Dali Mail runs at Ayr on Sunday

Just the one runner from Dodlands on Sunday at Ayr, as Dali Mail takes on 4 opponents in the extended 2 mile novice chase.

Dali Mail attempts to follow up his victory at Newcastle and carries a 6lb penalty here for that success. There are two other previous chase winners in the field from the powerful yards of Lucinda Russell (Saint Freule) and Gordon Elliott (the mare Isle of Destiny).
Like our lad, Glinger Flame was making his chase debut in the Newcastle race and finished a couple of lengths behind Dali Mail. With a 6lb swing in the weights, he'll come into the reckoning.
Mike Smith's Farran Dancer makes up the field.

Recent stable form is a little cause for concern, so care is advised if contemplating taking short odds about our gelding. However, Dali Mail is going quite well at home and would have a strong chance if repeating the form of his debut chase win. Callum takes the ride.

Best of luck to Nicola & John Mackin and cohorts of The Zidane Partnership.

Paper Roses & Stainsby Girl in at Newcastle on Monday

At the time of writing, the final list of runners and riders is not yet confirmed (~ 10am Sunday) but both Paper Roses and Stainsby Girl will run on Monday afternoon at Newcastle.

The pair did their final piece of preparatory work on Saturday morning and their respective work riders (Garry & Kingy) reported back that they were happy.

Stainsby Girl had finished twice this season in mares novices hurdles over 2 miles, and is stepped up to 2m 4f in a similar event on Monday. She has shown progressive form, but there are 5 or 6 potential opponents with better records in the book, so she could run well and miss out on the frame.

Paper Roses will run in the 2 mile novices handicap hurdle which immediately follows on from Stainsby Girl's race. Since finishing slightly lame at Kelso in November, Paper Roses has been receiving treatment and she has been sound for several weeks now.
To be fully competitive, you'd imagine that Paper Roses would have to be back to her very best form of a couple of seasons ago.

Callum takes both rides, and good luck to all connections. 

Paper Roses (Connor) and Stainsby Girl (Callum)

Meanwhile, on the gallops....

Lots of weekend work riders down at the yard on Saturday morning and the string were covered in two lots. Sunday and Monday runners were part of the first lot which were on the gallops just as dawn was breaking.

Lot 2 was a mixed bag of young horses, experienced types returning from a short break and a couple doing brisker work with a run in mind.
Keyboard Gangster (Kingy), Bonny Houxty (Ollie) and 'Stolen Money' (Garry) were the trio who did a piece of faster work second time up.

Saturday morning Lot 2

In the last couple of weeks, a couple of horses have made an appearance on the gallops for the first time this season.

Bill Aitchison's home-bred mare Bonny Houxty was in training here in the Spring and ran 5th in a Hexham bumper. She has been in pre-training for several weeks before re-joining the yard a couple of weeks ago and so is fairly fit. In the above photo , she can be spotted second in line with an Orange Ollie.
A hurdling debut won't be far away.

The first of the 4 year olds to come into full training at Dodlands this season has been The Beswick Brother's Frammassone gelding. Much like Bonny Houxty, he has been in pre-training after initial education . A strong, tough gelding he is absolutely devouring his work - as well as anything else he finds in his trough - and it's great to see this promising youngster in the yard.

The young Frammassone gelding (Callum, riding John Wayne style!)