Thursday March 30th 2023

Totally agree. How many Racecourses in the UK are in close proximity to an University?

Probably All.

Definitely many more prestigious than Limerick and I would suggest Liaison with Student Unions.

Limerick has an huge Hinterland and once the long proposed Motorway between Cork and Limerick happens with a nice turn off to Patrickswell it will only get better.

You only 2% of that cohort to come back on a wet windy Tuesday on a fairly regular basis.

More importantly this young crowd will have kids and interest in Racing will be seen as normal.

You thought it was a modest card at Limerick today? Well they have 10,000 people through the gates on Student Race Day, many dressed as if it were July and all looking to be having a brilliant taste of a race day. Wake up, English courses!

Lissen To The Lady! I said Sandy Forster the Borders Queen is riding the spring wave, didn't I. That was her fourth winner in the month of March.

Leopolds Rock in the 17:30 at Wolverhampton

NAP Kalanisi Dubh 4.17 Naas.

What an extraordinary performance by good old Cudgel at Hexham. I say old - he is ten but seems to have been around for ever. He needs bottomless ground and where better than Hexham when it's like this. He has won four chases now, all at this track. The thing is, though, he hasn't run over 2m since his first season in 2018 when he was hopelessly outpaced in two novice hurdles. Since then he's been the ultimate 3m-plus slowboat, and there's nothing wrong with that. So he goes, "Today, Matthew, I'm going to be Energumene!" And it came to pass. Jimmy Walton will be dining out on this one for a long time. I bet he says: "This gives us plenty of options."

Made of Lir 18:00 Wolves EW Nap

The Taunton bumper (5.00) features the track debut of one of the Jackdaws Satle talking orses way back at the beginning of the season. Having won a point back in October 2021 Jonjo said they hadn't done much with him since he arrived at the yard and he planned to put him straight over hurdles. Well as he has take so long to do so I suspect he has met with a setback of some sort or has not schooled well. This late in the season it makes sense to preserve his novice status for now, so bumpers it is. I wouldn't get too excited about the fact he beat Hermes Allen in that point - HA was definitely not fully wound up that day and was eased when beaten before the last. I note he hasn't been knocked over in the betting market thus far. Of the other fancied horses, NTD's Mr Mackay gets the 10lbs 4yo allowance but had an open goal at Hereford and ballooned it over the bar, while the Fergal O'Brien horse is coming back from a year off after wind surgery. Olly Murphy's I Am No Risk (a name that is only asking for trouble) will improve for his run in a modest affair at Ayr but this looks a deeper race.

I think the more solid proposition is the Nicholls horse, Pentire Head. He has had two decent placed runs so far, both on stiff tracks. The second outing was a neck defeat by Heros De Romay, a horse rated highly by Kim Bailey. As a half brother to Mount Mews, Taunton will suit him better at this stage. Mount Mews was a good bumper horse and novice hurdler over 2m for the Jefferson yard. His career was ultimately disappointing due to the odd physical problem, and he never won when stepped up in trip. Hopefully Pentire Head, who cost Paul Barber a lot of money, will prove more resilient. At 7/2-4/1 he is a fair bet today.

Twoshotsoftequila - 15.20 Hexham

1.57 Naas - Cabane Des Taules

My hail mary is Toombridge in 1.35 Hex for the win nap.

With Apple Rock out, I like My Last Oscar in 3.50 at Taunton, clear fav Iberio may be vulnerable with some dodgy jumping over further on soft ground... That's the theory anyway, but haven't found a winner in a long while!

Saint Segal 3.35 Warwick today, same as Gaz but it was on my tracker with some nice notes against it..

I'm in the need of an old man rant today. The Times (preferred reading now the Grauniad has come out and acknowledged it was founded from the financial gains of slavery) has a report of some chap who sold his business for millions, lives in Knightsbridge. mixes in the right circles etc etc who has taken Star Sports to court because he lost £100k over 6 months and its their fault for letting him do it. I agree and with the spurious notion that because I'm trying to catch Jake I'm going to back

Nap (?) Wolves 1800 Timed to Perfection

with as many resources as I can muster to commit to my judgement because when it comes nowhere, even if they let it continue into the next race I'll get my money back!

Prime Pretender 4.25 Taunton is the nap,well done yesterday Gazp.

Thanks LukeH , as you can see I have edited the nap.

Saint segal 3.35W.

Short priced winner for me yesterday, Joe...5/6 grandads cottage 2.3 MR.

Some weird names running at Dundalk today.

Another Coupon Day rather than one off wonders for me

Both Ballydoyle Entries in the 20.00 at Dundalk are included.

My nap is in the 17.30 at the same revolting venue where they literally cannot employ enough staff to collect the tumbleweed.

Feature This.

Like many of my generation I realised that Girls were more interesting than I thought when Debbie Harry sang Denis Denis on TOTP. I will be humming Feature This and thinking of Debbie Harry in in the run-in to that Race.

In that Race there is a Horse called Plankton.

Why call a Horse from something at the very bottom of the food chain?

In the 20.00 there is a Horse called Serotonin. Is he depressed?

Why not some other Neurochemical like LSD or Ketamine?