PERTH’S late September meeting always feels like the changing of the seasons, with the summer game coming to an end and the winter stuff starting properly. As ever, it all goes so fast with it only feeling like a few weeks ago Seven Eye Bridge won at their April opener!
Since then we have enjoyed a hat-trick with Hitman Fred and another victory for Slanelough - so Perth has been a really happy hunting ground for us from a small number of runners in 2021.
We have two declared over the next couple of days. SHANBALLY ROSE (5.20 Wednesday) and then PERMISSION GRANTED (5.20 Thursday) will both be heading north trying to get another couple on the board.
Shanbally’s best run of her career with us came at Musselburgh, right-handed over 2m4f so we have targeted this race for her for a while. We’re hopeful the track will suit, although we are disappointed the going has gone soft because I reckon she’d like better ground. Hopefully we will get away with it with her and she'll get through it.
She’s not had a run for a while but has done plenty of work at home and we think she’s fit enough to run well. That's her in the video above following round Permission Granted in the indoor school.
The rain staying away will also be crucial for him on Thursday. Again, we have had this race in mind for a while and knew before we went to Cartmel that left-handed tracks probably were not for him and so it proved. Going the other way at Perth over three miles is right up his street.
We think all boxes are ticked for our pair, the trip, the track and the marks they’re on are all in their favour - but if we're going to get another win, or even two, we’ll need a bit of luck with the conditions.