Good afternoon from Newmarket! You should be careful what you wish for, as for a long time I wanted it to rain, and now it has started it won't stop!
The prolonged and relentless rainfall has resulted in small fields and non-runners all over the shop, and we have chickened out of various races in recent days. However, we have decided to take our chance with two at Haydock this afternoon, and we will see how we get on!
The old boy Dark Red is a confirmed soft ground performer, so at least he should not be too ill at ease in the mile and a quarter 0-95 handicap at 3.20. He didn't run to form over the winter in Dubai, but his mark dropped as a result, and following a spell of recuperation he returned to action with a cracking effort at Chelmsford last month.
We feel he remains in good form, and provided he handles the particularly testing going, I would like to think he will be involved. He is not getting any younger and winning opportunities are hard to come by, but this looks a good opening and hopefully he will show us all his old enthusiasm. Franny Norton, who has got on well with him in the past, will do the steering.
Our second runner Global Gift is at the other end of the age spectrum. A three-year-old son of Invincible Spirit, he did not make his racecourse debut until March but has made giant strides in a short space of time. He showed the benefit of soft ground and a step up to a mile and Carlisle last time out and reappears just under two weeks later from a six pound higher mark.
Although there are only four runners, this is a share rise in class, and the conditions are probably going to be so testing, that even a soft ground winner like him could yet be in trouble. However, with good prizes money on offer we thought it was worth taking a chance in this race and hopefully he has some more progression left in him. All being well, he ought to run another sound race, and Gerald Mosse, rides.
So two nice chances at Haydock, but the track is virtually under water so it might be a case of who is the best swimmer rather than runner! Fingers crossed that our horses will be among those that cope.
All the best,
Ed.