Thursday's Meetings Haydock Flat 7 Races 1:00-4:00p.m. Perth N/H 8 Races 1:40-4:50p.m. Yarmouth Flat 7 Races 1:50-4:50p.m Bellewstown(E) Flat 8 Races 4:35-8:30p.m. Tipperary(E) N/H 7 Races 5:00-8:20p.m. Newbury(E) Flat 7 Races 5:20-8:40p.m. Epsom(E) Flat 6 Races 6:01-8:50p.m. Racecards At The Races Sporting Life Racing Post Good Luck
The Grade 3 Grimes Hurdle (6.10 Tipperary) looks a decent race for this time of year and there are all sorts of angles to look at. - With the Galway festival just a month away, plenty of these will have an eye on the huge pot of the Galway Hurdle and might be looking to use this race as a pipe-opener for that (so a bit like a Pertemps Qualifier) - J P McManus (whose silks have been carried to victory by 6 of his last 10 runners) owns 5 of the 11 runners - 4 trained by Joseph O'Brien and 1 by Willie Mullins - Going on ratings alone this would be a slam dunk for Saint Roi. His last 7 runs have been in Grade 1 races and he consistently runs to his mark in the mid-150s. However he wouldn't be the first high class animal that Mullins has aimed at the Galway Hurdle (Saldier and Sharjah recent winners) and this could be a prep for Galway. Nevertheless he will be on the premises. - Shewearsitwell has plenty of support in the market but looks short enough on bare form. She comfortably took a poor race last time out and drops back in trip today. She does get the 7lbs mares allowance but 13/8 doesn't appeal to me and I am happy to pass her over. - Sole Pretender won the race 12 months ago before going on to finish 8th at Galway but 2 recent outings over fences (admittedly winning both) might not be the ideal prep and this is perhaps a sighter for Galway for him. The more I look at this, the more I just think Saint Roi is the class horse of the field and a very consistent performer. He deserves to get his head in front after nearly 20 months since his last win - coincidentally at Tipperary.
I think Holmes St Georges is worth a dabble in the opener at Perth (off sick with Covid so watching the racing )
Thanks fellas. Very much like a really bad cold - very sore throat, runny nose, coughing, sneezing and feeling like crap. Hopefully this is the worst of it and I'll be right for the Eclipse on Saturday
Gute Besserung, Oddy, chin-up and, as you said, hope you are well enough to watch Sandown's big race on Saturday.
A bit of public schooling for Saint Roi there ahead of the Galway Hurdle. At least 10lbs below his last 7 runs and never asked a serious question by Mark Walsh. I doubt the handicapper will take a lenient view though. A shame for those who backed him in to odds-on.
