The horse racing week ahead
Truth be told there isn't much to get excited about early this week. We have no All-Weather racing in the UK at all so it's all about the Jumps and nothing is really grabbing my attention until the end of the week.
Come Friday Newbury hosts a decent card with a couple of Grade Two races, including the Coral Long Distance Hurdle with Marie's Rock likely to line-up against good old Paisley Park. The BetMGM Fighting Fifth Hurdle is the race of the day Saturday up at Newcastle where we should get our first view of Constitution Hill this season. The unbeaten king of the two-mile hurdlers will be very long odds-on as he starts his campaign towards a second Champion Hurdle. We may see Shishkin as well as he is entered in the BetMGM Rehearsal Handicap Chase having refused to race at Ascot last Saturday.
With the British weather having played havoc with the horseracing fixtures through the autumn a complete lack of All-weather racing this week is somewhat surprising. Newcastle are already doing all they can to ensure they can race on Saturday and reportedly fleece covers will be deployed on the course on Tuesday, with sub-zero temperatures forecast for the days in the build-up to Saturday's meeting. It has become noticeably colder here at Triple G Towers and I wouldn't be surprised if we lost a meeting or two as the week goes on if the cold weather really kicks-in. The BHA has already cancelled the three Steeple Chases scheduled to take place at Bangor-on-Dee’s fixture on Saturday due to waterlogging; they will be replaced with two additional Hurdle races to create a six-race card
It looks like a few days to do some Christmas shopping with hopefully a winner or two to be had later in the week to pay for them!
Be lucky