[Burrough Hill Lad]

Theology for me

Rated 110 when beaten 8 lengths by Arctic Cosmos in the 2010 St Leger .. runs here off 93 with Hanagan riding for the first time since the Leger

Given very quiet reintroduction at Kempton and should appreciate the extra 2 furlongs

[Burrough Hill Lad]

Definitely a trainer on the up .. Gradually increasing the size and quality of his stable whilst keeping it manageable .. Seems very astute in terms of picking up bargains at the sales and finding the key to improving them.

I’m friendly with a local chap who has horses with Mike and have been invited to go along and view the morning gallops and have a look at the set-up .. should be interesting as he now has all boxes pretty much filled and plenty of promising types no doubt capable of improving upon their current rating.

Nice to note as well that on a recent trip to Yarmouth they won the best turned out in all four races in which they were represented .. pretty unprecedented I should imagine and a great reflection on the work that’s going on in the yard in general.

[Burrough Hill Lad]

Satisfying result today and on a course which I didn’t think would suit … only serves to highlight how unlucky he was last Saturday

[Burrough Hill Lad]

Nothing stood out for me so no bet and watched it with a neutral eye for once ( albeit praying that my old favourite Crackentorp wouldn’t win – didn’t believe he could defy such a high mark )

Overwhelming take out from the race for me was the performance of Tominator … in a race often full of hard luck stories, particularly for hold up horses, he endured a nightmare passage in the home straight.

Assuming setbacks at home were not the reason for only two undistinguished runs so far this season, I’m guessing everything was geared up towards today as his main target … Have to say, I rate Graham Gibbons and wouldn’t wish to be too hard on him and feel it was just one of those days when the gaps didn’t open when you needed them.

Swinging off the the bridle most of the way, he had to switch direction 3 or perhaps 4 times looking for the gap in the straight and by the time he finally saw daylight the principals had gone beyond recall but he ran on really strongly up the stands side and was beaten less than 5 lengths at the line … Not saying he would necessarily have won but would certainly have been placed.

Don’t imagine there’s too much for him before the end of this season unless they have pretensions of staying the Cesarewitch distance but, as a 5 year old, one can only hope he comes to the race again next year in the same form and has better luck in running than he did today !!

[Burrough Hill Lad]

Planet of Sound
Quiscover Fontaine
Treacle
West End Rocker

[Burrough Hill Lad]

Spot on, Tuffers … if you watch the finish frame by frame he is clearly a good neck down when the arm starts to come up in celebration … amazingly, he is also looking up to the stands and in the opposite direction to Treasure Beach … Can it be possible that he really didn’t see him and thought once he’d passed the Royal colours he was home and dry ? … If so, then he’s even luckier than I originally thought !!

In private you have to think that Fabre would have given him a real dressing down, Derby winner or not.

[Burrough Hill Lad]

Well, according to Mick Fitz he’s done it before whilst riding in Dubai … so we are left to assume it was cockiness as opposed to an error of judgement !!!

Mind you, I’m still indebted to him for finally managing to get Light From Mars’s head in front earlier this season

[Burrough Hill Lad]

Didn’t stay for the last but seen the replay and would agree it wasn’t one of his best … watch the 4.20 as well if you get the chance with Ted Durcan trapped in behind a wall of horses from over 3 furlongs out on Fitz … the leaders had gone when he finally saw daylight but he ran on strongly in the last half furlong and would surely have gone very close with a clear passage … wasn’t the greatest of races but would be surprised if the trainer didn’t find a small race for him somewhere soon.

[Burrough Hill Lad]

He certainly looks very capable, Pinza … he only just failed to get up by a head on Ivory Lace in the 4.55 which would have given me a nice finish to the day … I’ll be watching out for him through the summer though and I can see him picking up some nice rides in handicaps where his allowance will come in useful.

[Burrough Hill Lad]

Very well deserved and nice for the sport that we love to gain recognition on a national platform at peak time viewing … have to say it was 100% nailed on when they brought Fabregas on to present the award … doh, big giveaway or what ??

[Burrough Hill Lad]

Anyone fancy the chances of last year’s third, Niche Market, to be placed again this year ?

7L adrift of Denman last year
2lb better off if promising jockey claims the full 5lb
Likes the course
Just touched off in Aon Chase by Tricky Trickster
(Denman looking beaten when falling at level weights)
Very capable claiming jockey
Former Irish National winner
Potential improvement (even at 9yo) under Paul Nicholls
Freely available at 33’s

OK, I realise Paul Nicholls knows exactly where he stands in the order of things re his five entries … I just think this horse could still have more to offer … only 3 runs since the Aon Chase … ran OK’ish at the Festival behind Chief Dan George … pulled up when fancied in the National … fell halfway when in touch on his reappearance … worth a fiver each way maybe

[Burrough Hill Lad]

Comes as no surprise given the childish and mardy reaction FM used to display during his days on Soccer Saturday when his beloved Arsenal were losing … there’s only one person that needs to act his age here … if I had been there and that was my team coming from 2 down to lead against their biggest rivals then I would have done exactly what BD was doing … or maybe worse … well done Barry, you’ve just gone up in my estimation (apologies for back handed compliment) … if you can’t show passion at such moments then why does anyone bother going to watch a football match in the first place ? … I’m sure there was no hint of gloating on the part of the Arsenal fans when it all looked very comfortable at half time … yeah, right !!!

[Burrough Hill Lad]

I was quite impressed by Edgbriar’s win at the previous Cheltenham meeting … jumped and travelled well throughout and quickened like a decent horse … 8lb rise for that and might not quite have the class to win but not many miles on the clock and looks to be still improving … must rate decent ew value at 33’s this morning.

[Burrough Hill Lad]

Another race that will always divide opinion on why the horse was left so much to do … yes, it did look as though she wasn’t striding out freely early on … and yes, I think Smith realised after 2 furlongs that he was too far back but knew that getting after her to make up the ground too quickly would be counter-productive and likely to run the finish out of her … the damage was effectively therefore already done in the first two furlongs … having found the leaders coming back, I reckon Smith thought the race was all over on the home turn and was cocky enough to take a pull just prior to removing his goggles … desperation then kicked in as he realised Blame had got first run and I counted 22 full blooded strikes with the whip including three lots of six rat-a-tat-tat style a la Lester Piggott on Roberto/The Minstrel … a career defining moment for Smith who will be forced to relive that race long after his race riding days are over … I feel for the horse more than anything … didn’t deserve a beating of that nature

[Burrough Hill Lad]

Maybe one of the TRF lynch mob would care to explain how connections benefitted from supposedly pulling the horse on his last outing? It clearly wasn’t to get a good mark, and it’s plain that it wasn’t to land a betting coup, so why would trainer and jockey, who’ve both been round the block a few times, risk their livelihood pulling such an amateurish stroke.
It just does not make sense, imo.

Can’t disagree with your reasoning, Reet … on the surface, there is absolutely no rhyme or reason to it from such a high profile owner/trainer/jockey combination … all I know is, after over 40 years of watching racing I like to think I’m a pretty good judge of what I’m seeing even if I can’t claim to have ever ridden professionally in my life and, in my opinion, at Windsor, they had no intention of putting this horse into the race at the business end … only they know the reasons for it and we’ll sure as hell never find out

[Burrough Hill Lad]

Ran as straight as a gun barrel and picked up nicely in his own time after getting slightly outpaced two out to win going away … shame on all concerned for the Windsor tactics and/or instructions

[Burrough Hill Lad]

Today’s treble …

Norwich 1/1
Burton 6/5
Swindon 8/11

Potential returns @ £420

Other value today …
Port Vale 13/10 to win at Cheltenham
Exeter 12/5 the draw or 11/4 to win at MK Dons
Swansea / Leicester 0-0 draw or Leicester to win to nil

Tomorrow … how about a cheeky 81.5/1 treble ?
Stoke City 4/1
Blackburn 9/2
Arsenal 2/1

[Author]

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