The going at the time of writing is heavy, soft in places for our four participants contesting three events.
The Pine Martin is first up in the two and a half miles handicap hurdle at 12.25.pm.He won first time up for us in May 2017, after arriving from Ireland, and finished second under an 8lb penalty on his next start. It would be 18 months and wing surgery until we saw him again in December of last year, a race he needed to put him straight. He finished at Newcastle in January, and third again at Carlisle in March, before lock down brought a premature ending to his season.This stiff two and a half miles will suit, but his best form isnt on heavy ground, and after nine months away from the track is entitled to need the run, Joe Colliver rides him for the first time.
We have two runners in 12.55.pm, the three miles handicap chase. Ciarabella had shown next to nothing in her first eight runs for two other yards, but showed she has ability when finishing third on her debut for us at Cartmel back in early August, her first star in 15 months, the break since will assure she wont suffer from the 'bounce' factor, but her ability to act on heavy ground is an unknown, Becky Smith is in the saddle.
We also run Trimmers Lane in the 12.55.pm, for a horse who is coming up 11 years old very shortly he is very lightly raced, with this being his 13th start in total. He was a winner of a point to point in Ireland on heavy ground back in November 2019, and since arriving with us last December he has run on five occasions, with his best effort coming at Catterick in February, when finishing fifth, beaten just over 15 lengths. Alain Cawley replaces Emma Smith-Chaston in the saddle, who is out injured.
The Very Thing runs in the two miles and seven furlong 0-100 handicap hurdle at 2.25.pm, with Billy Garritty retaining the ride.He was an excellent second at Wetherby in March just before lock down, and was entitled to need his first race back over this course and distance 33 days ago, when only weakening from before the last. The ground will be no problem, in what looks a competitive handicap, but he still looks fairly well handicapped on the best of his form from 2018.
Good luck to the connections, The Rat Pack Racing Club, M.H.O.G.,Ian Ender, and Derek Walpole.