Two runners in Wetherby handicap hurdle - MORNING UPDATE : MEETING ABANDONED

There are currently 15 runners declared for the 3.00 at Wetherby on Saturday, a 0-135 handicap hurdle over 2m 3½f. Over 25% of the field are trained in Hawick by a man named Whillans. I mean, just who do the family think they are.....Gordon Elliot?

So apart from Brother Ali's two, it is quite rare for us to run two horses in one race, never mind the best two handicap hurdlers in the yard in a Class 3 event. But racing has been badly hit by the weather and we don't hold out much hope for the next week of two so Wetherby on Saturday it is.
Both Eternally Yours and Baby Ticker are coming off the back of very fine runs last time but the one worry is that we've been held back a bit by the freezing conditions at home, so they wouldn't be in quite peak condition.

Blair, Callum and Craig are all at Musselburgh, so Adam Wedge is in the saddle on Eternally Yours while with amateurs sidelined at the moment, Aidan Macdonald takes 7lb off the back of Baby Ticker in place of normal jockey Connor Wood. Nice ride for your gaffer on Friday at Catterick by the way Aidan.
Heavy ground at Wetherby has forced the abandonment of the chase card in which we'd hoped to run Dali Mail, so fingers crossed conditions are okay in the morning to allow racing to proceed.

15 runners, a tight handicap and our pair may have most to fear from in-form horses such as Skelton's Shannon Bridge, Jonjo's Adicci, and Eaton Hill (who looks favourably treated).
The form of Eternally Yours' nose second to Kateson in a Class 2 handicap at Aintree in December is proving to be rock solid. Several winners and/or black type performances have advertised the quality so we're hoping that the interrupted preparation will not hold back our mare here.
Incredibly the 12 year old Baby Ticker has been in the best form of her career this season, and although this is not Ayr (!) we hope she can again produce a thrilling performance.

Oh, and Baby Ticker will sport the rarely spotted stable second colours in this race.

Eternally Yours

 
Baby Ticker

Honda Fifty heads up to Musselburgh

Quite lightly raced for a 7 year old, Honda Fifty makes his handicap hurdle debut in the 3.10 at Musselburgh. He starts off on a fairly reasonable mark of OR102 but this is a 0-115 handicap around a tight track, and there will be more jostling for position than at a Handforth parish meeting (that's one for all you social media fans out there  - ed).
Ideally, he could do with more jumping experience and in addition the last few weeks of poor weather have not allowed perfect preparation. However we hope he can continue his career in an upward spiral with young Blair Campbell again taking off the 3lb. 

Those likely to be in the mix could well be in-form horses such as the Dalgleish pair of Three Castles and Breguet Boy. The last named being a 4 year old with just 3 hurdle runs under his belt but who is a consistent and experienced 75+ rated miler on the level.
Lucinda's Walk In The Park gelding Spark of Madness is bred to be better than shown in just 3 hurdle runs thus far and it would be no surprise to see him contest the finish.
The same could also be said for Kirby's Be The Difference at the foot of the handicap. His runs this season have seen him placed in several notebooks so any market move should be taken as a positive indication of his chance in this race. He looks a winner in waiting at a low level.

 
Honda Fifty (Callum) second from the left