Horse Racing

🐎What is Naturally High’s background?   Naturally High was bred in France and moved to Gary Moore’s yard in 2019 before leaving for  Paddy Butler’s in 2024 🐎Why Naturally High?  An owner I was riding for had an ROR from Paddy Butler and knowing it was a life goal of mine to retrain a race horse, I was put in contact with Paddy who then invited me to the yard to have a look round some boxes. He showed me a couple horses nothing took my eye until he pulled out what he described as “the rolls Royce of the yard”. Paddy pulled him out and said “if it was up to me he’d stay here forever”, his wife looked horrified and said they didn’t keep pets. We all laughed but I could see exactly why he would want the ride for himself. Naturally high, who had run the day before, was pulled up at plumpton with a lack of desire to run. A once successful racehorse now lost his heart in racing. He was striking. Distinctive markings. Large framed and well put together. Athletic form, altho lea...

🐎What is Naturally High’s background?    Naturally High was bred in France and moved to Gary Moore’s yard in 2019 before leaving for  Paddy Butler’s in 2024 🐎Why Naturally High?  An owner I was riding for had an ROR from Paddy Butler, knowing it was a life goal of mine to retrain a race horse, I was put in contact with Paddy who then invited me to the yard to have a look round some boxes. He showed me a couple horses nothing took my eye till he pulled out what he described as “the rolls Royce of the yard”. Paddy pulled him out and said “if it was up to me he’d stay here forever” his wife looked horrified and said they didn’t keep pets. We all laughed but I could see exactly why he would want the ride for himself. Naturally high, run the day before, pulled up at plumpton with a lack of desire to run. A once successful racehorse now lost his heart in racing. He was striking. Distinctive markings. Large framed and well put together. Athletic form, altho lean, clear to...

🐎 First on the card is the Novices Championship Final Handicap Hurdle and my selection in this would be Cannock Park each way. Paul Robson trained Cannock Park has never finished out of the frame across his racing career and put on an impressive display when finishing third in the Grade 1 Formby Novices Hurdle at Aintree on just his second hurdling start. Favour and Fortune ahead of him in second consolidated this form when winning the Coral Scottish Champion Hurdle last Saturday and winner Jango Baie finished just 1/2 length behind Personal Ambition in the Bet365 Premier Novices Hurdle at Kelso before finishing 1 length behind Kateria last time out in the William Hill Handicap Hurdle. Cannock Park, like his old rival in Jango Baie, finished behind Personal Ambition when a highly respectable third to Personal Ambition, only 2 lengths away from him.   He was last seen a month ago finishing 1/2 length second to the progressive Goodwin at Newbury and I expect much more to come from t...

The Cheltenham festival starts with the perfect opportunity for Annie Power’s Mystical Power to seize his first Grade one win. This likeable gelding began his racing career with a win in a National Hunt Flat race at Ballinrobe before subsequently winning on hurdling debut, comfortably by 7 lengths at Galway. He then went to the Grade 2 Skybet Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle at Punchestown at which he won the race in a similar style to his previous start, by 7 lengths. Both hurdle wins have been on soft ground and although lacking experience in comparison to his contenders, I’d expect him to be a Cheltenham natural in the same way his dam was. Mark Walsh takes the ride for the extremely in form Willie Mullins and Mystical Power wears a first time hood. Kim Bailey trained Chianti Classico is the one for me in the Ultima Handicap Chase. Starting off his racing career in a point to point, he won the race when beating his rival in the highly respectable Stumptown, by 2 1/2 length...

🐎The listed mares hurdle sees a 5 runner contest that features the highly respected You Wear It Well who will be expected to put on another magnificent performance, however there is another eye-catching mare that should give all of her rivals a good battle, and that is the progressive Windtothelightning . Windtothelightning is a young mare trained by Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero for owners G C Myddleton and V E C Taylor and her form reads 3111314. She has seen victories in the form of a 12 length win at Sedgefield, a 9 length win at Wetherby, a 5 length win at Wetherby and a close finish with the respected Ruby Island. She finished 3rd out of 17 runners at Cheltenham, only 1 1/2 length of the winner in Malaita, and 4th out of 10 runners at Cheltenham in December when looking like the winner a long way out before hitting the front too early and short of room on the run in. She is a tough, honest mare who will give this race her all and her strong, big build means she is...

🐎 My selection for the 12:55 Novices Hurdle is the talented youngster Making Headway , trained by Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero for owner Malcolm Jones. This talented youngster won a point to point before winning on his debut under rules in a hurdle race at Carlisle. This race was over 2 mile 1, and on ground described as heavy. He beat the respected To Chase A Dream by 3/4 lengths, with the front pair pulling clear of the rest. He then went to a Grade 2 race at Haydock, in which he travelled strongly and jumped with fluency throughout, only to be beaten a length by Kamsinas for Fergal O’Brien. 13 lengths behind Making Headway was I Love My Baie, who won next time out at Ayr, and Rich Spirit who won next time out at Catterick. Next for Making Headway was the Grade 1 Formby Novices Hurdle at Aintree, in which he was held up in rear throughout but stayed on to finish fourth, just pipped for third, behind the winner Jango Baie. He now drops down in class and returns to heavy ...