Tanya Stevenson
Tanya's Blog
The sun shines brightly at Sandown at the time of writing, and the paddock commentary box has got all that sunnier as Ruby Walsh has just walked in. His face battered but his sense of humour remains intact so does that winning smile.
The reports were the ground was dead at Sandown yesterday, apologies for my two selections especially Manele Bay. Hopefully POCKET ACES will redeem me, he’s back from a layoff, he’ll be fresh and on old form shouldn’t be the outsider of the field. He runs in Sandown’s 4.40.
Later on I have to run through the card in the paddock with Paddy Power and Antony Kemp. This is what I’ll be flagging up, in the first CAPTAIN KIRKTON each-way as I’m prepared to forgive him his run at Huntingdon behind Aikman. Prior to that he looked something special.
SARDE in the 2.25, Kim Bailey’s horse was on a hat-trick going into Haydock on extremely testing ground, he pulled up like most of the field and can run back to form today.
Look out for the concessions with various bookmakers leading into the Festival re the Paddy Power Imperial Cup. First and foremost get on with those offering ¼ five places. I have narrowed down the race to four runners, FIULIN, Song Of Songs, Arctic Wings and Ronaldo Des Mottes. There is no substitute for class and Ronaldo Des Mottes third in the Kingwell says it all. Song Of Songs has great form with Ashkazar over hurdles, a repeat would have him booked for the first four and Arctic Wings is back to form with his run at Newbury last week. Many selection though is FIULIN who was seventh to Menorah at the Cheltenham Festival last year and third to Dunraven Storm and Recession Proof this year. I will combine all of the above in a forecast so fingers crossed ahead of the Cheltenham Festival.
POINTERS
Nine of the last ten winners of the Imperial Cup were no older than 6
A P McCoy has won five of the last 13 Imperial Cups and today he rides 3 Alpine Lodge
Brian Ellison’s last four National Hunt runners have all won
Six of the last nine favourites have won the Imperial Cup
Eight of the last ten winners of the Imperial Cup finished in the first three last time out
Eight of the last ten Imperial Cup winners carried 10-13 or less
All of the last ten winners Imperial Cup winners ran within 55 days of their last start
Eight of the last ten winners of Sandown’s 1.55 were aged 6
Final Drive has won three of his four races at Wolverhampton (he runs in the 3.20)
