Mouth on Day 1, followed on Day 2 by one of those unmentionable medical procedures involving cameras and a sizeable film crew; a huge dose of some stupefying drug to relax Kneesup; Day 3 recovery and then some mentoring yesterday which…
The tipping train arriving at 13:30 will be arriving here sideways.
Both the mighty O’Tool and I were sadly awry yesterday with our selections. By 3:00 pm I was so despondent I was actively thinking of watching the English T20 Cricket Team taking their Covid 19 tests by way of sport. The Hon Mrs K was hammering around the East Wing screaming abuse at Amazon Prime…
Our Irish Correspondent suggests the following for Tingle Creek day
Aintree 1:30 This is a very tough handicap to unpick. Last year’s first and second, Walk In The Mill and Kimberlite Candy, run again today with last year’s winner 8lb better off. On those grounds, you would think Walk In The Mill should again past the line first but the progressive Kimberlite Candy ran a…