New year, new thread...............

Sad news today that Katchit has died of colic at age 10

He won the Triumph hurdle and the Champion hurdle..........he was a little 'un, but game as they come and he loved running up that Cheltenham hill !

Who is going to tell Swing to check his calendar

oh dear.............cheers darren !

I fancy Camelot for the Derby !...................

Another old favourite of mine has died............Generous

What a fabulous horse - Dewhurst, Derby, Irish Derby and King George winner, beautiful big chestnut

The other great 3yo of that season was Suave Dancer who won the French Derby, Irish Champion Stakes and Arc

Generous beat Suave dancer in the irish Derby but was well beaten by the French horse in the Arc

I remember that season well because I'd entered a magazine Ten To Follow (the old pacemaker magazine if anyone remembers it) which was heavily weighted towards group one races..........I'd made generous and suave dancer my bankers but didn;t have both of them in the same list............

They mopped up most of the group ones and i';d have that national comp if i had 'em both in one list because no one else had suave dancer............they'd all gone for English horses. I'd been clever and looked to France.................

New ratings out have Frankel at 140 and thus the best rated flat horse ever

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/horse-racing/20988930

That's a strange one............they've managed to give Frankel top spot by downgrading Dancing Brave by 3 lbs

It does smack a bit a of wanting 'the most recent' to be top of the pile................

Well to be correct the best flat horse since 1977 not ever.

I heard about this review a while back and thought at the time the outcome will be exactly what it has turned out to be. The practice of revising the ratings for other horses down to ensure Frankel becomes the top rated horse since these ratings were first introduced is deplorable. Quite how 26 years after he raced today's handicappers can downgrade Dancing Brave by 3lbs is a mystery to me.

Sad news about Generous, a really lovely looking and exceptional racehorse.

I am very disappointed that it was seen as necessary to downgrade other great horses to give Frankel a new rating. Its as if they have done it to create a media talking point.

Aussie meeting was called off today because it was too HOT
Fat chance that ever happening here(mind you it has been known that 'sun in their eyes' has meant a race or two lost)

I guess the nearest we would get to that would be if the ground was too hard to be raceable after a scorching drought..........it would probably be Bath where they don't have a watering system

strange that..............Bath.........no water !.............

Only Lingfield left now today and they're inspecting again at 11 AM.................could well be a blank day

A dire day's racing with only an AW flat meeting at Kempton going ahead.

I'm having a look at it though..........

You must obviously need your fix.

I probably won't have a bet but I need selections for a couple of racing comps I'm in.................I have to pick at least 2 horses a day..........

tbh I don't bet very much...........I had a bet 2 days ago (it lost ) and that was my first bet for a couple of months

I'm a bit behind in my comps this month so i need some bigger price winners to get into contention............for my first one I've gone for Chambles (to win) in the 1.45 at 12/1

Would have finished a lot closer last time if she hadn't missed the break so I'll know my fate early............if she breaks with the others I'm in with a chance..............

grrrrrr............I'm not in form at the moment...........

What a story this is. 48 year old Ann Stokell, jockey, trainer, and box driver, wins the 4:10 at Wolverhampton from the front, 27 years after her first success in Wetherby bumper !

http://www.attheraces.com/VideoConso..._01_22_04_1540

I love the way she has a good look around in the final furlong. Needed that line to come badly and it did just in the nick of time.

Great stuff. Landed some place money on Hold the Star last week as well so the best week for the yard in a long time I'd have thought.

But it wasn't all heartwarming stuff on the AW today. Oh no. Tim Easterby's charge Faffa, which drifted right before the off, was given a very iffy ride by Adam Carter in the race after that at Wolves. And having investigated, stewards decided to issue a 10 day ban:


Source: http://www.britishhorseracing.com/re...sEnquiries.asp

The rider felt too "weak" to carry out a challenge? Never heard such nonsense in all the time I've been following racing. He shouldn't be on a racecourse competing in a race in which people have bet money if that's the case.

Here's the video replay of the race: http://www.attheraces.com/VideoConso..._01_22_04_1610

P.S. I did not bet on this horse, but I thought the ride was disgraceful and commend the stewards for taking action.

Someone on another forum has compiled stats for the 10 jockeys with the biggest profit to a £1 level stake over the last 2 years....................and Ann Stokell is top of the list !.........

She only wins 1 or 2 races a year from a relatively few rides but they're always 33/1 or 50/1 shots...............

LOL. I think she even had a 100/1 winner last year. The market always underestimates her horses' chances, probably because it's such a small yard fielding so few runners.

Ann very nearly ran into the place money again this afternoon on Island Express at 16/1 which recovered from last place at the top of the straight to finish very strongly in the 1:45 at Lingfield.

Andrew Heffernan has been banned for 15 years and footballers Michael Chopra and Mark Wilson banned for 10 years after being found guilty at a corruption trial


Full Story

http://www.sportinglife.com/racing/n...g-for-15-years

Anyone backing anything at cheltenham today ?

I've done a couple...........

Wayward prince EW at 12/1 BOG in the Argento Chase
Reve de Sivola - win at 2/1 BOG in the Cleeve

Come on my sons !................

Yes, delighted its on.

Quite fancy Poquelin in the 1315, seems to be on a decent mark and is a specalist round here. I've got approaching 40s on Betfair...

Kumbeshwar e/w, Hunt Ball and At Fishers Cross, generally opposing favourites today. Can't see past Sprinter Sacre though but Kumbeshwar seems a big price if you are to effectively make him 10/1 to win the race if Sprinter Sacre wasn't in it.

And I agree about Reve De Sivola, big question as to whether you would save Oscar Whisky for Aintree if he can't get the three miles here.