It’s nearly upon us again wow the years are getting faster and were all getting a year older but onwards and upwards great time of the year for the racing folk if your going to the track watching it from the pub or just at home nursing a hangover the later for me!! Will be reviewing the racing after Christmas later in the week but need to pay for pressie’s before and have only one fancy  Singlefarmpayment who runs in the big handicap chase in Ascot on Saturday he fell the last day in the race won by Willie Mullins  Total Recall and was looked held were a placing looked the best he’s running of the same 147 mark and i strongly believe he will win one of these chase’s of this mark and we hope it’s Saturday. Just as an FYI hope to have a big price fancy who’s entered up in Limerick on the 26th he’s only entry for the festive period that i see.

Bets: Singlefarmpayment @9/2 Ascot Saturday.

Went to Thurles on Sunday mainly to see our favourite jockey Rachael Blackmore in action it was a cold by dry day which included Killahara Castle winning @200/1 the biggest sp ever recorded on a Irish track but for tote punters who backed him only getting just over 40/1 no good. Just a few observations on the day and yes i know Thurles track is privately owned. On arriving to the track noticed the queue for general admission was nil which was €15 and the concession for AIR card holders OAP’s etc was twenty deep… racecards were €2.80  there was around twenty bookmakers standing and three tote windows opened on the hospitality side of things just get the bad bit out of the way first was told the Ladies toilets were flooded and very slippy but then the bars were full of people from the first race on swanning down pints and fair play to them its Christmas time and people need to enjoy themselves what my point is admission fees need to be slashed or done away with race tracks need to get people in the doors and with facilities not up to scratch your not going to get new people in and keep them coming back, basic things you need on course now is big screen tv so people who want to go into the stand and watch can follow the action closer without the use of binoculars by watching in the bars and restaurants you might as well be at home watching ATR with no hi definition!! Saying that i enjoyed the day out backed two losers Rachael got a few horses into the mix at the business end but no winners and have a lovely cup of tea and was back in Limerick 45 minutes after leaving not so bad.

This weekend we have the International meeting at Cheltenham Fairyhouse on Saturday and both Navan and Thurles on Sunday,we start of with a look at the racing across the pond where the two big races on Saturday are the Caspian Cavier Gold Cup and the Unibet International hurdle the latter is a poor renewal where The New One is vying for favouritism with Melon personally i can’t have The New One so a lay is on the cards, the handicap chase looks tricky with Nicholls throwing 3 darts but the one i’m siding with is the Evan Williams trained Kings Odyssey @ 8/1 is a solid EW selection also on the card is the exciting Apples Shakira who runs in the Juvenile hurdle. Two interesting beginner chases to open the card at Fairyhouse on Saturday followed by a 3 year old maiden looking forward to seeing Percy and Ontheiflist making there debut over hurdles but the handicap hurdle is the interesting one for me as Pride Of Kildare caught the eye the last day and if you see any money for this one follow it in. Navan on Sunday has an informative looking card with a hot looking novice hurdle where Gordan and Willie take each other on with Cracking Smart and Next Destination looks like Mr Elliott is going to have another bumper Sunday and in Thurles going to give the Eddie Cawley trained Flemenstorm another chance after his fall the last day.

Best Bets: Kings Odyssey EW @8/1 Cheltenham 1.55.  Pride Of Kildare EW  Fairyhouse 2.20. Flemenstorm EW Thurles 1.00.

Verdict: Stormy Ireland was the most impressive winner over the weekend winning the 3-Y-O maiden by 58 lenghts will be interesting to see how that form works out in the UK the Cheltenham International meeting was marred with the untimely death of Starchitect who had the Caspian Cavier Gold Cup in the bag, the International Hurdle was won by My Tent Or Yours who got the better of our Lay bet The New One  and Melon who pulled to hard finishing third. Our bets this week were mixed with Kings Odyssey finishing third Pride of Kildare was out for a gallop and Flemenstorm ran poor. Finally on a sad note the passing of senior national hunt handicapper Noel O Brien a good man.

Another busy weekend in front of us on the racing front firstly we have a look across the water at the Newbury card  Saturday with the highlight been the Ladbroke trophy chase were Willie Mullins has the favourite Total Recall he might be well in but not one for me i like Singlefarmpayment running of the same mark who has a run in him already and is a solid EW selection, the exciting Charli Parcs also makes he’s reapperance on the card. The Fightening Fifth Hurdle takes place in Newcastle and it’s non competitive with Buveur Dair a 1/4 shot also on the Newcastle card it’s good to see they have a race called after The French Furze he was some character. The Irish racing is the 2 day winter festival at Fairyhouse with Sunday been a top days racing Saturday has the Easyfix handicap chase where JP has four in it maybe with an eye to christmas so it might be better to follow the money if you see one been backed, I like Benkei in the handicap hurdle with the very impressive Rachael Blackmore on board who gave Dawn Shadow a super ride in Thurles on Thursday teaming up the legend that is Harry Rogers. Sunday we start off with novice hurdle which looks a hot race where Gordan has three including Mengli Khan as favourite one to watch for me the Hattons Grace were at the time of writing Nichlos Canyon is the jolly i’d be in the Apples Jade camp getting the mares allowance and having had a run the Drinmore novice chase Death Duty is a 8/13 shot not one for me at those prices and in the two ultra competitve handicap chase and hurdle have the record button pressed because come christmas lots of winners will come from both.

Bets: Singlefarmpayment EW 7/1,  Benkei EW,  Apples Jade 7/4 WIN.

Verdict: One man stole the headlines this weekend and it was of course Gordan Elliott with his 3 grade one victories with the highlight been our main tip Apples Jade doing the business our other tips Singlefarmpayment was getting into the race when he fell but looked well held by the first two Benkei finished fifth was good to see Rachael Blackmore get into the winners with the tricky but talented Davids Charm in the big Handicap Hurdle for JJ Walsh, Matt Chapman interview with Michael O Leary was gold a must watch if you haven’t seen it. What about Discorama winning the maiden on Saturday at 66/1!!!

Gowran on Saturday see’s Minnellafordollars and Carter McKay class in the maiden hurdle followed by a hot looking novice hurdle with five going to post, Min takes on two in his reappearance chase. Ascot has the Christy 1965 Chase and it looks competative with Smad Place being favourite and the smart looking Defi Du Seuil runs in the Ascot Hurdle. Haydock see’s the Betfair Chase take place the first leg of the million pound bonus i think Betfair’s money is safe as none of these good enough saying that Bristol De Mai looks a solid favourite in a week race where i see Outlander filling the placings. Sunday in Navan the exciting Samcro is out again and the Troytown for me is wide open where Acapella Bourgeois is very short even though he’s switch to Willie’s you think would be a positive as he would have a better gauge on what he’s working with but one to LAY for me, Enjoy the weekend keep warm and check out the merchandise on the website.

Verdict: Carter McKay was not having it his own way when Mortal fell at the last but both well clear and Min showed us he’s in good health, the betfair chase went to Bristol De Mai as i predicted but lot’s of questions still to answer. On Sunday in Navan Acapella Bourgeois came a croper @7/4 could have came down two fences earlier as he walk throught it but the star of the weeekend was Samcro hope he stays right for Gordan who won his fourth Troytown in a row with Mala Beach.

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Some great racing both sides of the pond this weekend with Cheltenham continuing for the next two days and at home back to back Punchestown and Cork Sunday. The highlight for me is the return of Faugheen in Sundays Morgiana Hurdle where he is taking on 4 Campeador Jezki Swamp Fox and Vroom Vroom Mag. Tomorrow’s Punchestown card has a very competitive looking novice chase one not to be missed and in Cork Sunday the return of On The Fringe with Nina back on board interesting he’s out early this year for me the Greatwood Hurdle Sunday were Galway Hurdle winner Tigris River runs is a great ew price @ 14/1 for Joesph O Brien and Barry Geragthy.

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Verdict: The highlight of the weekend was Faugheen of course with Monalee performance in the novice chase a close second but the talking point was Cheltenham and they never seen the rain coming and the ground was a shambles for Saturday and Sundays card’s where our selection got stuck in the mud!!

Six go to post today for the feature at Clonmel Gigginstown have four but it might pay to take a chance on Henry’s Champagne West on his first outing of the year. He finished 3rd first time out last year but it was his first run for his new stable and followed that up with two victories one been a very impressive Thyestes in Gowrn where he ran and jumped the field ragged so @11/4 he’s worth a chance.

Verdict: Champagne West ran bad never looked happy and also jumped bad as did the favouite Balko Des Flos but not taking anything away from the winner Alpha des Obeaux good to see the mouse got a bit of a hair cut and Gordan has 100 winners up already with another 4 timer..