We have six runners on Saturday, with five making the trip up to Carlisle, where the going is currently soft, good to soft in places, and we also take The Resdev Way down to Wolverhampton for their evening meeting on the Tapeta surface.
Cornerstone Lad ran his best race of the season at Haydock 17 days ago when staying on in to second. The handicapper has once again relented by taking another 2lb off his back, in a race where conditions will suit. He goes to post for the 3.40.pm, a 0-130 handicap chase over two miles, with his regular jockey Conor O'Farrell in the saddle.
We are doubly represented at 4.50.pm, in a 0-120 handicap chase over two and a half miles. Knocknamona has been in fine form winning in January, and then again in February, and in a Class 2 event at Carlisle 13 days ago he ran very respectably to finish sixth. Ideally he wants a fast run race in which he can swoop late, and although he is high in the weights, he will go close if things fall right. He will be ridden for the first time by our 10lb claiming Conditional Jockey Josh Thompson.
Our other runner in the 4.50.pm, is the ex French Contre Ordre, who was the winner of two chases, two hurdles, and a flat race when trained in France, but in four starts for us since arriving at the yard last autumn, he is still yet to get competitive, which has seen his mark drop from an opening 117, to his current mark of 94. A revival in form would make him a very well handicapped horse, with Emma Smith-Chaston retaining the ride.
We also have two runners at 5.25.pm, in a 0-110 Conditional Jockeys handicap hurdle, over two miles and one furlong. Applaus weakened from three out at Haydock 17 days ago, on what was his first disappointing run of the season, as prior to that he had won twice, and finished second at Carlisle. A return to that track can only be a plus for Applaus, who is somewhat of a course specialist, having won there three times in total, he will once again have the services of Emma Snith-Chaston in the saddle.
We are also represented in the race by Bonne Vitesse who was twice a winner as a juvenile hurdler last season. She made a solid return at Hexham in November when finishing third, but never got involved on her next two starts. At Wetherby 18 days ago, she was once again held up off the pace, before making some late headway to finish a 10 lengths fourth of the six starters. Her regular rider Becky Smith is currently recovering from shoulder surgery, so Joshua Thompson takes over, and will claim 10lb.
The Resdev Way will join the 'Centurions' club when he makes his 100th racecourse start at Wolverhampton at 5.30.pm, in a 0-60 handicap over one mile and six furlongs, with Serena Brotherton, who has ridden well over 100 winners herself, on board for the first time. The Resdev Way has run in 42 races on the flat on turf, a further 42 on the all weather, he has also run in 12 hurdles races, and three National Hunt flat races, winning on 12 occasions, all on the flat, which includes eight on the all weather, and four on turf.
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Good luck to the connections, Mrs B M Lofthouse, The Rat Pack Racing Club, Graeme Newton, Mrs Gemma Hogg, The Golden Cuckoo, and Resdev.
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