Saturday February 21st Newcastle
Some courses seem to be seeing sense with their admission prices and with the
Racegoers Club voucher it was only £10 for entry to Tatts.
Not the greatest Eider Chase card ever and the big race was certainly below par.
After being won by Comply or Die last year the only National entry to take part
this time has no chance of making the cut at Aintree and the top weight was a
stone below the race ceiling.
The finish was fought out between Morgan Be and Merigo who are both decent
consistent northern handicappers on softish ground. Talk for both was of the
Scottish National but they will struggle there. Nothing else ran with any
promise.
The two four handicap chase was wide open. A back to form Daldini wanted it far
more than runner up Jack the Blaster and might still have more improvement in
him. Crozan continues to go downhill and his easy novice chase win at Cheltenham
is now scarcely believable.
Close form lines between many of the principles in the two mile handicap hurdle,
Apart from Prosecco who barely went a yard most ran round about their form.
Winner Best Prospect was ridden like he needs to be in front right on the line
so might have had something more than the half length he won by in hand.
Ernst Blofeld did not look happy from an early stage in the two six novice
hurdle and was turned over at 2/11 by the 115 rated Political Paddy. There must
have been some physical problem as he is better than this.
Another short priced favourite beaten in the two mile novice hurdle with Best
Lover losing out to Magellan Straits. The winner should make a decent sort of
handicapper. Catch Bob back in sixth looks one to take note of when he is placed
into a handicap.
Skippers Brig struggled to win the three mile novice chase at odds on and is not
the star he has at times looked like he might be. Seems to need it very heavy.
Runner up Dream Garden has some fair form and can win in handicaps.

Saturday February 28th Doncaster
Pretty fast ground for once and a few non runners because of that fact.
Lake Legend took the two four novice hurdle at odds on but the form is nothing
special. Runner up Candonagh is improving and should find a small novice race
somewhere.
Georgian King back over hurdles having seemingly not taken to fences ran out a
ready winner of the three mile handicap hurdle. If the handicapper is not too
harsh he can follow up on similar ground.

Lots of horses that don't win in the Grimthope Chase. Gungadu, Ungaro, Alderburn
and Idle Talk showed little again and are all on the downgrade. Out the Black
looked a mess before the race and that put me off but he ran on well to hold off
Gidam Gidam. They were miles clear but the form is not great and they will
struggle with any major rating hike.
A valuable sales related bumper had all sorts of sizes and shapes in it and most
are probably not worth much. The winner Lidar trotted up but this was ordinary
form.
The three mile novice chase was rendered meaningless by the omission of most of
the fences because of the sun which had disappeared before the race started.
Winner West End Rocker has somehow managed to get a rating in the 140's which
looks pretty harsh.
A decent field for the two mile handicap chase and Bambi de L'Orme again managed
to find a way to get beaten after looking all over the winner two out.
Leslingtaylor showed his first form in ages to take the race with the ground
condition helping.

Saturday March 14th Wetherby
What looked like a fair card was again hit by loads of no shows as the strong
win dried out the ground.
The opening two mile novice hurdle looked the best for a bet with the dodgy
Sacrilege backed into favourite. The Alan King trained Sadler's Star carried the
money and had every chance as three took the last together when he hit the
ground. The race went to Santo Stefano for the Wylies as Sacrilege failed from
the last again. The winner finished lame and while that prompted more
withdrawals the Wylies, who had a runner in every race, let all theirs take part
with very moderate results.
Their runner in the second race (a two four handicap hurdle) Knockavilla should
have been suited by the firmer ground but after coming with every chance two
found folded very tamely when the pressure came on and while it was ten lengths
back to the third he doesn't look one to trust.
Top Dressing ran no sort of race for them in the three mile handicap chase
behind Grand National hopeful Brooklyn Brownie who could easily jump round at
Aintree but is just not good enough.
Another disappointment came with the expensive Presenting Express coming down
when already beaten at odds on in the three mile novice hurdle. While Striking
Article landed the odds in a match against a hopeless case in the two four
novice chase he was far from fluent again at his fences and he is proving a
major disappointment.
They look to have another dodgy sort in Whispering Death who gave away the two
four maiden hurdle having led from four out and still looking safe at the last.
Their day ended with Stronghaven tailing off in the bumper well before halfway.
The winner Ballybriggan won nicely for the excellent Victor Dartnall but the
opposition wasn't great.
Saturday March 21st Haydock
Not much to say about a meeting where the main race had more no shows than
actual runners and most of the better runners in the other races also failed to
take up their entry.
Shrewd Investor finally put in a decent display of fencing to take the three
mile handicap chase but with four Ps and a U in his last six runs he was hardly
a betting medium.
Spanish Conquest took the two mile handicap hurdle easily at odds on but he
handicapper will now have his revenge.
All in all a pretty poor months worth of racing. Roll on Aintree.