CHARLIE HALL 16/1 WINNER IN THE BOOK

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There are winners from the book that give me great pleasure for different reasons. On Saturday at Wetherby one of the featured stables in this years book and in many other previous editions of Jumping Prospects gave its connections the satisfaction of landing the Grade 2 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby.

IRISH CAVALIER featured in the Rebecca Curtis section won at odds of 16/1 (from emp of 20/1).

In the previous weeks edition of the Racing Post Weekender one of the reporters in that particular publication took a swipe at the trainer.

Alistair White-House Jones on Page 3 in the right-hand corner expressed the following opinion.

‘After an awful time last season Rebecca Curtis has her horses back in good nick. (I’m Ok with it so far), but don’t the bookmakers just know it. Her two runners last weekend went off at 9/4 and 11/8, with one successful. The stables entries in the short term will be over-bet and over hyped and, with the new season about to get so much more competitive, a 33% strike rate in September and October can only go one way.’  

I agree the previous season was not one of the best endured by the trainer and her staff. The 2014-15 season however was certainly her best ever with 45 winners on the board. Last season the horses were just not right, mainly due to a bad batch of hay causing problems during September and October and then series of other niggling issues also occurred. One poor season does not make a bad career.

Personally I make the long trip to speak with Rebecca Curtis down in deepest Pembrokeshire each year while traveling usually over 2000 miles to talk with every trainer featured in the book. I don’t know any other racing journalist who would venture on such a marathon trip to talk face to face with 20 trainers. All the featured trainers give me time and their patience while I’m at their stables. I’m very grateful and humbled that they allow me to visit them.

Many of the yards I have been to over the 25 years I’ve produced Jumping Prospects have also experienced good and bad campaigns. It happens to the best of them. Personally I think Mr Jones should put something in his box at the right-hand corner of his weekly rant …perhaps ‘How wrong can I be’.

The Jumping Prospects autumn book has maintained it steady flow of winners since 20th of September with 45 now successful from 150 runners.

Just to say, I’ve been suffering from a chest virus all week and probably should have had a few more winners.

My biggest winner though was the birth at one minute past midnight on Saturday morning of our first Grandchild…Jenson Thomas Forshaw entered the world.

May he have a happy, healthy and prosperous life showered in love from his adoring families.