2009 starts today!

Yesterday was the official end of the 2007-8 N.H. season, but the new season gets under way today with racing at Ludlow and Wetherby. After the excitement of the last few weeks, the cards are nothing to get excited about, but there is some quite competitive racing, especially at Ludlow, where Corran Ard (Evans Williams/ Paul Moloney) and Commemoration Day (Nigel Twiston-Davies/ Paddy Brennan) can fight out the finish of the 2 mile novice chase at 15.30 CET. Shavansky (Charlie Mann/ Noel Fehily) was an excellent runner-up in a good race at Ascot last time and can take the novice hurdle at 16.05, though Alan King´s improving filly Atomic Winer (Robert Thornton) looks a big danger. Top-weight Kew Jumper (Andrew Turnell/ Mark Grant) is in good form and can win the 2 1/2 mile handicap chase at 16.40. The ground will be riding fast at Wetherby, where Howard Johnson´s consistent Bafana Boy (Denis O´Regan) can score in the 3 mile handicap hurdle at 16.00. The hurdle race for lady riders at 16.25 looks very open, but the two top-weights Pam Sly´s Upright Ima and Donald McCain´s Wold Fern have two of the most experienced jockeys in Serena Brotherton and Rose Davidson respectively and should be involved. Davidson can also go close on Lucinda Russell´s Manadam in the maiden hurdle at 18.05, where Poseidon´s Secret (Charlie Mann/ Kevin Tobin) looks the main threat