Easter Monday

Greetings everyone from a Chocolate and Turkey filled 20 year old. I hope everyone has had a great Easter weekend so far and are looking forward to a great day of racing to round it all off. I must apologise as I spent my Easter Weekend camping at a beautiful place called 'Golden Ears Park' in British Columbia. That is the reason for me not uploading a blog on Saturday but we had two selections outstanding from the previous week. Memory Cloth was never really going in the Lincoln but Jack Dexter did the business for us providing us with a nice winner on the afternoon. I should also note that Siobhan Miller, Who I interviewed on here a while back, was in action in the finale at Doncaster on Saturday. Her mount, James Pollard, was under pressure for a good part of the race but she got him from last to first at the 3 furlong pole. His stamina gave out closer home and she had to settle for fourth on the 22/1 shot, but nevertheless rode a fantastic race.

On Friday before I left for my holidays, I put a tweet up with a link to a short paragraph I had written about JT McNamara after his injuries were confirmed. This went down well on Twitter being retweeted 448 times and 73 people favouriting it including racing names such at Aidan Coleman and Fergal O'Brien getting behind it. I thought id share that paragraph with you and pay some respect to a Jockey who has long been part of the weighing room.

'At the Cheltenham Festival of 2012, JT McNamara rode the winner of the National Hunt Chase with Teaforthree. At the Cheltenham Festival of 2013, JT McNamara rode Galaxy Rock in the Kim Muir, sadly he fell at the first. The extent of his injuries were so bad that he was placed in a medically induced coma for days. Today the news has come out that JT McNamara is now paralysed and his life changed forever. For us, this is just a sport we love. For the lads riding its their job, this is how they earn their money by working tirelessly for a sliver of what Footballers earn. JT McNamara is 37 years old and has three young children who will now never get to run around with daddy or play football with him. Please keep John Thomas McNamara in all your thoughts and prayers tonight as you go to bed and lay your head down.'

The amount of support behind mine and many other peoples tweets and words of kindness is overwhelming to everyone involved with the sport. It shows just how tight knit the racing community is and when something goes wrong how everyone comes together and forms a big family. No matter what stable you are from, what horse is your favourite or even what jockey you prefer, everybody comes together as one.

But racing is a ruthless sport and the action comes thick and fast, as I'm sure JT will want and will also be doing, lets carry on with the racing today.

3:10 - Huntingdon - The Musical Guy

Team Twiston-Davies has continued their rich vein of form since Cheltenham and have been firing in winners left right and centre. The Musical Guy is yet to be one of those winners in his career, he is one I have watched since his first run though and certainly has the talent. In his novice hurdling season he managed to be 11 1/2 lengths behind Simonsig, albeit a flattering distance, but he was staying on that day. Also in his Novice hurdling season he was fourth in a competitive Novices handicap at Cheltenham behind Abnaki. Water Garden was one of them ahead of him that day as well to show how competitive the race was. On chasing debut at Folkestone he was behind Godsmejudge by only half a length, he in turn went on to win at Warwick and was third in the National Hunt Chase. The Musical Guy however disappointed the next time out at Leicester but put that run behind him with an improved effort at the same track when fourth in a blanket finish. Connections reach for the blinkers first time today and if they bring about the desired improvement then he should be right there
at the end. (5/1)

3:10 Yarmouth - Santo Prince

For the first time this afternoon we have a race clash with Santo Prince going to post at the same time as The Musical Guy. Michael Bell's Gelding out of Henrythenavigator had some useful form to his name last year before landing a nursery at Brighton under today's pilot, Hayley Turner. Despite that form on very Heavy ground, I do think he is a better animal on faster ground which he gets today and is competitive off a mark of 76. He has the invaluable strength of experience which a lot of his rivals today are lacking somewhat, this could just play to his strengths and expose any flaws in the others. He is open to more improvement today and with Hayley Turner again taking the ride he should be fit for his reappearance and take some beating at a handy price. (7/1)

3:20 Warwick - Aubrietia

Nobody will be able to question the fitness of Aubrietia as she has been on the go for a while now on the fibresand. Her last six runs have produced 5 wins and 1 place at Southwell and Wolverhampton, this run took her from a rating of 68 to todays rating of 95. This means she dips her toe into a Conditions race for the first time, but if continuing her improvement should be well up to it. Usually a horse who has a string of wins on the polytrack or fibresand would have worries about translating that form to the turf. But four of Aubrietia's 10 wins have been on turf and one of them a pretty easy win on soft ground at Nottingham with some useful types in behind. With Prodigality probably needing the run today and Justineo only having the one win to his name, Aubrietia can take advantage of her filly's allowance and land this prize. (9/4)

4:05 Plumpton - Nobunaga

A very tough decision between two here, Cadoudalas and Nobunaga but the latter gets the nod. Venetia Williams has been in fantastic form and is enjoying her best season to date winners wise with stable jockey Aidan Coleman. She sends just the one to Plumpton today from her Hereford base after being amongst the winners here yesterday. Nobunaga has been a little out of sorts this season but as a result has fallen down to a more than workable mark of 126 after last year winning off a mark of 126 at Cartmel. Since his third behind Idarah at Ffos Las though he has been off the boil but a little break since February could have done him some good. A tentative vote to Nobunaga but also a small saver on Cadoudalas. (Nobunaga 8/1) (Cadoudalas 7/1)

4:50 Warwick - Duke Of Clarence

Annoyingly we have for the second time in the afternoon a clash of times with races, so we will have to hope that by this time of the afternoon one is running late. It took a little while for the penny to drop with Duke Of Clarence, his first two runs were encouraging when coming 7th and 5th on the all weather. He then got his act together and has won 3 of his next 5 races finishing second in the other two, but more importantly is unbeaten on turf. The latest of his wins came at Windsor on Soft ground, and when it gets testing there it really does get testing in a big way. One last positive is that Richard Hughes is two from two about the Colt and clearly gets on well with him, thus he is taken to land this Handicap on reappearance. (2/1)

4:50 Fairyhouse - Goonyella

Jim Dreaper trains this mud loving youngster, the plan for him was to go to Cheltenham and take part in the Foxhunters. But they decided to sidestep Cheltenham and send him to here instead and boy has the ground come right for him here. Off a very low weight with his seven pound claimer he should be galloping through the mud with relative ease and staying on at the end well. He started off his career with Nigel Twiston Davies but after one run at Stratford went to Ireland and won two point to points and coming second in one. He was then ran under rules when winning his Maiden Hunter Chase in horrible conditions when only 3 out of the 16 finished the course. He beat the second horse by a distance that day and looked set for bigger things even then. He was then beaten in a head bobber at Thurles but in a much stronger race, Oscar Delta (the horse who unseated on the run in at Cheltenham) was a head in front of him that day. They were 23 lengths clear of the rest of the field. Then he went on to Leopardstown where he was behind dual Cheltenham Festival winner Salsify and Tammy's Hill back in second. With each run Goonyella has improved and though inexperienced under rules can make a successful step out of Hunter Chase company and land the Irish National. Get on early as there seems to be strong Irish support behind him. (14/1)


NAP - The Musical Guy
NB - Santo Prince

Sorry they are both at the same time, but I wont be complaining if they both win!

Best of luck today folks! Have a great Easter Monday!

Happy Punting