Good morning all,
A quiet day again today so the latest of my hidden gems on Britain's racecourses are on the main piece, plus a selection from Southwell that's a big price today.
Open Ditch at Huntingdon
To be fair, it’s not really a hidden one but it would be very remiss of me not to point out one of the great viewing fences that we have on our racecourses.
The Open Ditch is right in front of the stands and gives crowds something to “ooh” and “aah” about when a horse gets it right. Many a horse has stood off the ditch and flown it, giving a real spectacle to those close up to the fence but equally, get it wrong and not only do you hear a great thud as they take off, often having caught the take-off board, but you then see the jockey trying to perform acrobatics to stay on. It’s a fence where you can easily gain or lose four lengths and impetus, and if you get it wrong, you’ve not got that long before the next fence comes up either. A proper test.
The Pantry At Southwell
At the risk of it sounding like an advert, I’ll sing the praises of Southwell’s eatierie The Pantry.
The problem with most racecourses, if you want a sit-down meal, is you’ve not really got much in the way of choice. It tends to be one of two extremes – either sitting down in a restaurant and having a three-course meal, or buying something from the burger vans and finding a bench to park yourself on. Southwell recognized this and came up with the idea of The Pantry.
For a very reasonable sum, you can sit down in decent surroundings and enjoy a hearty meal, often sharing a table with an owner or trainer. Yes, it may be where the owners and trainers all eat but it’s open to all and you can often find yourself chatting to someone that might be able to give you a nugget or two of useful information!
They really have found the right balance with The Pantry and it’s one other courses could do well to follow.
By the way, as I was at Ludlow yesterday I took a couple of shots to show you last week's gems a bit more vividly. Had to be careful taking the first one, for obvious reasons…
Those old-fashioned urinals. Made in Shrewsbury and called “The Adamant” (honestly, not making that up).
On to Southwell today and the only bet I have had so far is in the 2.50 where I have backed Mountain Of Stars e/w with Paddy Power, who are 4 places on the race. He looked well in the paddock for his latest run where he was given no chance but ran a cracker from a terrible draw, only finishing 2l off the winner and right there in the bunch for the places. Had he not stuck to the far rail I think he might well have hit the frame and given that, he's better drawn in stall 9 here. I think he's worth another try today.
Today's selection – Mountain Of Stars (e/w with Paddy Power) 2.50 Southwell
Good luck with all your bets today,
David.