Saturday's Meetings Haydock Flat 7 Races 1:00-4:20p.m. Leicester Flat 7 Races 1:35-4:56p.m. Limerick Flat 8 Races 1:40-5:30p.m. Ripon Flat 7 Races 1:45-5:10p.m. Sandown N/H 7 Races 1:50-5:15p.m. Navan Flat 8 Races 2:00-5:55p.m. Doncaster(E) Flat 7 Races 5:05-8:05p.m. Wolverhampton(E) A/W 7 Races 5:45-8:50p.m. Racecards At The Races Sporting Life Racing Post Good Luck
Sandown 15,32 bet365 Gold Cup Potterman 11/1 e/w five places with sky, others four. Took 14/1 e/w last week (four places). Second last year (won the race in the stewards' room), only 2lb higher this year. Second run after WS.
Some disappointing fields at Sandown today although the Celebration Chase (despite lacking a superstar) looks a decent 3-way fight between Greaneteen, Nube Negre and Sceau Royal and Alan King's runner certainly has his ground today.
15:32 Sandown - Enrilo This end-of-season marathon will always be the 'Whitbread Gold Cup" for me. Did see the first two races in 1957 & 1958 before working abroad, after which managed to watch later races between contracts. Think John Lawrence (later Lord Oaksey) won the second running of the race on Taxidermist. The French-bred gelding, Enrilo, looks a thorough stayer to me, and with conditions to suit is my pick. Stable jockey, Harry Cobden, takes the ride for the Paul Nicholls yard. Best price of 5/1 still available in four or five places at time of writing. Good luck today folks!
A few more Saturdays like this and racing will struggle to attract new fans - very disappointing fields in both codes and you do wonder what is going on? 22 grand first prize for this listed race at Leicester and just 3 runners.
my positivity? British NH racing is in a crap position and yesterday shows it again. Absolute afterthought of a meeting for big horses, so no Irish big yards or runners from Nicky Henderson’s big guns. Yet Nicholls has multiple horses in the big races against loads of horses that aren’t in form or of the class of the races. Then Ireland win the big handicap.
Yesterday also highlighted, in big bold letters, why Mr Nicholls is Champion Trainer and also why so many British based trainers are clueless with seemingly little, or no, plan in place re their horses. The old boy targeted, the rich, meeting and won over £230k. What did the rest of the British trainers do??? Just chuck the odd, random, dart at the fixture and hope for the best. I can not believe how a meeting, of that value, didn't attract more runners and more long term planning from other British trainers.
Not just Ireland - Shark Hanlon FFS. 54 winners from 1007 runners over the jumps in the last 5 years in Ireland for a 5% strike rate. He might be a nice bloke but it is embarrassing that his horse sluiced up in the feature handicap chase.
Did you notice on ITV yesterday when Nicholls was being interviewed prior to the big race, right behind was this Hanlon fellow 'holding-forth' to a few people? Didn't have a clue who he was until after the race. Will say one thing, his general health does not appear good, very overweight and very poor respiration. He'd better do something about it quickly. This from your totally unqualified medical advisor Dr. Swan-Hills. Am really kicking myself for missing Up The Straight late yesterday, reasoning basically that the Nicholls runner, Flic Ou Voyou, in that race appeared to be a right old dog on some past form? Happy for James Davies, a competent journeyman NH jockey, who might be just a tad underrated?
