DOUBLE AT NEWTON ABBOT WITH BOOTHILL AND GIN COCO

A double at Newton Abbot on Saturday 15 October from two runners was a welcome reward after both horses missed previous engagements last weekend because of my concerns about quick ground.
Our team has been in good health at home in recent weeks but it’s a long season and you don’t want to risk causing damage by running them before sufficient rain arrives.

I very much hope that stylish victories by Gin Coco and Boothill on safe ground with plenty of juice in it at Newton Abbot will prove to be the stepping stone for bigger and better things for both of them as the season unfolds.

Gin Coco travelled strongly throughout in the opening EBF NH Novice Hurdle, and survived the persistent attentions of a loose horse before cruising home unchallenged. Hopefully he will go to Cheltenham in a month’s time where he will get an entry in the Greatwood Hurdle although I imagine he is more likely to go for the Grade 2 Novice
Hurdle.

It was great to see Boothill travel well and jump with confidence on his way to a fluent success in the Class 3 Limited Novice Handicap Chase, a GB Bonus race. His schooling has been very good this autumn and I’m hoping he can now progress over fences. There are quite a few options for Boothill in the next month or two, some of them in handicaps.