The latest in an occasional series of desperate letters from ante-post punters to the Racing Post: Mike Strong’s effort in tomorrow’s paper. If I were a betting man - and I am - I’d take pretty short odds that Mike has backed Sir Gino to some tune for the Queen Mother Champion Chase. Nice try, Mike.
December 1, 2025 at 9:23 PM
The latest in an occasional series of desperate letters from ante-post punters to the Racing Post: Mike Strong’s effort in tomorrow’s paper. If I were a betting man - and I am - I’d take pretty short odds that Mike has backed Sir Gino to some tune for the Queen Mother Champion Chase. Nice try, Mike.
Good journalism still exists (part two):
December 1, 2025 at 8:52 AM
Good journalism still exists (part two):
Can’t blame Tizzard at all for thinking in terms of the Champion Hurdle with Alexei, especially after yesterday’s Fighting Fifth only muddied the waters even further. Lightly-raced 5yo, improving fast, strong traveller, effective at Cheltenham, weak division.
November 30, 2025 at 11:09 AM
Can’t blame Tizzard at all for thinking in terms of the Champion Hurdle with Alexei, especially after yesterday’s Fighting Fifth only muddied the waters even further. Lightly-raced 5yo, improving fast, strong traveller, effective at Cheltenham, weak division.
Relevant re Myretown’s chance at Newbury today is this, from Andrew Mount in this week’s RFO. The stable isn’t in great form at all.
November 29, 2025 at 8:41 AM
Relevant re Myretown’s chance at Newbury today is this, from Andrew Mount in this week’s RFO. The stable isn’t in great form at all.
Perhaps it’s just me but if I was a bitcoin investor I’m not certain I’d be too reassured to attend a conference at which I was taught “how to gnaw [my] way through zip ties”.
November 28, 2025 at 9:53 AM
Perhaps it’s just me but if I was a bitcoin investor I’m not certain I’d be too reassured to attend a conference at which I was taught “how to gnaw [my] way through zip ties”.
I’m sick of hearing from the miserable chisellers if I’m honest.
November 27, 2025 at 1:09 PM
I’m sick of hearing from the miserable chisellers if I’m honest.
Panic Attack won’t “technically” be 3lbs well-in at Newbury because of anything to do with who rides her. She’ll “actually” be 3lbs well-in as her OR’s gone from 135 to 142 since the weights came out but she only has a 4lb penalty. Never ceases to amaze me how trainers/journalists get this wrong.
November 26, 2025 at 12:58 PM
Panic Attack won’t “technically” be 3lbs well-in at Newbury because of anything to do with who rides her. She’ll “actually” be 3lbs well-in as her OR’s gone from 135 to 142 since the weights came out but she only has a 4lb penalty. Never ceases to amaze me how trainers/journalists get this wrong.
Pandemic back in the news today. Cheltenham Festival going ahead sure to be mentioned. This is from my blog on 11/03/20. Dorries was (incredibly) a Gov Minister at the time and had just announced she had Covid. If you’re thinking to yourself “I never read his blog “, you’re not alone. Nobody did.
November 20, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Pandemic back in the news today. Cheltenham Festival going ahead sure to be mentioned. This is from my blog on 11/03/20. Dorries was (incredibly) a Gov Minister at the time and had just announced she had Covid. If you’re thinking to yourself “I never read his blog “, you’re not alone. Nobody did.
No, it’s not the race of the season. But it is the first “is this the race of the season?” headline and it’s only November.
November 18, 2025 at 9:22 PM
No, it’s not the race of the season. But it is the first “is this the race of the season?” headline and it’s only November.
Michael O’Leary interview, published on Friday. The words of a man who hasn’t paid to get into a racecourse or experienced being a punter in many, many years. Among many highlights the suggested “veterans’ chase” for horses aged twelve and over is particularly risible. Dearie me.
November 17, 2025 at 9:27 AM
Michael O’Leary interview, published on Friday. The words of a man who hasn’t paid to get into a racecourse or experienced being a punter in many, many years. Among many highlights the suggested “veterans’ chase” for horses aged twelve and over is particularly risible. Dearie me.
Having read the accompanying article and reflected further on the matter, my view is: we’ve heard it all before.
November 17, 2025 at 9:14 AM
Having read the accompanying article and reflected further on the matter, my view is: we’ve heard it all before.
Posted a photo yesterday of Lester Piggott in the silks of Charles St George, owner of many good horses including Ardross and Bruni. I’ve found this which I posted years ago on an online forum about an early (and salutary) betting experience. £8 in 1976 would equal about £55 today. Different times.
November 6, 2025 at 9:58 AM
Posted a photo yesterday of Lester Piggott in the silks of Charles St George, owner of many good horses including Ardross and Bruni. I’ve found this which I posted years ago on an online forum about an early (and salutary) betting experience. £8 in 1976 would equal about £55 today. Different times.
Remembering Lester Piggott on what would have been his 90th birthday. One of the very few sportsmen who can truly be called “great” and “legendary”, he rode thousands of winners from the 1940s to the 1990s and generations of racing fans rightly revere him as the ultimate big-race jockey.
November 5, 2025 at 8:08 AM
Remembering Lester Piggott on what would have been his 90th birthday. One of the very few sportsmen who can truly be called “great” and “legendary”, he rode thousands of winners from the 1940s to the 1990s and generations of racing fans rightly revere him as the ultimate big-race jockey.
It’s not just horses and ponies in the house. This advert for stoves appears in the current edition of Country Life.
November 4, 2025 at 10:13 AM
It’s not just horses and ponies in the house. This advert for stoves appears in the current edition of Country Life.
This is interesting. Well, it is to me. These early-closers all specify penalties for winners “after November 2” - today, a Sunday. It’s always been a Saturday, previously. So, Resplendent Grey, winner today at Carlisle, doesn’t get a penalty but runs at Newbury off what mark? 147? Or a new one?
November 2, 2025 at 10:15 PM
This is interesting. Well, it is to me. These early-closers all specify penalties for winners “after November 2” - today, a Sunday. It’s always been a Saturday, previously. So, Resplendent Grey, winner today at Carlisle, doesn’t get a penalty but runs at Newbury off what mark? 147? Or a new one?
Article is behind a paywall but this is on the Telegraph website this evening.
November 2, 2025 at 9:49 PM
Article is behind a paywall but this is on the Telegraph website this evening.
Promising two-year-old winner for Dylan Cunha at Bath yesterday and very well bought at just 20,000 euros given the excellent pedigree. But it’s to be hoped that punters, commentators and (in particular) on-course bookmakers play the game when pronouncing his name.
October 31, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Promising two-year-old winner for Dylan Cunha at Bath yesterday and very well bought at just 20,000 euros given the excellent pedigree. But it’s to be hoped that punters, commentators and (in particular) on-course bookmakers play the game when pronouncing his name.
Interesting snippet in the Saint-Cloud report from @seenthestars.bsky.social in the Racing Post. Presumably, Wildenstein told O’Brien that he was taking all his horses away even though APOB didn’t train any for him.
October 27, 2025 at 8:13 AM
Interesting snippet in the Saint-Cloud report from @seenthestars.bsky.social in the Racing Post. Presumably, Wildenstein told O’Brien that he was taking all his horses away even though APOB didn’t train any for him.
This is so poor. Bal Kauto won off 109 last time, ridden by Kenneally (claimed 7lbs) and was put up to 117, runs off that today. Same jockey and claim. So, he’s 8lbs higher. “𝐁𝐮𝐭 MK rides again with his 7lb claim” is superfluous, misleading and amounts to double counting. Alistair Jones the culprit.
October 26, 2025 at 12:09 PM
This is so poor. Bal Kauto won off 109 last time, ridden by Kenneally (claimed 7lbs) and was put up to 117, runs off that today. Same jockey and claim. So, he’s 8lbs higher. “𝐁𝐮𝐭 MK rides again with his 7lb claim” is superfluous, misleading and amounts to double counting. Alistair Jones the culprit.
I enjoy NH well enough but struggle a bit with Cheltenham being the principal meeting of the day at this early stage. This used to be a low-key midweek meeting. Prize money’s gone up, fair enough, but it shouldn’t be overshadowing decent fare at Doncaster and Newbury (particularly the G1 tomorrow).
October 24, 2025 at 9:17 AM
I enjoy NH well enough but struggle a bit with Cheltenham being the principal meeting of the day at this early stage. This used to be a low-key midweek meeting. Prize money’s gone up, fair enough, but it shouldn’t be overshadowing decent fare at Doncaster and Newbury (particularly the G1 tomorrow).
Crikey.
October 22, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Crikey.
Jenrick’s ludicrous claims to remember 80s football terraces calls to mind Priti Patel’s Commons speech after Thatcher’s death. “Fully aware” as a young girl in the 1970s of the country’s“disastrous state” in a decade which ended when she was seven. She was six during the “winter of discontent”.
October 18, 2025 at 10:19 AM
Jenrick’s ludicrous claims to remember 80s football terraces calls to mind Priti Patel’s Commons speech after Thatcher’s death. “Fully aware” as a young girl in the 1970s of the country’s“disastrous state” in a decade which ended when she was seven. She was six during the “winter of discontent”.
Great times at the yearling sales at Newmarket this week for vendors, agents, auctioneers and the rest but at least Julian Dollar of Newsells Park is keeping his feet on the ground: “If and when one or two of those players drop out, who’s going to take their place?”
October 11, 2025 at 8:46 AM
Great times at the yearling sales at Newmarket this week for vendors, agents, auctioneers and the rest but at least Julian Dollar of Newsells Park is keeping his feet on the ground: “If and when one or two of those players drop out, who’s going to take their place?”