We have declared Black Nun for the 3.30 at Wolverhampton on Monday, a 1m4f handicap where she gets in at the bottom of the weights. The young Italian Apprentice Andrea Atzeni takes the ride and will claim a useful 5lb, reducing her burden to a featherweight of 7st12lb. A few of us went to Carlisle and had a lovely day out in the Cumbrian sunshine with a visit to a superb local pub/restaurant with other owners and our trainer Alan Swinbank adding to the day. Baizically paid for setting a searching gallop and probably had one race too many in a short period. Hindsight tells us we would have been better to miss the race at Musselburgh last Friday but at that stage it seemed doubtful we would get in The Plate. He has come out of the race well and will benefit from a short break.
I have highlighted one or two running plans in the members section to help with diaries. Great to see the good weather has followed me back off holiday, arrived back last night and looking forward to a day racing again at Carlisle. Baizically goes there with an each way chance, the race is very different to the small field contests he has run well in recently and obviously more competitive but he has earned the right for a shot at a decent prize and we will all have a decent day out.
New Star and Black Nun will be swerving their Chester engagements this weekend as the ground is likely to be too quick and both would benefit from one extra piece of work after short layoffs.
Must dash and get on the road hopefully back with more news and thoughts tomorrow.
Time for a break and we are off on our summer holiday. Back on the 23rd , hopefully Baizically will be able to get in The Cumberland Plate off his new mark of 70 the following day.
Black Nun is to be given a week or two to get over her minor setback and will return towards the end of June all beeing well.
Back in a couple of weeks. We had a nervous wait on Saturday after the final race at Musselburgh before the judge finally called Baizically the short head winner to give him his second victory in 48 hours. Baz was given another fine ride by Paul Pickard, who sent him to the front six furlongs from home and the pair stuck to the inside rail all the way to the line holding off the late challenge of well backed favourite Dolly Penrose. He deserves a short break after two quick races and will not run again before he is reassessed hopefully in the low seventies, which may enable him to get in the Cumberland Plate at Carlisle later in June. The team at Thorndale Stables deserve congratulation for their handling of the horse in the 3 months he has been there after his break from racing. He was not the easiest horse to train but they have done a great job getting him to settle with their string and he is steadily beginning to enjoy his racing again.
Black Nun has now been declared for Chester on Tuesday and Graham Gibbons will ride.
I was particularly pleased to see the smooth victory of Sea The Stars in The Derby on Saturday as I believe it can only be for the good of the sport that we have proper champions and he certainly fits that bill. It is a little disappointing to read all the views that he had it all his own way, as he can do no more than breeze past those in front of him and win comfortably and who is to say the opposition were capable of serving it up to him in the manner the scriptwriters would have liked. I feel he would have won anyway and would certainly look a good thing should he line up in The Eclipse.
We have seen some interesting games in the 20/20 World Cup and Australia went out of the competition at an early stage today. How bothered they will be as long as they retain The Ashes during the summer is debatable but it is very apparent that Andrew Symonds will prove a great loss in shorter forms of the game. Personally I am with South Africa and England in the tournament, but I do have my own doubts as to whether the amount of domestic and international 20/20 cricket we are now seeing is going to ruin the game we love long term. It does very much seem to be short term financial gain without thought for the long-term implications.
Black Nun has been declared a non runner this afternoon after a slight setback this morning. It is hoped she may make it to Chester next week. Baizically powered home this afternoon for an emphatic 4 length success in the hands of capable young apprentice Paul Pickard. Baz settled well once he was sent to the front at the top of the home straight and stretched a good 8 lengths clear at the 2f pole, seeing the trip out well for his comfortable victory. He has been declared to run again at Musselburgh on Saturday. |
