Christmas 2023 Update

Highlight of the week, (mostly) crushing all the agonies of Monday, came twenty-four hours later, when GOLD CLAREMONT comfortably won the long distance handicap chase at Fakenham. Her love of soft ground was accommodated by the Norfolk weather on raceday and Sean gave her a very canny ride to avoid the most chopped up parts of the racing surface. The ideal next option is the Sussex National, but the going will be very vital to her chances. As the picture below shows, rather more mud than snow in evidence Norfolk way, but the colours do have a bit of a Santa Clausian theme.

Christmas week began at Plumpton. Doesn’t it always? The day itself opened inauspiciously and ended up incredibly frustratingly. GODOT made his chase debut, jumped very well and ended up only sixth because he had bumped into a red hot race – the better than average prize money was a reason, but putting up the money does not always make for such fierce competition. Soon after that BIRDMAN BOB was going well when he got bumped and knocked over on the stable bend. Too early to know what may have happened, but the plan to make more use of him was shaping positively. Later on we had two in the same race, BROWN BULLET and SHAW’S CROSS. They both got themselves in a position where they looked as if they would win the race – Brown Bullet at the third last, Shaw’s Cross a fence later – but ended up being pipped by the horse that went with them. At one stage, a Shovelstrode 1-2 looked the most likely outcome, but all we can do is give credit to the winner for his determination in what appeared to be fading cause. Savvy old veteran that he is, Shaw’s Cross did what we know is in his powers and was just seen off by a neck, indicating that he can win from the current rating on a luckier day, but Brown Bullet improved a lot on her initial chasing attempts a couple of years ago, which gives us something to work with.

In the post-race action, Shaw’s Cross (first picture) is all business, just impatient about getting home for dinner, but Brown Bullet (picture two) has initiated some form of Mexican stand-off when thinking about where to run next. Or perhaps she is upset at having a tiny, tiny jockey still on her back…

Merry Christmas to all our readers, and perhaps see you on Boxing Day, when we intend to have four runners at Fontwell.