We had been waiting all summer for some soft ground for Handheld and when he finally got it at Nottingham on Wednesday, he won. It wasn't the plan to make the running but jockey Shelley Birkett rode a very sensible race from the front and had enough in reserve to see off the late challengers. The gelding is thriving at the moment and I hope he can pick up another race before the season is out.
You may have seen the picture below already as it was used in the Hoofbeats Racing Club advert which was in the Racing Post on Friday. Many others did see it and Robert and Linda Wright (seen on the right) even got autograph requests at Goodwood on Sunday!
 |
| Happy Handheld connections |
Hopefully we can get another win on the tally as we home in on 20 victories for the season - we're just two away at the minute.
Bethan heads to Windsor today to have her third career run meaning she will qualify for a handicap next time. She should love the soft ground but the one mile distance might be a bit short for her.
We've got three entries on Thursday at Brighton but the races are very over-subscribed so it is hit and miss whether we will get a run.
Bestfootforward was a runaway winner on her first run for us and then she unseated Shelley in the stalls last week. She continued to run with the rest of the field and even crossed the line in second but sadly we didn't get any prize money! She is fine after that mishap and is heading back to Brighton. The race is a bit higher grade than she is used to but it is the last meeting at the track and we know she likes it there so it is worth a shot.
Also that day is Attain. He has been dying for some really soft ground and the more rain Brighton gets, the better. He is well handicapped and has run well at the track before so I hope he can get into the race.
 |
| Lea Valley (Shelley) & Attain (Ross) |
Due to a lack of suitable races and difficulty in getting the low rated horses into a race, we might have to do some miles at the weekend.
On Saturday, Lea Valley and Omega Omega are entered at Catterick. Both are very similar types - they go very well on the gallops at home but still haven't managed to reproduce that ability on the track. They will probably appreciate the soft conditions so maybe they'll decide to perform this time.
The following day, Exopuntia and Tiger's Home are in at Bath. Tiger was a surprise winner there last time but she seemed to go better by not being hit with the whip. The win has done her confidence some good so let's hope she can continue her good form.
Exopuntia is a tricky filly but capable on her day. If she is in the mood, a good run could be on the cards.
 |
| Believe In Me (Graham) & Exopuntia (Danny) |
Believe In Me has had her fair share of problems this season but she is on the comeback trail now and did her first proper bit of work in a while on Saturday. She is fit and well now so should be hitting the track in a couple of weeks.
The Ducking Stool continues to surprise us and she will head back to her beloved Yarmouth on October 22nd as she bids to win her fourth race of the year and her sixth at the course.
 |
| The Ducking Stool (Reno) |
No comments:
Post a Comment