TONY CALVIN: GROUND, weather, stick readings and watering info for Saturday’s three ITV meetings

This is, without a shadow of a doubt, the weakest weekend’s racing of the year.

There is an early-closer but it is the 100k bumper at Newbury and that isn’t on ITV.

Well done to Kelso for providing details of their watering today (see below) – though one recent forecast says they could now get 23mm from midnight onwards on Saturday – but others are brazenly ignoring the BHA’s 72-hour directive.

Read/cut and paste this this: https://tips.akbets.co.uk/tony-calvin-a-few-questions-about-saturdays-ground-at-uttoxeter/

If these five courses can’t be bothered, why should punters bet there?

Chepstow (Thursday) and Newbury (Friday and Saturday) have given no details of their watering, and nor have Bangor (Saturday, though that is only due to start on Wednesday, to be fair) and Ffos Las and Musselburgh on Friday as yet.

Not good enough.

I bet a lot of people in the sport are taking the week off after Cheltenham and, with a bit of foresight, I should have been one of them…

I also imagine bookmakers will be very slow to give prices for the nine ITV races – as on Tuesday morning, few had bothered with most races – as ante-post trade will be minimal.

However, all the usual stats and information, and double entries, are now below.

Looking at the races, I doubt I will bother with any copy – especially as I am firmly odds-against to have a bet, with running plans up in the air – but I’ll wait until all the prices there, obviously.

But I’d be inclined to wait until the final fields.

GOING AND WEATHER, STICK READINGS AND WATERING, FOR  ITV TRACKS ON SATURDAY  – all updated on Wednesday

NEWBURY (two-day meeting starting on Friday – no watering amounts given) 

GOING: Good to soft, good in places

On Wed, 19 Mar 7:59am the ground condition was Good to Soft (Good in Places). Running lines have been verti-drained (aerated/ decompacted) ahead of irrigation.

GOING STICK (clock the changes)

Chase: 4.9  Hurdle: 4.5  (Wed 6am) –  were 5.5 and 4.8 (Monday 7am)

Wednesday morning update: We have lost 6mm in evaporation (ET) in the past week. Forecast: Frost this morning (-3C). Sunny today, & warm tomorrow with highs of 17C. Sunny spells & breezy at times on Friday (15C). No rain expected until after racing.

Weather: Dry until 1.2mm Friday and 2.1mm Saturday

Watering – No amounts given

Started on Thursday 13th. Watering to maintain.

Rails: Hurdle: Centre (minimum 2 panels of fresher ground for day 2). Chase: Outside. Pull up bend: Common Bend (fresher ground for day 2). 7f & 5f bend: Split bends in place (fresher ground for day 2).

KELSO – watering amounts given (but recent weather forecast suggests they could get 23mm throughout Saturday)

GOING: Good, good to soft in places

GOING STICK: 6.5 (Sun 8.30am)

Wednesday morning update: Partly Cloudy. Overall a dry forecast. Cool by night warming by day. Weds 19th: 12c Sunny and dry. Thurs 20th: 14c Sunny and dry. Fri 21st: 15c Overcast with sunny spells and dry. Sat 22nd: 14c Overcast with sunny spells-chance of a showers or rain now possible.

Weather: Dry until 23mm on Saturday (according to yr.no, starting at midnight)

Watering:: Watering to maintain. 6mm to be applied Tuesday & will see how that reacts and manage accordingly rest of week.

BANGOR

GOING – Chase: Good to soft ; Hurdle: Good

GOING STICK – Chase: 5.9; Hurdle: 7.1 (Tuesday 2.15pm)

Wednesday morning update: Dry past few days Wednesday: A cold start, turning turning sunny and warm thro’ the day. Staying dry and mild. 15 °C Thursday: Remaining dry and warm. 18 °C Friday and Saturday: Friday is looking cloudy, with poss. patches of rain. Remaining overcast on Saturday with outbreaks of rain thro’ the day.

Weather: Dry until Saturday (4.7mm)

Watering: Selective watering to commence today on the hurdle course to maintain

Rails: Hurdle bends moved out 3yrds from last meeting, chase bends moved in 8yrs from last meeting. Distances tbc.

DOUBLE ENTRIES IN ITV RACES (pay attention to the horses in bold – does not include all horses confirmed to run on Friday, so keep an eye out yourself for those)

1.15pm Kelso: Breakdance Kid, Pull Again Green, Red Happy, Universal Folly

1.35pm Bangor : Gentleman Bill, Kado de Joie (entered overnight at Ludlow on Thursday), Typhoon Flyer (entered overnight at Haydock on Wednesday), Willaston

1.50pm Kelso : Armed and Fabulous, Sunset Hill, The Lord Maid

2.05pm Newbury : Gentleman Bill. Calimystic, Kahavari, Kalium, Knight Of Allen (entered overnight at Ffos Las on Friday), Mythical Moon (entered overnight at Newbury on Friday), Sayva, Tradecraft

2.25pm Kelso : Sayva, Beat The Retreat, Bel Amigo, Coral Blue, Evenwood Sonofagun , Fierce Warrior, Follow Charlie, Guernesey, Heritier, Kinbara Firstdraft (finished second at Down Royal on Monday), Marty McFly, Mister Smarty (finished third at Wetherby on Tuesday), Quian, The Navigator, Wearelongterm

2.40pm Newbury : Beau Balko, Bob Bob Ricard, Bucky Des Epeires, King’s Threshold

3pm Kelso : Sunset Marquesa, Armed And Fabulous, Sunset Hill, Sophie Power

3.15pm Newbury: Come On Nia, Sunset Marquesa, Scarlet O’Tara

3.35pm Kelso: Grain d’Oudairies, Lively Citizen, Restandbethankful (entered overnight at Musselburgh on Friday),  Flash Du Pistolet, Sword Of Fact, Wearelongterm