The cold weather has caused a few problems for racing in recent days with the feature meeting at Cheltenham on Saturday one of many that fell to the elements. We have deployed frost covers to give our Christmas Party fixture on Thursday every chance of going ahead. The temperatures are forecast to rise this week so we are hopeful of our chances. There are 195 horses entered so big fields are likely. The first race is 12.38pm.
Looking ahead our opening meeting of 2023 is Thursday 5th January. There is a great value
‘Day At The Races’ package available in advance for just £19.50p and this includes a ticket, a racecard, a pie and a pint. Go to the website for details.
Tim Vaughan has a Welsh and Aintree Grand National candidate on his hands by virtue of Eva’s Oskar’s win at Cheltenham on Friday in a 3m2f handicap chase worth £70,000. It was the biggest success of Alan Johns’ (photographed) career, who rode his hundredth winner earlier this month.
After the race Vaughan said, “The Welsh National is definitely a thought, why not? If it came up soft we would definitely look at it. He would need to take another step forward to win a Welsh National but a longer trip and softer ground would put more things in our favour.” He would incur a four pound penalty and is currently priced around 20/1. Rated 140 before this, Eva’s Oskar should have a high enough mark to get into the Aintree National field.
James Bowen rode the enigmatic Captain Morgs to win the 3m hurdle that closed the Cheltenham card. He was the less fancied of two Nicky Henderson runners, owing to a frustrating series of good placed efforts without a win in the last year. Today, stepped up in trip and with cheekpieces applied for the first time, he showed no sign of trickiness once allowed to hit the front a furlong out and ran on well to win by seven lengths.
Meanwhile at Doncaster Lorcan Williams’ rich vein of form continued by steering Le Chiffre D’Or to an 11 length victory on his debut over fences. The field of five novices were helped by eight out of the scheduled 16 obstacles being omitted due to low sun. Le Chiffre D’Or sauntered into the lead turning into the home straight, cantered past four bypassed fences and won eased down. Williams is now 5-10 in the last fortnight.
Bernard Llewellyn’s grandson Jordan Williams went all the way to Southwell on Friday for one ride and was rewarded for his effort with a win. He was booked by Nottinghamshire trainer Roy Bowring to ride Jeans Maite, who made the running to spring a 25/1 surprise in the 5f handicap. It was the mare’s fourth course win. Her stable companion Hiya Maite was favourite, but could only finish third.
In a mile handicap on the same card David Probert came out on top in a blanket finish riding Taravara. 12 other jockeys had ridden the horse in his 18 previous races but Probert was the first to win on him. He rode two winners for Taravara’s trainer Simon Pearce the day before.
