We are back rolling at Exeter tomorrow, followed by a twin attack on the Eider at Newcastle on Saturday
February 20
We hope to be able to get the Barbury wagon rolling again this week-end, following news that the bug, which hit the yard last week and meant we had no runners for four days, has cleared away.
Alan is hoping that normal service will be resumed on Friday, when Mystical Moon is scheduled to run in the opening novice hurdle at Exeter, but the one proviso is that the ground on the Haldon track, presently soft, does not deteriorate further.
Mystical Moon has always been highly-rated at home, and Alan said:”He is a fine, big horse who has taken well to hurdling, and, but for the fact that they went such a slow gallop at Doncaster last time, he might well have won there,
“Here’s hoping they go a much faster pace at Exeter, and the target is for him to finish in the first four as that is the requirement needed if he is to get qualified for the novice championship final at Sandown on the last day of the season.”
It’s a week now since Alan last heard one of the horses cough, and he reports that the equine team, who are looking fresh and well, have been doing faster work this week.
He plans to have five runners on Saturday, being doubly-represented in the Eider Chase at Newcastle with Egbert and Major Dundee. Assessing the pair’s chances, Alan said:”This has been the target for Egbert since he won the Tommy Whittle Chase in December, He is not an easy horse to catch right, but the further they go the better and he just kept on grinding away at Haydock, having been off the bridle a long way from home. The Eider is always a real stamina test, and that will suit Egbert, who will be ridden by Tom Cannon, while we have snapped up Brian Hughes for Major Dundee.
“The Major unseated his rider at the second last in this race last year, and but for that he would definitely have been placed, and he is now on a 5lb lower mark.
“I just hope the ground is not too bad as Major Dundee just could not cope with the bottomless conditions in the Surrey National at Lingfield. However, he did not give himself a hard race, and, like Egbert, he has come out of it fine.”
Our other runner at Gosforth Park is Big Boy Bobby in the handicap hurdle. He made a very pleasing comeback at Kempton over Christmas, having been off the track for more than 20 months. We gave him plenty of time to get over that, and he has been in good form at home.”
Doubtless Alan will be at Kempton, where Blues Singer makes his jumping debut in the Dovecote Novices’ Hurdle and Bamber has his second run in the bumper, having run at Warwick on New Year’s Eve.
Blues Singer, who will be ridden by James Bowen, won his bumper at Kempton on his debut last March and then ran very well when runner-up at Ascot. Forget his third run as he got kicked at the start, and, while this looks a hot race to start him off, Alan justifiably takes the view that it is quite late in the season to risk his novice status in an ordinary maiden.
