Although the facilities in the main enclosures are pretty standard country track fare, I prefer to spend £10 plus £2 for a racecard and park up in the middle which makes for very decent value. The track is pretty well flat throughout, quite tight in geometry and a right hander. This makes it an easy trip to get. The fences are quite testing so is a decent test of jumping ability.
In the centre of the track are two polo pitches which are used by the Perth and Dundee Polo Club. They have an interesting clubhouse come portacabin which is basic but lets you get an idea of the kit they use for their game. The pitches themselves where very spongy and flat and to my feel of the track compared to the pitches much more forgiving almost good in nature. The pitches had obviously been used recently as about eight polo ponies where corralled up in the centre of the track awaiting collection. This is the first time that I have been close up to these animals and they are sturdy decent size for ponies, have their manes clipped right back and were all mares. The lack of a mane is probably for practical reasons during the games but the ponies were clearly inconvenienced by flies around them which they could brush aside to an extent with a mane. The demeanour was in general pretty laid back.
Nearby Scone Palace is accessible through the national trust so can be cheap. Is a very good day out with plenty for kids to do including a zip wire and adventure playground. The place contains some fascinating artifacts and paintings making it interesting. Couple this with the fact that Scottish kings were crowned here it has a lot of significance to the re-establishment of the Scottish nation. The crowning ceremony was traditionally performed on the so called Stone of Destiny or the Stone of Scone. When the Scots where defeated the stone was seized and taken south to Westminster Abbey where it was used for years as part of the English crowning rites. The stone was originally anointed by The Pope and was carved out of Middle Eastern sandstone. This makes it strange that the protestant English still hankered after papal approval of their monarchs otherwise why the significance of the stone? However as ever in Scotland there is a twist and that is that the stone was swopped before the English could grab it and substituted with a locally hewn alternative. This can be proven by local geologist examination which shows that the stone is in fact a local Grampian granite and not sandstone as legend would decree. No-one knows the whereabouts of the original which makes the 1960s students stealing the stone from London a bit pointless. With the establishment of a modern Scottish parliament and with great ceremony the Stone of Scone was bought back to it homeland. But wait more controversy, it ended up in Edinburgh and not Perth not pleasing the northerners as many of Cumberland’s troops amassed at Culloden were from the lowlands. Scone then commissioned its own stone which sits in front of the palace’s chapel enabling visitors to sit and image being Robert The Bruce or Duncan being anointed as the Scottish king. But of course this stone is in fact the replica of a fake!
The Racing
The first race was a novice hurdle over two miles and was won by one of a number of Irish raiders today. The mare Brave Beauty hurdled very and made all to have the other two runners thrashed a long way out. She has now run up a hat-trick at Perth clearly relishing right handed tracks. I had noted her as one to follow back in March when I saw here beat a decent novice at Downpartick and here form since has been very good except when beaten at Fairyhouse. Her handicap mark of 125 is likely to go up a bit more but I think she could well do OK when stepping up to handicapping. The other two were That’ll Do Nicely (who probably prefers a bit of a cut) who was second and the detached Wild Geese who was a bit outpaced.
Next up was a two mile claiming hurdle which was a poorly supported four runner event. It was won in commanding style by Folk Tune who holds his own in claimers / sellers at the minimum. However is no better than this level really and a 116 mark looks challenging. The others were Fools Wildcat (who came to challenge coming to the final couple of hurdles but just failed to quicken and is much better with a cut and can win in this grade when underfoot conditions assist) Casco Bay (very poor maiden with little prospect of that changing) and the even worse Munnings (jumping was about as static as if posing for a painting by his namesake)
The third race was a fair novice chase three going to post. It was won in the tradition of the old racing adage by the outsider of three. Slip was prominent and jumped well just battling on well to hold by a head the challenge of Al Qeddaaf. I think both have potential as the winner was returning to jumping after a long break and had not run at all for nearly a year. The runner up makes even more appeal. Carrying nearly a stone more than his adversaries he jumped very nicely and could not put his stamina advantage to best benefit still only went down by a head. I have Al Qeddaaf as positive today and am sure over a stiffer test or maybe a touch more ease in the ground can win again and even though currently on a 130 mark can step up to handicap territory. Third and not disgraced in a thrilling finish to the race was Definite All Star over from Ireland and running well just outpaced on the run in although hung a bit
The first handicap of the day was a class 4 chase over two and a half miles. This was a five runner event which was won by the gambling stable of Tony Martin over from Ireland. Was not though heavily backed but won in workmanlike style. May have been a bit lucky as the runner up Steel Magnate (jumped nicely throughout) who is in very decent form suffered from a slipping saddle which would have given him no help at all. Held up and jumped well I think despite a spate of wins recently he is still reasonable handicapped and can do well back in Ireland especially with some easier ground. Of the rest Storm Prospect tried to make most but looked like better suited by less than 20f and in any case would not have appreciated being taken on for the lead so a bit of cutting their own throats and leaving it clear for the holdup horses may have come in to play here. Big Burrows fell early on when disputing the lead. Qeuchua Des Obeaux (bit novice in the main) looks to be better off returning to points where she has been quite successful as jumping is sketchy.
We had a fair turnout of six for the conditional jockeys’ handicap hurdle over twenty furlongs which was quite a fair event for this level as set at class 4. Two of the horses got very warm and as such ran no kind of race. Patriot (always plodding along off the pace) and Lets Go Girls (pulled and led for much before blowing up a mile out). It was won in a good finish by Solway Star who had the race in the bag coming to the last but was a bit one paced and blundered a bit at the last thus had to be driven out, this was to thwart the late challenge from Swiss Guard. Of the reminder Castletown Boy ran midfield and failed to quicken being ridden home in patient fashion and is on a good mark, goes well here and with the mark looked after today is one I think can pop up in a Perth handicap.
The final race was won by the odds on favourite Brompton Brow who is on a good mark for a handicap novice hurdle of 91. Saw out this stayers trip of three miles when winning recently at CD and followed up again. Surely the handicapped will ratchet him up a fair amount for this although of the other two beaten competitors the runner up Bannellie (has form over this distance was outstayed by the winner) is modest.
Horses Noted
Fools Wildcat (P) £30 down
0 0 2
Not really showing much mow and handicap mark still a bit too high really.
Al Qeddaaf (P) down £20
4
Well beaten and on refl;ection his mark of 130 is in excess of where he needs to be from a handicapping posiiton
Steel Magnate (P) down £30
F 2 3
Went back to Ireland and didn't really do that well