Cool with the odd April shower; the final week of the 2024/25 Jumps Season is upon us and we hope to have a busy time of it though the racing does look especially competitive with approx 530 entries for the three day Perth Festival, 84 runners declared for Wednesday’s 8 race card which feels like a record to me.  Should be a great week’s racing with the Mullins/Skelton battle unfolding, the champion jockey elect there with loads of good chances and plenty of other stories in the background.  Jump racing feels like it is in a good place from where I am sitting; it is just the prize money that is wrong most of the time.  Kelso tomorrow first though and we have two runners declared from our eight entries on ground that should just be on the easier side of good, watering hard.

Anamanda

They are both in the Mares Novice Hurdle at 3.05; Anamanda (Bruce) and So Ladylike (Tash Cookson), the maximum of 14 run.  Anamanda has been running well this season and has looked a little unlucky on occasions, she shouldn’t be inconvenienced by the drop back in trip and won’t mind the ground so hopefully can give another good account.  So Ladylike seems in very good order and could put up a bold show with cheek pieces on and a light weight.

So Ladylike

We were thrilled with Bel Amigo managing to notch up his third win in a row at Carlisle on Saturday.  We don’t have many runners on the inside track there but when you do find a horse that it suits its a great track because it doesn’t suit a lot of horses!  We were less pleased with Lucky Soldier who jumped three fences as if they were on fire prior to wisely being pulled up by Patrick.  Our luck was out at Haydock when Dubai Days jinked unseating Bruce after a loose horse crashed through the rails in front of him, it was a very valuable race and the fact that we beat the winner by 9 lengths last time didn’t make it any easier – very different ground though so who knows and at least we have a sound horse.  Artic Row was close up in 2nd prior to crashing through the last fence, somehow he stood up but he lost all momentum.

Bel Amigo with Dom & Jesika