Rock On Ruby, winner of the 2012 Champion Hurdle, has been declared at Doncaster today and will command centre stage; formerly trained by Paul Nicholls this engaging eight-year-old is now with rookie Harry Fry who will be extremely anxious to land the four-runner �18000 listed 32Red Hurdle during a seven-race programme which has been added to the fixture list.
The original intention of Fry was to run Rock On Ruby at Sandown last weekend but that meeting became an all-chase card when its hurdles course was deemed waterlogged and unraceable, a bonus for Northern racegoers therefore and they will be out in force this afternoon; "good to soft" is forecast on a course that is renowned for its incredible drainage and we can expect to see these graded runners "flying" over a perfect surface.
Subsequent jockey opinion will be interesting and I'd love to be questioning them after the experience given they have had months slogging around on extremely demanding surfaces.
Fry split with Nicholls to set up on his own and he's made a promising start; Rock On Ruby was third at Cheltenham just before Xmas and Harry was reported to be well pleased with that effort; this, however, will be crucial and an important milestone for the young man. Defeat would be somewhat devastating but it's not anticipated because on the time-handicap this likely-favourite is clear "best-in!"
Probability is that Countrywide Flame will set a good pace, tracked by Rock On Ruby and rapidly-improving Darlan; from three out this will be fascinating.
Incidentally Nicholls isn't pulling up any trees currently and I'm just wondering what the effect of losing Fry and now Dan Skelton will be; Paul regularly mentions it's a team effort but they were two key players at his west-country Ditcheat Stables.
A long time ago, in the 1970's, Peter Walwyn was champion trainer and ruled the roost, backed by a magnificent squad, when four of them suddenly uprooted and went into training; his operation quickly folded and turned sour, even moreso when champion jockey, Pat Eddery, was seduced by the Ballydoyle operation of Vincent O'Brien and Robert Sangster, and left.
Just a thought and it will be interesting to see how Nicholls and Ruby Walsh fare in the next few weeks; a General needs his best troops!
Wolverhampton supplies all-weather action and seven races which include the Maiden Stakes over twelve furlongs and an opportunistic entry by trainer Barry Brennan for Bathcounty, a six-year-old which has never run on the flat but is a half-decent winning hurdler.
Opposition is dire, Bathcounty would need to fall over to be out of the frame; he's always completed the course(s) over hurdles!
A wonderful, intriguing day is in prospect, enjoy it and don't forget to click onto dailyearner.co.uk for any updates, every day!
SELECTIONS
?RACE 1 (#1) CALL ME A STAR
RACE 5 (#3) ROCK ON RUBY
RACE 14 (#1) BATHCOUNTY (NAP-E.W)