It is a beautiful day here in HQ and the sun has been shining throughout the morning. We would all love some more of the same in the upcoming weeks but I am sure there will be more frosts before the season starts.
I was delighted with Red Verdon yesterday and he showed a nice turn of foot to win comfortably in the 12f Conditions race at Lingfield. Bigger targets lie ahead for him but he settled nicely and if he can stay two miles and quicken like he did yesterday then we should have a lot of fun with him this season and I would love to take him to Melbourne for the race that stops the nation.
Arnarson is our only runner today at Chelmsford and runs this evening in the 7:30 7f handicap. We are taking on Spare Parts who has been a prolific winner over the Winter and although he is running two pounds wrong he is the horse we all have to beat. Arnarson is consistent on the all-weather but he finds it difficult to win and whilst I would expect him to run well again and he has a chance of winning, I am hopeful rather than confident. The horses are all in good form currently and Arnarson seems to be very fresh and well at home. Cainhoe Star finished in front of us when we last met but we had some traffic problems and there should not be too much separating us this evening. Siege Of Boston has looked like he needs respite from the handicapper recently but he is a course and distance winner and Time To Reason finished behind us last time but is likely to come on for that run and he lurks on an interesting mark. Loyalty is a five time course winner although those wins have all been over 1m and he struggled the last time he dropped back to 7f at the Essex venue.