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Monday 20th February

Seven winners in just over 48 hours took our score to for the season to 123 on Saturday at a rewarding strike rate of 29%.

With the ground drying up by the day around the country I’m having to pick and choose where to have runners but I’m still hopeful that we can reach my target of 125 by the end of this month.
A four timer on Saturday certainly kept the scoreboard busy with Irish Hill winning handsomely at Ascot, Makin’yourmindup coming out on top in a tight finish at Haydock and Flic Ou Voyou and Switch Hitter both successful at Wincanton.
In addition I was proud of Pic D’Orhy who ran a blinder in finishing second to Shiskin in the Grade 1 Betfair Chase at Ascot. I’d say it was a career best by our horse who I’ll keep fresh for Aintree before a crack at the Oaksey Chase at Sandown.
Irish Hill looked classy in landing the Class 2 handicap handicap hurdle at Ascot with something to spare and stable mate Samarrive a pleasing third. Irish Hill will have an entry at Cheltenham in the Martin Pipe and Coral Cup while Samarrive might go for the Imperial Cup.
At Haydock it was good to see Makin’yourmindup turn the tables on Collectors Item in the Grade 2 Albert Bartlett Novice Hurdle.
One who ran below par at Haydock was Afadil who failed to shine in the Victor Ludorum Hurdle. I blame myself for turning him again too quickly after his stylish success at Musselburgh though he needed a third run to qualify for the Boodles Hurdle at Cheltenham. I’ve now got 3 weeks to freshen him for the Festival.
Bryony Frost was the star of the day at Wincanton where she landed a double for the yard on Flic Ou Voyou and Switch Hitter before completing her treble on Press Your Luck trained by Chris Gordon.
Knappers Hill ran very well again in finishing second to I Like To Move It in the Kingwell Hurdle. He is so consistent, probably wants further than two miles now and will be jumping fences next season. If we have another dry week he might just have an entry in the National Spirit Hurdle at Fontwell on Sunday.
On Thursday Beau Balko and Broken Halo were both on the mark at Sandown and a day later Secret Investor justified the long journey North with a decisive victory in the Hunter Chase at Kelso. He was given a fine ride by our talented young amateur Charlie Sprake who was gaining his first success for us since joining Team Ditcheat at the start of the season.
Secret Investor is now qualified for the Foxhunter at Cheltenham where he will be ridden by Natalie Parker who won on him at Bangor a week earlier before suffering from concussion in a fall a few days later.
We will have 6 runners at Taunton on Tuesday before taking a strong squad to Kempton on Saturday including Rubaud in the Dovecote, Rare Middleton in the Adonis, either Solo or Cap Du Mathan in the Pendil and Frodon, Saint Calvados and Enrilo in the £150,000 Coral Handicap Chase.
For all the latest news on my Saturday runners please do check out my Betfair column which goes live early on Friday afternoon.

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Monday 13th February

We suffered from a touch of seconditis over the weekend with five horses finishing in the slot for the runner at Newbury on Saturday and Exeter on Sunday.

Our team continues to look great in their coats and run very well at a notable strike rate and we don’t have a sick horse in either of our yards. But there is no denying that one or two of ours have completely underperformed.
I’ve noticed that the ones to run below par have done so about a month or six weeks after their mid winter flu jabs. While it didn’t happen in the past several definitely didn’t run up to anything like their form twelve months ago and a couple have done the same this time, in particular Toothless at Musselburgh nine days ago.
What’s interesting is that this doesn’t just apply to our horses because a number of runners are underperforming for other yards too.
Whatever the reason I’m sure they will bounce back and be flying again in a couple of weeks.
We got off to a poor start on a frustrating day at Newbury with McFabulous pulled up by Harry Cobden at halfway. When he was tested afterwards he was found to have an irregular heartbeat which obviously explains his performance. I have no idea why it happened because he’d been in fine form at home all week.
Barbados Buck’s finished second in the long distance handicap hurdle and Hitman was also runner up in the Betfair Denman Chase. I thought he ran well in chasing home course specialist Zanza who provided Philip Hobbs with the 3,000th winner of his career which is a tremendous achievement.
The race was run at a scorching pace in a record time. In hindsight the front three took each other on from the start and Hitman probably paid for this exertions late on. He also had a little bleed afterwards, just as he had done after his previous race in the King George at Kempton.
We will freshen him up at home and probably bring him back in trip for the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham.
Greaneteen then ran below expectations in the Game Spirit Chase. It’s strange how he doesn’t seem to perform up to his best at this time of year. He was below par in the same race two years ago before going to the Champion Chase and running a blinder to finish fourth.
He was flat out at Newbury the whole way and didn’t jump well going down the back straight. I recall that he had a leg injury earlier in his career, after which he was fired, and I suspect he wouldn’t let himself down on the fast ground on Saturday, I’ve also left plenty to work on. Greaneteen has achieved so much for Team Ditcheat and the plan is to take him to Cheltenham again for the two mile chase then Sandown.
I was hoping for a big run from Rubaud in the Betfair Hurdle but he was way too keen in the first mile and paid for it later. He will probably head to the Dovecote Hurdle at Kempton in a fortnight.
We had two more seconds at Exeter on Sunday but Sabrina and the newcomer Banteer both ran very well in defeat and we started the day with the pleasing victory of Cap Du Mathan who beat a strongly fancied rival Lac Du Constance , he may now go for the Pendil at Kempton.
Earlier in the week Holetown Hero won nicely at Taunton on Tuesday. On the same day Hugos New Horse qualified for the EBF Final at Sandown next month with a game victory under a penalty at Market Rasen.
Two days later the much improved Sonigino gained his third success of the campaign from the front in a competitive handicap hurdle at Huntingdon. He is likely to be part of our squad at Aintree in April.
On Friday Secret Investor gained his first success at Bangor since going hunter chasing. He was well ridden by one of my assistants Natalie Parker and he could be out again at Kelso on Friday in a bid to secure their qualification for the Foxhunter at Cheltenham where he would have an outside chance.
Secret Investor was a useful staying handicapper at his peak but is older now, has had quite a few issues and hopefully this discipline will give him a new lease of life if he stays sound .
We will be fairly quiet in the first half of this week before taking a number of runners on Saturday to Haydock, Ascot and Wincanton where Knappers Hill goes for the Kingwell Hurdle on the good ground that he enjoys.
Our smart four year old Afadil will be entered at Haydock for the Victor Ludorum and Makin’yourmindup has a entry in the Albert Bartlett Hurdle. Pic d’Orhy goes to Ascot for the Betfair Chase and will be joined by either Danny Kirwan or Enrilo in the three mile Swinley Handicap Chase.
In addition Irish Hill probably runs in a £50,000 handicap hurdle and I’m looking forward to starting a nice type Jennywise in the fillies bumper.
For all the up to date news on my Saturday runners please be sure to read my Betfair column which goes live early on Friday afternoon.

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Monday 6th February

The victory of my daughter Olive on Viroflay in the Coronation Cup at Larkhill on Sunday capped another fine weekend for Team Ditcheat.

I was watching on TV at Larkhill as Afadil won the Scottish Triumph Hurdle Trial at Musselburgh before it was the turn of Olive to shine on Viroflay in one of the season’s Point-to-Point Classics.
Afadil could be a very interesting horse, he’s got it all as he travelled, jumped and won nicely despite not doing a tap in front. Harry Cobden Said he was as green as grass and started pulling himself up once in the lead.
There is lots more to come from Afadil who is a bit like Zarkandar in that we just would know what he has got in the tank. while nothing is set in stone I’m tempted to take him straight to Cheltenham for the Triumph Hurdle as its getting tight enough for a 3rd run to qualify for the Fred Winter .
Half Dozen and Quel Destin got us off to a good start to the week at Hereford and Lingfield before Lime Avenue won her novice hurdle at Wincanton in the style of a smart mare. I’m sure she can be even better once she has surgery in the summer to sort out an issue with her breathing .
Twin Power and Inthewaterside then recorded a double for the yard at Sandown on Saturday. Twin Power has been a bit of a slow burner, is now maturing mentally and physically and I was very pleased with the way he won his novice handicap hurdle. He heads straight to the EBF final at Sandown in five week’s time.
The hurdles track on Saturday was tacky and Inthewaterside enjoyed the conditions more than Wrappedupinmay who finished third to him in the bumper. The winner is obviously very smart and I will not be losing any sleep about Wrappedupinmay, a lovely prospect who will not run again this season. He was bought to be a chaser and will go hurdling in the autumn.
Jet of Magic and Iliko D’Olivate both did well in their races but Monmiral will switch back to hurdles for the rest of the season after getting outpaced in the Scilly Isles Novice Chase. He was flat out all the way and needs three miles now, so we will keep him as a novice when he reverts to chasing next season.
Dolos unfortunately underperformed in the race named after him. He never seemed comfortable after an early mistake and had a little bleed afterwards. He will be back.
Outlaw Peter ran well in finishing second over three miles at Musselburgh. He could be a handy horse to take to Aintree in a three mile handicap this spring.
Truckers Lodge ran another solid race in finishing fifth in the Edinburgh National ahead of another crack at the Midlands Grand National.
We will have plenty of runners through this week before we take a strong team to Newbury on Saturday including Greaneteen in the Game Spirit, Hitman in the Denman, McFabulous in the novice chase and both Rubaud and Hacker Des Places in the Betfair Hurdle.
Then on Sunday we expect to be busy again at Exeter.
For all the latest news on my runners on Saturday please be sure to check out my Betfair column which goes live early on Friday afternoon.

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