MAKE GAINS WITH GOULANES

What a few days it has been. Chookie Royale's runaway victory in the Lady Wulfruna Stakes at Wolverhampton and Baltimore Rock's victory in the Imperial Cup at Sandown led us nicely into the cauldron that is the Cheltenham Festival. I couldn't do the sensational 4 days of actions justice in a brief paragraph, so I'm going to do that at a later date. Now, I'm going to focus on today's racing at Uttoxeter and Kempton or as I like to call it, the "Calm After The Storm Raceday".

The main race today is the Midlands Grand National, where GOULANES must go close. Racing off a nice weight, due to Harry Topper having to live with the burden of carrying a monster weight of 11-12, he would have a great chance if re-capturing the form he showed on his first few runs in Britain last year. His trainer has won the last three renewals of the race so that bodes well for him, he surely has a big chance if he stays.

Goulanes- Richard Johnson has hopefully picked up a nice spare today.

Another who I think should go well today is the currently jockey-less ARE YA RIGHT CHIEF. It seems interesting that Willie Mullins is running him in a race such as this and is another who benefits from Harry Topper running in that he carries a very low weight. Has been running fairly well of late, another solid run is expected.

Single figure aged horses have won lots of renewals of this and lightly raced horses also do well (the last four winners of the race have all had less than 16 runs, which is not many in the grand scheme of things.) Both my selections fit that bill.

Other Uttoxeter Races-

2:40- Quite a tricky race this, lots of horses with good chances. I've opted for the very consistent KRIS CROSS, who has been recording plenty of decent placed efforts recently. 7 year-olds have won the last 3 running's of this race which is also in his favour. Main dangers are Dare To Endeavour and Lamb or Cod.

3:15- If IRISH BUCCANEER can overcome his lengthy absence, he should be too good for these. He has form on the ground plus his head second to Ascot Listed Handicap Hurdle winner Pine Creek in a Leicester novices' hurdle suggest he is very well handicapped off a mark of 122. The only worry is the absence.

5:35- Rebecca Curtis's strike rate at Uttoxeter is something to be admired (9-29, 31%) and she runs RELENTLESS DREAMER in the concluding race, the bumper. 5 year old Irish bred's have won the last 4 renewals of the race and useful claimer Paul O'Brien takes a valuable 7 pounds off. Could run well at a price, Fletchers Flyer, Relic Rock and Some Plan all need to be respected as well.

Kempton hold a clever race meeting today as it gives horses who didn't quite make Cheltenham for whatever reason a chance to shine. Plenty of entries at the 5-day stage in the main two races have been whittled down to today's fields and its the two main races which will be previewed.

2:55- A horse who I've always liked after I backed her when she won the Mares' Bumper at the Grand National meeting at Aintree, LEGACY GOLD has done very well since transferring to David Pipe's yard, unbeaten in 3 starts over hurdles, Tom Scudamore has opted to ride her over stablemate Prideofthecastle. Portway Flyer rates the main danger in my opinion, but my selection has a big chance.

Legacy Gold (dark blue) in her Stuart Crawford days winning at Aintree.

3:30- THE ROMFORD PELE is a horse who has run in some very decent Novice Chase's this season, being far from disgraced behind the likes of Taquin de Seuil, Oscar Whisky, Wonderful Charm and Balder Succes. He could have had more of a challenger by running in a race at Cheltenham, but instead goes for this far easier affair. Another big chance.

The Six Nations concludes today and its seems as though the trophy is destined for Dublin or Paris, unless England completely destroy Italy.

Six Nations Selections- England, Wales, Ireland.

Cheltenham review to come soon.

Have a good weekend.

Happy Punting!