SLANELOUGH (5.40), above, made us wait a long time for his first win over fences but hopefully he can make it back-to-back victories at Perth tonight. We were thrilled to see him win at Ayr last time out, it’s great to have winners at those big meetings. And if he turns up in the same form this evening you’d have to hope everything will fall right again.
We went back to the front-running tactics at Ayr and that’s perfect for a track like Perth, so hopefully he’ll be in the same mood again and we can double his tally of victories!
Two go in the 3m handicap chase at 6.40, HITMAN FRED won at Kelso two starts ago and probably found the trip a bit on the short side going back there next time out. Stepping up again will suit him, it will bring his stamina into play and we’re hopeful he’ll handle the sharp track.
Old yard favourite PURCELL’S BRIDGE will run in this for us and it will probably be his last race at the grand old age of 14. We noticed there was an 18-year-old horse in at Ayr recently but I doubt we’ll keep him going that long!
He’s in great form at home and he’s dropped way down the weights from his peak when he was rated 120. So off a mark of just eighty, you never know, he’s in good order still loving his work, so we’ll let him take his chance and see how he gets on.
SHANBALLY ROSE and ARDGLASS STAR both go in the last at 8.10. Shanbally ran a cracker at Musselburgh back in March but we picked the wrong place for her at Sedgefield next time out because she didn’t like the track there at all. At Newcastle it was an unlucky unseat, as a horse jumped in front of her and she clipped heels with it so there was no chance.
That wasn’t her fault and watching her gallop around loose to finish second was frustrating to watch! Back to a flat, right-handed track will suit her and we’ll see how she gets on.
Ardglass Star brought a frustrating run of non-completions to an end at Newcastle last time out and showed signs of improvement after a wind operation last year. He wouldn’t want too much rain so hopefully the showers are not too bad.
But I’d like to think both of them have an each-way chance in the last.
FAMOUS MOMENT will run tomorrow in the conditionals race at 4.30. He was very keen last time here and didn’t have the speed when they sprinted at the finish. I always think in these races they go a real gallop so we might get away with it over two-and-a-half miles if they go a proper pace.
If it pans out that way and it’s a truer run race, we think he can finish closer. In time he will need three miles but over this trip if things pan out like we hope then he can improve. He’s a nice horse who we feel there is something to come from.