Wednesday 29 January

This will take a few by surprise - sorry about that!! Dawn Commander will be entered for 4 races today!!! Told you!! Let me explain - due to all the wet weather we are having - STUART PUT THE FXXCKING CARAVAN AWAY!!! - The BHA, yesterday afternoon, announced an extra card at Kempton on Friday. The fixture is made up of 6 National Hunt Flat Races - One genuine bumper for horses who have not run on the flat, over hurdles or fences, and five Jumpers Bumpers, for horses that already have form over obstacles. DC is eligible for 4 of them, and as it is free entry he has been popped in them all! We have entered him for a number of reasons - firstly - it will blow away the cobwebs after a brief rest this winter - secondly it will give us a great opportunity to learn a bit about him at the races, and see how he reacts to a day away from the yard - thirdly, he will run on a decent surface, which he will not get if he were to run on turf over hurdles at the moment - and lastly, it will put him spot on for his return to hurdles in the middle of next month. All in all it looks an ideal day to make a start, and all being well he will make the short trip to the Sunbury track. Colebrooke will hopefully go to the same neck of the woods on Saturday. If Mr Nicholls decides not to run top weight Saphir Du Rheu in the Grade 3 handicap hurdle, Colebrooke will take his chance. He schooled over hurdles this morning, and after being a bit big at the first, soon levelled out and schooled very well. He will be off a very low weight, in a race that is hardly stacked full of improvers (including him) which will be a great help. This race has come up as a weak renewal - there are usually 13+ runners, but this year it has attracted just 13 entries, and with some trainers doubley represented, and plenty with other options it looks like cutting up. Colebrooke has lots to prove, but a mark of 120 is 1lb below his last winning mark (Chase), achieved off a low weight on heavy ground against a horse that has won his next 2 - so he deserves to take his chance!! let's hope Mr Nicholls goes elsewhere!! Benefit Cut will also have an entry today - he will be put in a novice handicap chase in Market Rasen, and we will have a look and see what the opposition and ground look like after the weekend. He has come out of his last race in great order!