Recuerdo

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We were very tired, we were very merry —
We had gone back and forth all night on the ferry.
It was bare and bright, and smelled like a stable —
But we looked into a fire, we leaned across a table,
We lay on a hill-top underneath the moon;
And the whistles kept blowing, and the dawn came soon.
We were very tired, we were very merry —
We had gone back and forth all night on the ferry;
And you ate an apple, and I ate a pear,
From a dozen each, we had bought somewhere;
And the sky went wan, and the wind came cold,
And the sun rose dripping, a bucketful of gold.
We were very tired, we were very merry,
We had gone back and forth all night on the ferry.
We hailed, "Good-morrow, Mother!" to a shawl-covered head,
And bought a morning paper, which neither of us read;
And she wept, "God bless you!" for the apples and pears,
And we gave her all our money but our subway fares.

Edna St Vincent Millay

Diary: January 15 2008

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Horses running from our main list to follow

 

Folkestone 1.50 – Time Bandit

 

Folkestone 3.20 – Noble Sham

 

Russellform Ramblings

 

The David Pipe pair of Time Bandit and Noble Sham are of interest at Folkestone tomorrow.  Both have come back this season after lengthy absences.  Noble Sham fell at Huntingdon on Boxing Day when goimg well and he gets the nap today.

 

Nap of the day

 

Folkestone 3.20 – Noble Sham

 

Today’s trivia

 

Robbie Burns once said “there is no such uncertainty as a sure thing” – a racing man obviously!

 

What’s in a name?

 

Glenda Hoddle is a name that caught my eye from tomorrow’s runners.  She runs in the bumper at Folkestone.  Glen Hoddle was of course an elegant midfield [player at Tottenham and later a manager at various clubs.  His spell as England boss ended inn tears as these things usually do.  He was a nice player though.  I don’t know where the name for this mare comes from exactly – she is by Mrs Bossy Boots and is related to Rich Pickings so I am not sure if either of those influenced the name – maybe connections are Spurs fans with a sense of humour.

 

 

Continue reading “Diary: January 15 2008” →

Recuerdo

MartinLeave a comment

Recuerdo

We were very tired, we were very merry —
We had gone back and forth all night on the ferry.
It was bare and bright, and smelled like a stable —
But we looked into a fire, we leaned across a table,
We lay on a hill-top underneath the moon;
And the whistles kept blowing, and the dawn came soon.

We were very tired, we were very merry —
We had gone back and forth all night on the ferry;
And you ate an apple, and I ate a pear,
From a dozen each, we had bought somewhere;
And the sky went wan, and the wind came cold,
And the sun rose dripping, a bucketful of gold.

We were very tired, we were very merry,
We had gone back and forth all night on the ferry.
We hailed, "Good-morrow, Mother!" to a shawl-covered head,
And bought a morning paper, which neither of us read;
And she wept, "God bless you!" for the apples and pears,
And we gave her all our money but our subway fares.

Edna St Vincent Millay

Continue reading “Recuerdo” →

Diary: January 12 2008

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Horses running from our main list to follow

 

Warwick 2.30 – Blue Splash & Not Left Yet

 

Wetherby 1.35 – Cool Operator

 

Wetherby 2.10 – Regal Heights

 

Horses running from our “dark horses” list

 

Warwick 2.30 – High Chimes

 

Warwick 4.00 – Shoreacres

 

Wetherby 3.10 – Brook no Argument

 

Russellform Ramblings

 

It was a good day for the horses from our lists to follow today.  Starting Point, Scarvagh Diamond and Bywell Beau all won at Kelso and we also had a couple of winners at Huntingdon. Polomoche may only have scrambled to victory on his hurdles debut but in doing so he overcame some indifferent hurdling, he kicked the second last out of the ground, and still managed to find plenty in the finish.  He clearly has a god engine and is one to follow.  The same can be said of The Old Pretender who won the bumper with ridiculous ease.

 

The big race over fences tomorrow is the Totesport Classic at Warwick.  This will be a gruelling test in heavy ground.  Blue Splash is a progressive sort that won a couple of novice chases last season and has already won over hurdles this term.  Two of his wins have come on heavy and he clearly loves testing ground and looks a thorough stayer.  On the negative side he does have a lot of weight.  Not Left Yet is difficult to weight up and this might be an important consideration as the handicapper may have had the same problem!  David Pipe may have this one well handicapped but the horse does not have winning form on the prevailing ground.  High Chimes is my idea of the likely winner.  He was staying on at the end over 3 miles last time at Haydock behind Cloudy Lane giving the impression that a longer trip would suit him.

 

Shoreacres ran well when a close up 3rd to Uffa Fox at Ascot last time.  That was on fast ground but if he handles the conditions at Warwick he has an each way chance in the 4.00.

 

At Wetherby Brook no Argument should go well in the 3.10 while in the 2.10 it is worth noting that Regal Heights handles soft ground particularly well.

 

Nap of the day

 

Warwick 2.30 – High Chimes

  

Today’s trivia

 

5% of chase runners fell or unseated at Warwick last season.

 

Continue reading “Diary: January 12 2008” →

Diary: January 10 2008

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Horses running from our main list to follow

 

Hereford 1.00 – Super Nick

 

Hereford 1.30 – Crocodiles Rock

 

Hereford 2.00 – Cave Hill

 

Horses running from our “dark horses” list

 

Hereford 2.30 – Robin de Sherwodd

 

Russellform Ramblings

 

Super Nick was 2nd at Bangor on his last run and looks capable of landing a small race.  He is up against a David Pipe odds on shot in the Hereford 1.00 however in Celestial Gold.  Celestial Gold has not run for nearly 2 years but is a previous winner of both the Hennessy and the Paddy Power over fences.  Anything like that sort of form tomorrow over hurdles would surely be good enough.

 

Crocodiles Rock was a very impressive winner at Aintree in October in a race where the 2nd and 4th have both won since.

 

Lastly, in the bumper at Catterick (3.50) there is a strong word for Katapult, apparently he is very highly regarded by connections.

 

Nap of the day

 

Hereford 1.30 – Crocodiles Rock

  

Today’s trivia

 

Jungle Jinks runs in the 2.20 at Catterick today.  He is 13 now and not the force he was but in the past he gained a reputation as a Wetherby specialist winning there 5 times.

 

What’s in a name?

 

With some horses it is easy to see where their name comes from by their pedigree.  No problem with Springvic (Catterick 2.50) as he is by Old Vic out of Spring Beauty.  Simple as that!

 

Continue reading “Diary: January 10 2008” →

Diary: January 9 2008

MartinLeave a comment

Horses running from our main list to follow

 

Musselburgh 1.40 – Modicum & Smart Street

 

Musselburgh 3.40 – Scale Bank

 

Russellform Ramblings

 

Yes, it is the middle of the jumps season even though there are 3 flat meetings tomorrow!

 

Modicum looks sure to start favourite in the 1.40 as he has finished runner up to a couple of useful types in Hobbs Hill and Cedrus Libani on his last 2 starts.  He has a very consistent record and will be very hard to beat.  Good ground seems important to Modicum so if we get a lot of rain I would be inclined to side with Smart Street whose front running tactics might pay off round this sharp track.

 

Scale Bank created a very favourable impression when second in a bumper at Southwell last season and can win the last.

 

Nap of the day

 

Musselburgh 3.40 – Scale Bank

 

Continue reading “Diary: January 9 2008” →

Diary: January 8 2008

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Horses running from our main list to follow

 

Leicester 3.20 – Manhattan Boy

 

Horses running from our “dark horses” list

 

Leicester 2.50 – Planet of Sound

 

Russellform Ramblings

 

Gentle John made all under an aggressive Richard Johnson ride to land our nap today.

 

For my nap tomorrow I am going for Cornerback who won a Wetherby bumper on her only start to date and should relish the heavy ground.

 

Today’s trivia

 

Michael Dickinson trained the first two home in the 1982 Hennessy Gold Cup, Bregawn and Captain John.

 

What’s in a name?

 

Len Lungo’s versatile performer Monolith has an appropriate name as his sire was Bigstone.

 

Continue reading “Diary: January 8 2008” →

Diary: January 7 2008

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Horses running from our main list to follow

 

Ludlow 1.30 – Gentle John & Amir El Jabal

 

Horses running from our “dark horses” list

 

Ludlow 1.00 – Atomic Winner

 

Russellform Ramblings

 

There were a couple of winners for our list to follow over the weekend.  Breedsbreeze carried on the relentless progress of the Nicholls stable by winning the Tolworth Hurdle while Cockatoo was a winner at Plumpton this afternoon.

 

I am hoping that Gentle John will be able to build on his second at Ascot last time out in the 1.30 at Ludlow tomorrow.

 

The French import Atomic Winner was a big disappointment at Sandown last time.  Hopefully that run was too bad to be true and he can make amends in the 1.00 at Ludlow tomorrow.

 

 

Nap of the day

 

Ludlow 1.30 – Gentle John

 

Continue reading “Diary: January 7 2008” →