The weather has been pretty miserable up and down the country, but luckily our gallops have coped well, and we’ve been able to keep things going as normal. It’s unfortunate that this week’s racing hasn’t fared quite as well, but hopefully we have some racing on Saturday!
Saturday – Sandown
Whisky Express makes her seasonal reappearance in the 2m4f Mares’ Handicap Hurdle (12:05). She ran in this race last year and wasn’t a very straightforward ride. We haven’t had the opportunity to see the benefits of fitting her with cheekpieces as she unseated Lorcan Murtagh last time at Exeter, so we’re keeping those on. This is a horse that stays further, and hopefully she can be competitive.
Then, onto one of the feature races on the card with Love Envoi in the two-mile, Grade 1 Fighting Fifth Hurdle (13:55). She didn’t come back until a bit later than normal having picked up an injury on her last run at Punchestown. However, that is all behind her, and she’s in really good form.
The switch to Sandown suits us as she is three from three at the track. Obviously, there is the small matter of Constitution Hill to try and overcome, but we’ll give it a good go. She’s in good order in herself at home and whatever she does on Saturday, she will progress and improve from. Hopefully she can be competitive, even taking on the great Constitution Hill. You have to be in these races to win them!
Finally, we’ve got Boothill in the Tingle Creek (15:00). He’s had a brilliant campaign so far, winning two valuable handicap chases at Ascot. Initially, we thought we weren’t going to reappear so soon, only a fortnight after his most recent success; however he bounced out of that race in better form then his first and we thought we’d take our chance.
He obviously finished eight lengths behind Jonbon in the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase on this card last year, but we feel he’s worth his chance in open Grade 1 company for the first time. Hopefully there’s a couple of horses that go forward as a strongly run two miles will really play to our strengths.
Although we are happy to see the rain for Love Envoi, we wouldn’t want the chase course to get too testing for Boothill, so we’ll be keeping an eye on the ground. If he performs as we hope at Sandown, we’ll be looking to go back to Ascot in January for the Clarence House.
All the best,
Harry
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