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Plus 7 and dry when driving in..5mm of rain overnight

Wow Saturday was a very special day. Winners at Ascot and Huntingdon..

Sunday not so good..

Lets start with Saturday. I love Ascot, it is my favourite racecourse and every winner there is a treat. As for Huntingdon, I have had more winners there than any other racecourse..

Chianti Classico at Ascot might have been odds on favourite in a 3 horse race, but it was always going to be difficult.. as one of his owners suggested it was 'ripe for a cock up'..

Well jumping the first I knew that the word cock up might well be in the script as it was obvious to all watching that CC was not enjoying the faster ground.. he has never run on good ground before and it was dying…CC was not enjoying his jumping, so it was testament to the horse and to David Bass that he won..David for knowing that things were not going well and Chianti Classico for being brave enough to respond to David’s urging when needed.

I was thrilled for his owners Francis Brooke and Richard Pilkington who were celebrating their first Ascot victory together and with Francis being the King’s representative at Ascot, this win was very special indeed…

David Bass deserves credit for his ride and in fact so does Gavin Sheehan for his winning ride on Parc d’ Amour at Huntington..

Gavin Sheehan or as we call him 'Snowden Boy' missed the break and was well behind in what was always going to be a fast run race over just hurdles on a tight track..A ride of, as they say.. balls of steel..

Gavin suffered and waited and then crept into the race and how he managed to win lord only knows.. Thankfully he could not hear what I was saying while watching from Ascot!

Ride of the month .. probably.. but the he was banned for 14 days for not trying in the race before.. Sorry but I don’t believe that was the case..

A sad postscript to the race was that David Ratcliffe a member of The Strollers Syndicate who own Parc d'Amour sadly passed away recently, he and his wife Fran were deeply missed at Huntingdon.

David has been an owner here for many years and loved his racing along with his golf and vintage cars.

It was a good day and that made 5 winners on the trot over the last 3 days.

Mat commented yesterday that we have had 5 winners in the last three days and a potential ride of the month/year. A winner at Ascot for one of the most important people on the racecourse.. But the Racing Post editors failed to feature any comments in their papers racing reports on any of those performances…

Mat asked me if I had fallen out with the Racing Post!! Surely not? They would not be that narrow minded? Would they?

Talking Racing Post.. I have made their stable tour with 3 horses and my neighbour who has one the most succesful and largest strings in the country made it in with 4 horses!!

Sunday was always going to go wrong after such a great day.

Von Hallers never looked happy and Gerard Mentor hated the ground while at Uttoxeter Broomfield Present was brought down 3 from home. He looked beaten to me, although David Bass was adamant he would have won..

I was at neither racecourse as I was having an 'Essex reunion' with two very old mates who I grew up with. Rob Russell and Pet Sidgwick…

My sister hosted a lunch party for a rather special bit of harking back on the past. Rob, Pete and I grew up together in deepest Essex and frankly our paths don’t cross too often.. except funerals!.. Good to see each other and some interesting stories and memories..

Monday morning brings in a new week..

We have two runners today. Destroytheevidence heads to Kempton while Samatian heads to Ludlow.. For my thoughts please click here.