A busy day today with four runners at Southwell and then four at Cheltenham tomorrow so it’s all systems go for our team.
James Best was in this morning to ride out three lots including riding fast work on mares Found On and Just A Diva. He rides three of today’s runners with Fergus Gregory on Mr Mafia. Mafia is our first runner of the day and returns after a winter holiday with owners Peter and Jane Boggis. With the recent addition of their own gallop, Mafia returned fitter than ever just under 3 weeks ago with this race as his target. He often does need his first run of the season, and this may be the case again today, but he’s as well as we can have him and he should run his usual genuine race. It’s the first horse we will miss having Richard Johnson on since his recent retirement as I just loved watching him and Mafia dare eachother over every fence and they got on so well but he’s not a complicated ride and Fergus schooled him on Sunday and should have a good spin from him.
Mozzaro is the next runner and is a lovely chasing type who has just taken longer than most to mature and we aren’t quite there yet. He’s shown promise though and has a very likeable attitude and just needs to switch off and relax to be able to see out his races and he’ll take another step forward today I hope.
City Never Sleeps returns to hurdles with a visor on and has run his best races on softer ground but is in good heart and will hopefully give our Racing Club, several of whom are able to be there today, another good run for their money.
Finally Ten Past Midnight runs for The Serendipity Syndicate and was disappointing last time but ran well at Southwell the time before so we are returning there and dropping him back in trip in the hope that he runs a more promising race today.
Five years ago today we had another wonderful day at Cheltenham when Any Currency (Aidan Coleman) won over regulation fences for the first time and then Altesse De Guye won over hurdles under a superb Richard Johnson ride making it another Cheltenham double – our local track. Very special for Richard to ride a Cheltenham winner for us too. Such happy memories of a fabulous day with lovely people.
