Warm, bright and a beautiful day.
Bart Hellyer was here third lot to see Zauffaly while a number of the Highclere syndicate who own Opposition dropped in shortly before lunch.
One runner this afternoon with Kafoo heading to Nottingham for the juvenile maiden. He shaped better than the bare result on debut, running green and racing away from the main action, and he seems to have improved for that experience. He’s nicely drawn and the ground will be fine, although you would have to respect the weight of money for the Kevin Ryan-trained Freeze Style this morning.
Three declarations for Saturday – Girl With A Pearl and Tajathub head to Leicester and Lamsa goes to Lingfield. The uncertainty surrounding the weather makes 48 hour decs a bit of a nightmare at this time of year – both venues are currently watering but if some of the really heavy stuff hits, we could be racing on soft ground.
Four entries for next Wednesday and we confirmed Red Avenger for the Hunt Cup. There is no chance of him getting in so it will be back to the drawing board – the loss of the Buckingham Palace has made the race even more competitive than in previous years.
Great news about Qipco and the extended backing of Champions Day and the Champions Series – Sheikh Fahad has promised some serious financial investment and the sport can only benefit.
Finally, Debby – of Debby’s Diner fame – forwarded the following photos to me yesterday having stumbled across them on Facebook. All were taken at Arundel when dad was training and they are a real blast from the past! It’s a while since I’ve ridden a hack!
Back tomorrow. Ed.