Tanya Stevenson
Tanya’s Blog
A rewarding day yesterday, had me as a guest at the Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards. These men and women, lads and lasses are the real unsung heroes of the sport who like kennelhands should be championed more. They deserve so much recognition for keeping the horses we back, support and cheer home in top condition. To see the faces of those at the ceremony, there was a realisation of how much this means to them. So next year I hope there will be many more put forward for the chance of winning such generous prizes.
Over the weekend as expected I was otherwise distracted with the absorbing cricket games, Sri Lanka v Pakistan was a beaut especially as Afridi’s men won, I hope you were on when I tipped them up a few weeks ago, you can now lay them off at a small profit. Then there was England v India, a tie no less. Meanwhile there was some racing and I was very impressed by Zarkandar and so to Kumbeshwar in the Adonis Hurdle at Kempton. The race has been such an excellent trial for the JCB Triumph Hurdle and future Cheltenham Festival winners. Kumbeshwar had to do all the hard work, setting a strong pace he is sure to be thereabouts in the Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle if allowed to take his chance. Zarkandar’s price has now gone for the Triumph Hurdle and I’m going to wait until I sit alongside Paul Nicholls, Tom Scudamore and Joe Tizzard later this week before I state my selection for that race and many more at the Cheltenham Festival.
To be honest with you all the cards today are far from inspiring and may even struggle to keep the betting shops ticking over as there are few each-way opportunities at the two turf meetings and a few odds-ons. I’ve scanned through the markets and the only backed horse at the time of writing is ALONSO DE GUZMAN (2.20 Ffos Las) worth keeping an eye on. While there is a negative in OURS (5.15 Leicester) which I will be looking to oppose.
POINTERS
Tim Vaughan has had five winners and two seconds from his last eleven runners
Nicky Henderson has had three winners, six seconds and a third from his last 12 runners
Nicky Henderson has had seven winners from his last 14 Ffos Las runners
Richard Johnson has had seven winners from his last 14 rides
