We have five runners on Sunday, with three entries at Wetherby on soft ground, and two on the all weather at Wolverhampton.
Since joining us two years ago Dontdelay has mixed hurdling and chasing, and he will attempt the smaller obstacles in the first race at 11.55.am,a conditional jockeys handicap over three miles, with our stable conditional Aiden Macdonald able to claim the full 10lb allowance.He ran in this corresponding race last season when finishing third off a 1lb lower mark, and any more rain will be a plus.
Brickadank has his second race over hurdles in the two miles novice at 12.25.pm, with Joe Colliver riding him for the first time.His best run to date was probably on debut in a bumper at Newcastle a year ago, since then he has faced some difficult tasks in maidens on the flat. He made his hurdles debut at Southwell two weeks ago, and wasn't disgraced when finishing fifth, with that experience behind him, he should show more this time, on his way to a handicap mark.
The Castleford Chase is one of the seasons highlights at Wetherby, a race our ex stable star Just Cameron won in 2018.This year we are represented by the recent new recruit, the ex French Eragone, he ran a lot better than the 'P' next to his name suggests last time, as he was still there two out when making a bad blunder at Carlisle, and Becky Smith did the right thing by pulling him up. He has been dropped 4lb for that run, and will take on five opponents in this hot looking renewal at 2.10.pm, with Becky retaining the ride.
We also have two runners at Wolverhampton, who will go head to head in the 4.10.pm, a 0-65 one mile and six furlongs handicap. Lleyton has been a welcome addition to the team, having raced twice at Dunstall Park already for us. He won off 57 over this trip back in October, and after a near nine weeks break returned over the extended two miles to finish second off a 7lb higher mark (including Oliver Stammers claim.) He is clearly thriving at the moment, and should be competitive again.
We also run The Rutland Rebel who has been struggling for form since winning at Pontefract in August of last year.This will be his first appearance on an artificial surface, and should give him something different to think about, and hopefully rekindle his old sparkle, and ability to win races.Billy Garritty will take the ride.
Good luck to the connections, The Golden Cuckoo, A & S Associates, Samuel Sutton, Pauline And Camilla Southerington, and Stephen And Ryder Sugden.