David Massey is fully of the joys this Christmas after a positive few days and he's got some names to consider in the week ahead.
Well, all I can say is, what a week it’s been.
Privileged to see one of the most exciting King Georges in the flesh on Boxing Day and watch The Jukebox Man fulfil all that potential I’d hoped he had ever since I fell for him in the Albert Bartlett. Twice he’s been a Horse To Follow for the year on those lists we’re all asked to write at the start of the season; I feel fully vindicated in having done so. Then, half an hour later, a good friend is part of a partnership that wins the maiden hurdle, and I’m every bit as delighted for him, too. What a great Boxing Day!
There are times when, as someone that travels around a lot looking at racing, it can get a bit - and this sounds so wrong, it’s not meant to be - repetitive. But not recently.
Even the gaff tracks have been a joy to attend, with friends to catch up with I’ve not seen for ages, trainers that haven’t had a winner for a while getting back on the scoresheet and showing what that means to them. Ascot last weekend was wonderful, a crowd that thoroughly enjoyed themselves in their festive jumpers, Kempton was just fantastic and if I have to lay down in front of the diggers Arthur Dent-style then so be it, I’ll get my scruffs on. Essentially, I’ve got my mojo back, along with plantar fasciitis and a back tyre that won’t hold pressure.
January isn’t the busiest of months but I do have a first visit to Musselburgh at the end of it to look forward to, and Kelso won’t be far behind. 2026 will be the year I finally get to visit Redcar and Chelmsford, the last two to tick off in England, and we hope to keep on driving Trackside forward. I hope you enjoy the live comments we do for the Life for the bigger meetings, they’ve thrown up a few nice winners recently.
Coming up this week...
Enough of that, anyway, let’s crack on with trying to find a few winners on this interim week (I refuse to call it Twixmas, Yanks) - it’s a quiet week, but not without interest.
I’ll start at Taunton on Tuesday where the Novices' Handicap Chase at 13:50 has piqued my interest. There’s a few in-form sorts in here, and Nicky Henderson introduces the thrice-raced Dyno Dave, handicapped over hurdles and should do better over fences.
But he’s not the only one; lurking near the foot of the weights is winning pointer Only Gossip, who has been killing time over hurdles and now goes chasing off a plater's mark. It was better here last time out when not beaten far in an admittedly modest contest, and he should be fitter after two runs this season. Price dependant, as ever, but I’m expecting better things from Polly Gundry’s eight-year-old at some point.
Dirty Den - a reminder of an Eastenders Christmas Day past as he dished up Angie’s divorce papers back in 1986 - is worth a look in the last at 15:55. He looked on the way to another win after two runner-up efforts at Chepstow and Exeter this autumn but it was a poor effort at Wincanton last time and one that needs an excuse. Thankfully, there’s a very ready one in the hood he normally wears was missing, but it’s back on here, and so with the useful Harry Atkins on board for this Conditionals event, I can see him bouncing straight back to form.
Uttoxeter on New Year’s Eve is my destination and I’ll be making an appearance working for my friend Tim in the Silver Ring, and with the weather set fair it should be busy.
Early days, but Nick Schofield appears to know what he’s doing in the training department and his Bollin Thou (13:13), well backed twice already this year, is going to land the goods sooner rather than later, you feel; market will once again tell us plenty, no doubt.
The well-named Big Cadillac is going to be well fancied in the maiden hurdle at 13:43, but I’ll forgive Inishcorker a poor run at Haydock last time and concentrate on his second to They Call Me Hugo at Ffos Las the time before, very good form; he might not want the ground to dry out much more, but he’s a winner in waiting, a useful looker. Kenzoko (14:13) caught the eye here last time and for all the handicapper appears to have already factored improvement in today, he’s in the right grade; let’s see the jockey booking, and then I'll decide.
Uttoxeter isn't the only Midlands rodeo in town on NYE, there’s Warwick too, which will be packed to the rafters with revellers, as it always is on this day. I’ve half an eye on Katira Du Mestrivel in the 13:22.
She's clearly well treated on her second to Hollygrove Cha Cha at Fontwell last year but hasn’t reproduced that since and the fact she went off 20/1 at Southwell last time is concerning. However, that Fontwell effort came from the front and she’s been held up in two handicap starts this year, so much so she was totally detached from the main field last time. I’d love to think those front-running tactics will return at some point and then we might see what ability she’s got; maybe it’s here...
Robbie Llewellyn continues to have a good time of it and his Cornish Comedy (13:52) already looks like making up into a better chaser than hurdler after his second at Hereford on his chase debut three weeks ago. The handicapper put him up a couple for it but I don’t think that’s enough, and he’d be my idea of the winner.
Happy New Year to you all! Here’s to all your Lucky 15s being, well, lucky in 2026.
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