Tom Roper's Weblog

Kempton non-runner

Un Jour a Vassy doesn't go at Kempton, so I've gone for Mighty Strong instead. But it's not very promising so far; a 40-1 shot, Sunray, won the first Chepstow race I had an interest in.

Old Persean Boxing Day match

Welsh National

Not a bad day at Kempton yesterday: 50% strike rate, though a nerve-wracking win by Strong Flow; he made two bad blunders which would have had a lesser horse beaten. Fondmort fourth in the King George and Lustral de Seuil pulled up.
So to today; dodging around the country, I take Willie Mullin's Hedgehunter for the Welsh National (215 Chepstow over 3m 5f 110yd, good, good to soft ) and in the 110 Juvenile Handicap Hurdle Adopted Hero. At Wetherby in the 300 Handicap Chase i go for Artic Jack and at Kempton in the 205 Chase Un Jour a Vassy.
The Times racing correspondent has been drinking something unusual over Christmas, as he tips Wonder Weasel for the Welsh National, a 33-1 outsider. True, if the ground were bottomless he'd be in his element, but it's hard to see him having any real chance in this field. But "anything can happen at backgammon" (and racing).

Kempton tomorrow

My selections

Selections for the Saturday before Christmas

A less successful Saturday at least on the horse racing front. Exhaustive study of the Racing Post on the train from Brighton up to London on Saturday morning gave me four selections in the top races of the day at Ascot. I did a pretend yankee:  in the 115 Upgrade, one of Pipe’s which always wins when I don’t back it and loses when I do. Ran true to form and came second. In the 145 I went for Nicholls' Ad Hoc, who "gave encouragement up to a point....went well until three out" as the RP's race reader put it; then in the 220 the joint favourite, Mary Reveley’s Overstrand. Gossip claims that Mrs Reveley’s stable is a gambling stable and that there’s no point in backing any of hers when they’re favourite, but I still think Overstrand was the form horse for the race, in spite of the evidence of the result.  "... a long way below form, but a blunder at the last down the far side was probably a factor"  And to finish off, I had the odds-on favourite, Lillium de Cotte, who was pulled up. " Lilium de Cotte was a major disappointment, however, as he was the first in trouble and was pulled up on the turn after weakening very quickly. Nicky Henderson reported that he had been unsuited by the soft ground, but he has handled worse and it would be no surprise if the explanation lay elsewhere"

Perouse wins

Yes, he did it! "Quickened to lead approaching last, easily" said the <a href="http://www.racingpost.co.uk/" target="NewWindow">Racing Post</a>  comments in running.
Shalako and Thesis second and third respectively, but had no chance with winner. Where next? 

Cheltenham December meeting

I am a reformed character and not in any sense a betting man but it is hard to resist Perouse in the 1.10 at Cheltenham this afternoon. He won convincingly at Fontwell on Tuesday, "without extending himself " said the race reader; this will make a third victory in eight days. Main danger I would say is Venetia Williams' Thesis, with Tony McCoy on board.

2003 Varsity Match

An 11-11 draw: Oxford looked very threatening from the start, and spent much of the game in Cambridge's half.
But in the last twenty minute Cambridge suddenly started playing and took the fight to Oxford.
A good time was had by all, I think, including drunken City louts, old men whose playing days are long gone and who can only carp at the efforts of the young men on the field, and over-excited schoolboys.
Attended with a group from my old school.