http://www.sopl.info/files/tom/season12 ... cweek4.zip

Thanks to Neil, Ryan and Pete.

Some cracking races this week.

well what can i say about that??!!!

appaling nhc week for me, more near last than first.

Star of the week - Livealittle. Unbeatable over 2m4f, thats 3 from 3 over that distance!!

Mandango Fandango pulling up hurt alot!!

YES! My first NH winner!!!

Al Sylah - Was off a low mark in a handicap, but the way she pulled away from the field after 3m6 when between the last and finish line points at lots of races still in her, potential crack at national as she jumped well throughout apart from a slow jump 2 out (without this perhaps even more impressive). Definately one to keep on side in handicaps. The rest, bullet please...

My first winner this year and second ever in NH as Black Jack Ketchum won the 2m 7f handicap. I thought he was my best horse so glad he proved me right.

Im through 8 Races and couldn't have a bigger smile on my face, full write up later on!

Well.....two 1st's two 2nd's three 3rd's and 2 4th's plus some others......Incredible week, just beaming right now....Really cannot wait till cheltenham! But FIRM ground next week one good thing about having flat horses as jumpers is most of mine enjoy firm!!

Turbo Charged: 1st/8....After the disappointment of diamonds, this has put a massive smile on my face. My champion sprinter has done them over the jumps! The firm ground played a massive part...sorry guys firm ground played a part but firm ground at sandown next week for the listed juv hurdle could see a double up!

Noble Milan: 1st/14...Speechless...WOW...Just won the Hennessey!!! Great performance...Denmanesque until the last blunder but kept on!! Now have a dilemma to see who goes to cheltenham either Noble or Little Milan but Im strongly leaning towards the Welsh National with no other option till the letheby & christopher chase!

Vivella: 2nd/7...Great race, congratulations to LAMI with his winner, very well deserved 2m7f was that 1 furlong too far but still pleased and goes to the maiden hurdle at sandown over 2m5f with the favoured firm ground.

Orangina 2nd/7...Good run, first two were well clear....The Viper looks very decent though. Will go to the Xcountry at Sandown (is that correct lol!) over again preferable firmer ground

PlayThroughThePain: 3rd/9....Shame about the amount of fallers, completely blundered his way round and still got 3rd, very pleased! Again will go to sandown and firmer ground again!!

Electrolyser: 3rd/12....Is better than DiamondsInTheStars at home and finally showed class today, well done to fixit, that horse has looked good for weeks and will be a tough force to face in coming weeks! Will go to boylesports chase at cheltenham but expecting 2m5 to be to far...

Dubya: 3rd/7....Very pleased considering had no pace and needs much further will go to kelso next week over preferred 3m5f

Little Milan 4th/13....Unbelievable round of jumping, not one mistake...deserved to go closer but need's 3m2/3f and whether he will get it in the coming weeks i'm unsure, have no chasers over 3m so may stay at 3 considering the success of Noble Milan.

Babucon 4th/8: Game run, infront most of the way and just got tired....Well done Liam!! very impressive performance despite being out of the handicap, good luck with a national campaign!

Rescue Operation 5th/6th: Never thought much and will go back over fences.

Diamonds In The Stars 6th/16: Huge run giving 4lb+ away all round, Impressive win from thattinger and I respect the trainer massively on his performers last year and this year....Cannot wait to get on level terms with everyone again as on level terms it will be very hard to get past him hoping for this next week at punchestown in the grade 1.

Sarafina: 7/12: really disappointed as looked really good in trials!! Not sure what to do now...

Sanotiers 8/13...My week 1 hero has turned to a zero!!! Possibly took on the pace too early. Will head to cheltenham next week.

at last got my 1st 2 winners this season......

Blue Sky.i expected this one to go close just got up in last stride

Green Park..out of the blue as it had run very badly up til now

Ruissec..Stayed on well over last 2 to run a decent 2nd over too short a trip will get better with distance...

Great Pamela..Ran well to finish 5th in the Hen..will drop it a couple of furls from now on as 3m seems her trip

mixture from the rest....

Welll done all winners & placers

LR

BINGO first winner in the NHC Nevada Pegasus all be it it in a lowly restricted hurdle picked up the course record in the process... so well chuffed, the rest not so good although Clerk of The Court in the 3m Novices Chase, could maybe of sneaked better then 3rd when 2nd place Not Even One, just cut him off almost to a stand still just a furlong out... Ryan that'll make up for "My Lords Varnish" LOL ...

Well done all winners and finally a enjoyable NH week for me.

Wow what can i say SHOCKING week, from clearing up last week to having just has many fallers this week. Thats why this league is the best by far out the 3. So much drama in every single race from the G1's to the restricted races. I just dont get any enjoyment out of flat racing period, am like Paul i just love my jumps racing.

Just want to congrats all the winners and placers this week, Big shout out to Fixit well done pal. You had a sick week.

Rich when do we ever see FIRM ground over the jumps in the winter, in real life most trainers wouldn't even run there horses over it. Surely the ground is going to get Softer soon. lol.

I hope so too Hemz, all mine need a bit of give! All I can think of is frosted ground...should defrost soon

Will be keeping my fingers crossed for alittle sunshine then Rich ha. We must be having one of the coldest winter's on record.

OMG!!!

My ambition this season was to win a grade or group 1 race. I`m stunned. Just watched the races and everything started off normal with a 4th and a faller then I`m on the edge of my seat when Historic Trends takes it up at the last in the Betfair Chase. Couldn`t believe it, we`ve won a grade 1 chase! Bet we`ll never see odds of 500/1 again when 5th in her maiden. Great week and the beer started flowing after that.

Back to normal with a 3rd in the Fixed Brush Hurdle with Giant Vanilla, not bad at the weights but looking for a replacement as he certainly isn`t Cheltenham material.

Very dissappointed with Twirling Wyer, impressive winner last week but another fall doesn`t look good, FF1F, oh dear!

Go Bogy very, very dissappointing! Was expecting a lot but it`s back to the drawing board.

Then what seems to be my stable star Quibbler John jumped brilliantly and with a little luck on his side wins me another grade 1, unbelievable, can only wonder what might have been in the Paddy Power last week as that was the target after been robbed last season. This more than made up for that.

Campaign Cake was the icing on the cake (pardon the pun), fought very hard for the win after looking cooked and 3rd best. Knew he was a real battler but don`t think I`ll ever forget that. These grade 1`s are like busses, don`t see one for ages then they all come at once. Still I think the result would have been very different if Ryans Mandango Fandango hadn`t pulled up, commiserations on that but Livealittle surely made up for it.

Speaking of Livealittle`s race, Passing Story might not have won but could have had a better race and may have been placed. Was travelling well as usuall but just as the race was hotting up we got caught on the rail behind the weakening Katerino ending up in last place with way too much to do.

Ben Brittan didn`t jump well and it cost him any chance. I know he`s decent but still have no idea what his best distance is. Will just keep plugging on with him but thinking I should avoid stiff fences so Cheltenham may be out of the question.

Thanks Hemz and nick. And well done to all winners and placers especially Anadin, LAMI and Liam`Barry Dennis`, I remember how that felt.

If I could give you all a drink right now I would! On cloud nine. Keep thinking it`s downhill from here but will be playing hard to make sure that `s not so. New ambition - a Cheltenham/Aintree winner.

I'm starting to warm to the NHC at this point as more than a few of my stable are starting to live up to expectations. With a few better ones to come in I'm hopeful for the next few weeks:

Race3: Nyphadora 2nd. Travelled well throughout and almost pulled off a massive shock in the Betfair Chase. Was entered as an afterthought to be honest and I will be upgrading plans for her after this good showing.

Race 5: Mistress Aurora 5th. Slightly disappointing but not a bad run and possible better over a slightly longer trip

Race 6: Guns of Navarone 3rd. Was never going to win but best run to date. Will keep in stable as I have nothing better to bring in

Race 7: Heroic Allie 9th. Far from heroic in any run so far. Will be retired

Race 10 Double D 4th. Never looked like winning but happy with 4th as she does not really like the course.

Race 12 Simon De Montfort 3rd. Probably more happy with this run than my 2 winners. Run on really well after a bad mistake at the second last. Possibly a Gold Cup contender on this showing.

Race 13 Double One 1st. Looked the winner a long way out and has lived up to all my expectations so far. Limited opportunities at 3m for next few weeks

Race 14 Long Way To Go 11th of 11. Beyond poor. And I somehow missed him when doing retirements

Race 15 Draco Malfoy 2nd. Pleasing debut though he was given too much to do to catch the winner. One to watch in future runs

Race 17 The Viper 1st. Thought he was a 2m5f horse after trials and did not have him pegged as a a stayer until I put him in a 3m5f race to make up numbers. Looks really good on this showing and will have to revisit his targets for sure.

Race 18 : Memphis Dee 2nd. Runner Up yet again but pleased enough as she does not really get 3m.

Congrats to all winners this week!

How many runs does a horse need to have had to get into a NH handicap race?



Matt

Never seen so many F's next to my horses. What a bad week. I think out of 11 runs i only had 3/4 finishers. Got a winner in Eighteen Carrot Love Affair who actually won his 3, 2 in quicker time than the Hennessy, so she looks promising. Kicking myself for going for Butler (yup, faller)