Friday Review

I rounded off my annual trip to the south on Thursday by visiting Carlburg Stables in Newmarket, the home of Roger Varian. Michael Jarvis' former assistant tasted more Royal Ascot success last summer courtesy of My Cloud in the Royal Hunt Cup, plus Rahiebb was denied by a neck in the St Leger at Doncaster less than three months later. Once again, the stable has plenty of strength in depth amongst the older horses and they are complimented by some highly promising three year olds. As ever, Roger was very generous with histime and we even discussed one of his former inmates Munsif who is being lined up for the Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival - I will pass on his views in the Cheltenham Update.

Top 40 entry Bossman Jack made it two wins from three starts over timber when proving too strong in the opening two miles novice hurdle at Chepstow on Friday. The well bred son of Jack Hobbs is very much a work in progress and, despite a few scruffy leaps early on, was in a different league to those in behind. Making all, he readily sauntered away after the second last and scored hard held by thirteen lengths. Dan Skelton is toying with the idea of running him in the Turners Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham but it is hoped he is saved for Aintree. A half-brother to Gidleigh Park, the six year old will make a smashing chaser next season. 

Later on the card, Juby Ball registered his second win over fences when trouncing three rivals by upwards of eighteen lengths in the novices' handicap chase over two and a half miles. Racing off 129, Evan Williams' charge bumped into the talented Stencil at the same track last month but there was nothing of his calibre on this occasion. Jumping to the front early on, he is a smart young chaser capable of winning a major handicap one day. Ben Jones believes he will stay well and it is not hard to envisage him running over three miles plus one day. The softer the ground the better for this lightly raced seven year old. 

It has been a tough few months for Lucinda Russell with 5 winners during December and only one (from 62 runners) in January. It had been a quiet start to February too with none of her first 19 runners entering the winners' enclosure. Thankfully, things improved markedly for the Kinross based operation at Kelso on Friday with a treble - all three feature in Talking Trainers in OJA. It is a welcome change of fortune for the dual Grand National winning handler who runs Myretown in the Grand National Trial at Haydock Park on Saturday - Russell has won that prize on four occasions. 

I am working for Racing TV at the Merseyside track on Saturday and very much looking forward to it - provided it passes an 8am inspection. With three Graded events amongst a seven race card, it should be an informative and enjoyable afternoon. On the same card in 2012, there were four subsequent Cheltenham Festivals and the first two home in the Grand National at Aintree a couple of months later. If we can repeat that, we are in for a treat.