Cairns Capers

Raining Dollars was fifth in Cairns today, but it should be said that he was carrying top weight and was very close to third. As such, especially given that he drew an awful gate and will be much better suited to races over a greater distance as his career progresses, we have every right to look forward to his next outing with optimism...

Next up, Paul Hanaghan is set to ride Blacklister in his debut run in the six-furlong 2:15 at Leicester on Monday. Looking forward to that one, too! And now Perfumer should be running at Kanazawa in a 1500m NAR dirt race on the 9th June as a late entry.

In the meantime, 'Bugatti' is enjoying the attention of a visitor from the UK - my Mum. She was brought up around horses before the Blitz wiped out the family stables in WWII, and has always had a special bond with our four-legged friends and fast motorcycles. It's not difficult to see where Sophie gets her deep love of horses and tomboy spirit from!

Ted Take Two

Raining Dollars (aka 'Ted') will be running in a 950m sprint at Cairns on Saturday. Jo Hassett, the horse's trainer, is giving him another short outing for him to gain experience before stepping up the distance, and when that happens, things should get really exciting...

With Blacklister not running until the Leicester meeting next week, that's all we've got competing at the weekend, as not one of the Japanese nags is up for it. There may be a few next weekend, but I wouldn't bank on it. Interestingly, nothing much has been said about J'ai Un Reve, except he should be better for the race a few days ago. This smacks of the typical 'whatever' attitude that is all too prevalent in JRA circles. If the muscle tone has improved due to the race, as has been suggested, it only highlights how poor the training is between races.

Blacklister Debut

Courtesy West Ilsley Stables

Blacklister (pictured here on the far side, with Gandvik on the left) is due to make his debut in the 5:45 at Chepstow on Saturday the 30th. This is the Class 5 EBF Maiden Stakes over five furlongs, and should be something worth watching, even though this first outing will be mainly for experience. Good luck to all connections! Really looking forward to it...

PS. As a back-up, he has also been booked for the 2:15 at Leicester on the 1st, which is a six furlong race. That extra distance may well suit him better.