2 January: This Post has been updated with the latest results – a 34 -1 treble!!! -ED
W.J., our resident racing correspondent ,writes. .
B.B.S.S. and Forgive us our Christmases for those who Christmas against us. This might well be Winterborne Longjohns’ Festive message, for he is once again is forced to camp out while having his ceiling repainted for the third time in as many years, which, as he says , does concentrate the mind wonderfully.
To Ascot, in fact on Saturday, where he hopes to see Harry Fry’s (20 Winners from 74 Runners and a strike rate of just over 27 percent), ACTIVIAL win the Ladbroke Hurdle at the end of the afternoon having been backed down from 14/1 to his present market position of 5/1 favourite over the past forty eight hours.This yard seems to be attracting the attention of some serious heavy bettors at the moment. So if you follow the money its best to follow Harry ! Do remember that this horse was first tipped to the readers of this column in October. Maybe though a saver on SHELFORD, trained and ridden by Dan and Harry Skelton would not go amiss.
Those taking the air at Wincanton on Boxing Day should not miss out on Hazard Chase Racing’s gallant little hurdler GENERAL GINGER, second here at Wincanton behind a Paul Nicholls hotpot in early November, who has been prepared with this race in mind for some time now. Don’t expect a big price though ! VUKOVAR ,mind how you pronounce it , may provide that at Kempton that same afternoon. 40/1 is currently on offer and should be considered.
ROCK ON RUBY very much the stable hero at Seaborough should win again at Cheltenham on New Years Day which should start 2015 off on a prosperous note for all followers of the Harry Fry yard.
LATE NEWS – Monday 22 December: Actival came 3rd at Ascot on Saturday, Shelford came 4th.
EVEN LATER NEWS – Friday 2 January:Hope you and the Horsington followers were on Winterbornes new year Harry Fry treble. Thomas Browne won the first at 5/1 followed Assam black at 11/4 and then another outstanding win by the stable favourite Rock On Ruby at 5/2. All in all a very satisfactory day ! WJ
http://www.racingpost.com/news/live.sd?event_id=5624424&category=0
Combined odds for a treble were 34 to 1! -ED
Thanks and Happy Christmas, Winterbourne, though we are still mystified by B.B.S.S. What can it mean?
You can follow the discussion on BBSS and its meaning in comments on the Post “Has Winterbourne Longjohns lost it? -Ed.