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 90% of the developed world understands the difference between a domestic fridge and a commercial one. Many of us, would also understand, that a Covid-19 vaccine fridge, has to keep vaccines cold. It has to be secure. It has to be robust. It has to have been regularly maintained and, one would hazard to suggest, probably be best inspected and approved by Health Inspectors.
So, in every respect, just like a commercial professional restaurant kitchen’s refrigeration system.
This little man, opened the batting in The Torygraph this AM by saying the entire vaccination refrigeration process was putting the vaccine itself at risk, that it was a job for professionals and only for fridges, (one assumes), he had personally constructed. Thus the entire process should be delayed. It was a crass and ugly piece of PR to promote his company, at the potential cost of frightening the general population and giving some of the noisier MPs another pointless drum-banging platform. I try to be a Christian on Friday’s and months with an “R”, so I stopped myself sending instructions to Hancock, (who listens to everyone else, so why not me), to have Mr Cads’ name expunged from all NHS records and ledgers.
Talking of things that should be expunged … here are tomorrows’ (probably now today’s) televised racing tips
1:50 WARWICK Hampton Novices’ Chase (G2) Cl1 (5yo+) 3m
Just three runners and NEXT DESTINATION is taking on FIDDLERONTHEROOF. The latter has to prove he has talent as a chaser and that the Tizzards are back in form. He’s not and he’s not.
NEXT DESTINATION Win
2:05 MARKET RASEN MansionBet Handicap Hurdle Cl2 (4yo+) 2m½f
The favourite is Alan King’s EDWARDSTONE who has abilities. He was 5th in The Greatwood on his last hurdling appearance and last year was sixth in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. He dumped his rider when behind on his chasing debut LTO. However, I just wonder whether he doesn’t like a crowd. He will prefer this flat ground and he has an entry for the Betfair Hurdle next month and later for the Arkle. However, for the value, and the claimer and the recent wind op, I think I prefer Dan Skelton’s LANGER DAN at around 5s.
LANGER DAN Win
2:25 WARWICK Ballymore Leamington Novices’ Hurdle (G2) Cl1 (5yo+) 2m5f
The favourite is MAKE ME A BELIEVER who was second to Bear Ghylls (won twice since) on his seasonal and hurdling debut at Lingfield in October. He then had a wind-op and went on to win at Cheltenham LTO, but looking as though he needed further. He’s a neat hurdler with gears and an economical style. ADRIMEL is vying for 2nd fav and the two met at a Ballyarthur maiden point two years ago. Potentially the step-up in trip will suit ADRIMEL and he only has one career loss – in last year’s Champion Bumper. The fitting of cheekpieces might sharpen him up. Still and all, I don’t think either of them offers much value. Instead, I’m inclined towards JAY BEE WHY who disappointed on his bumper debut but won his hurdle debut in an eye-catching manner. Alan King has a 24% hurdle strike rate here and the price offers e/w value
JAY BEE WHY e/w
2:40 MARKET RASEN MansionBet’s Bet 10 Get 20 Hurdle Cl2 (5yo+) 2m7f
A tricky little race. LIL ROCKERFELLER was 2nd at Newbury in a C2 Handicap and might have won it with a little more luck. The ground will suit, he’s got stamina forever and he gets on with Bryony, plus he’s some weight in hand.
LIL ROCKERFELLER Win
3:00 WARWICK Classic Handicap Chase (G3) Cl1 (5yo+) 3m5f
The trends cut it down to a selection of five: WALK IN THE MILL – THE HOLLOW GINGE – STORM CONTROL – LE BREUIL – DJANGO DJANGO. If he hadn’t been off for so long I might have had a go at ACHILLE, but even Venetia’s skills might be tested to bring this fragile, proven stayer into the winner’s enclosure. See how he looks on the day. If this were Aintree WALK IN THE MILL would be high on my list, but he’s carrying 8lb more than his last winning mark. THE HOLLOW GINGE is a schizo and I don’t know which horse will turn up on the day. If it’s Mr Nice he’d have a chance on his 4th in the Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury two starts back but Mr Bad unseated last weekend in the Welsh National and never looked interested. STORM CONTROL has run very well the last twice – especially LTO when he almost stopped to a crawl before his rivals got to his quarters and he took off again. He only won by a length, but he was probably food for ten. He beat Potters Legend moving to a mark of 142, which I’m hoping will be OK. Not sure he likes Warwick for some reason. LE BREUIL is decent with good form having won the 2019 NH Chase at the Cheltenham Festival and he’ll stay all day. He was 5th in this last year and is now 8lb lower. He was 3rd in the Becher Chase LTO and has had a wind-op since.
LE BREUIL Win –WALK IN THE MILL e/w
3:15 MARKET RASEN Alan Swinbank Mares’ Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race Cl1 (4-6yo) 2m½f
Sometimes it’s easy to ignore these little races, but sometimes they can give you something to think about. FASHION NOVA and CHOSEN PORT ran their maiden bumpers at Wetherby at the tail end of November in two divisions of the same race. They were both sufficiently well thought of to go off favourite. Will Mullins is sending over GRANGEE, but I fancy one of those two Wetherby horses might be up for a fight.
GRANGEE to beat FASHION NOVA or CHOSEN PORT 2x 1pt SFC – CHOSEN PORT e/w
3:35 WARWICK Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle (Pertemps Hurdle Series Qualifier) Cl2 (5yo+) 3m1f
POTTERS CORNER e/w (and if he wins back him immediately e/w for the Grand National)