Catterick who always race on New Years Day (weather permitting,) race on Sunday instead this year, where the going will be soft.
Our first runner is in the extended one mile and seven furlongs novice hurdle at 12.27.pm, where Hey Blondie races for the fifth time, with Joe Colliver once again in the saddle.In a bumper, and three novice hurdles to date, Hey Blondie has still to show us any form. There are not many horses who receive an opening mark as low as 69, and to be honest he could actually do with a higher rating, so we can get him into a handicap.
Fairsideofthemoon will make his handicap debut from an opening mark of 80 in the three miles and one furlong handicap hurdle at 12.57.pm,with Joe Colliver retaining the ride.His best run to date came on debut at Fairyhouse in a bumper when trained by Gordon Elliott, but in two further runs for that yard, and a further three for us, his form has deteriorated.This step into handicap company, and going up in trip, is what we are pinning our hopes on.
Our other two runners go head to head in the extended one mile and seven furlongs handicap hurdle at 3.37.pm. Sincerely Resdev won at the first time of asking after joining us, when winning by a nose at Sedgefield back in November, back at the same track 12 days ago, he wasn't quite as good when finishing sixth, from a 6lb higher mark, over a three furlongs longer trip.He will once again race from that revised mark, with his now regular pilot Aiden Macdonald able to take off 10lb.
We also run Ex S'Elance who was one of those unlucky horses who had his season curtailed by lock-down back in March, so he was entitled to need his first run back when pulling up at Hexham in October.He has since run a lot better at Uttoxeter in November, when finishing eighth, beaten by 12 lengths, with Emma Smith-Chaston in the saddle, unfortunately Emma is out injured, but the more than capable Becky Smith will take over.
Good luck to the connections, Newroc & Co, G R Orchard, Resdev, and The Fifty Fifty Partnership.
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