19th March 2015

Hi %%First Name%%,

It's A Close Call won well for us at Southwell on Monday 10/11 (max bet) looked a big price I had it 1/2 on my tissue in the morning he will make a nice Chaser in time and then at Southwell Storm Of Swords won pulling a cart for us at 6/4 (max) in the handicap hurdle winning by 17 lengths, heavily eased on the line,nice horse.

Mr consistent that's me keeping the strike rate at around 38% for my troops looking forward to the start of the flat that's when my big bets will start to fire in it will be like Brad Pit and FURY.

A big pat on the back to my old pal Andy Bell for his fine tipping at the Cheltenham Festival beating the Godfather of Betfan the Don on the week. Fine work by the two heavyweights of the turf.

Ed Vaughan's smart Primrose Valley came with a strong run to capture the final Fast-Track Qualifier of this season's All-Weather Championships, the £19,000 Daily Enhanced "Magic Multiples" At Unibet Conditions Stakes (6.45pm) over five furlongs on Tapeta at Wolverhampton on Saturday night in front of a buzzing crowd.

The Ed Vaughan-trained filly, owned and bred by Alan Pickering, receives an automatic free place in the £150,000 Unibet 3 Year Old Sprint over the same distance on Polytrack at Lingfield Park on Good Friday, April 3.

Primrose Valley, who captured a five-furlong maiden at Wolverhampton in August on the first day of the track racing on Tapeta by six lengths, has now been successful in her last four outings.

The improving three-year-old daughter of Pastoral Pursuits, partnered again by Frederick Tylicki, was held up towards the rear of the eight-strong field before making powerful progress on the far rail to lead close home and score by a neck from 7/1 chance Harry Hurricane in 1m 0.24s.

The 9/4 favourite is now off to Lingfield Park on Good Friday and also has Royal Ascot as a target.

Pickering revealed: "Her mother, Cosmic Destiny, won here and she was a real battle-axe.

"She loved going racing and we like going racing. And now we have got a chip off the old block in Primrose."

"The good thing about her winning tonight is that she is now qualified for Lingfield on Good Friday. Lingfield is my home really and last year we had good times there with Robin Hoods Bay who is now at Moorcroft with a leg injury."

"Last year on Good Friday, it was one mile two furlongs with Robin Hoods Bay and now it is five furlongs with Primrose Valley."

"Robin Hoods Bay was second in the Winter Derby two years ago today and last year he won the Winter Derby. We had hoped to go back this year but he did a tendon in the September Stakes at Kempton but he is a happy horse and hopefully he will make someone happy in his retirement."

"Primrose Valley won the very first race here on Tapeta so she is in the record books already. She then won at Newcastle and we tried her in some Listed and Group races but they probably came a bit too quickly for her. They were rough and tumble races."

"We gave her a break and she came back and won at Kempton in January and the rest is history."

"Hopefully, it is now Lingfield on Good Friday and then Royal Ascot where they have a new three-year-old sprint. I am a long-term planner but I would be just as happy winning at Lingfield and Wolverhampton but it would be nice to go to Ascot."

Tylicki added: "She is very good filly and progressing very nicely. The big day obviously for her is Good Friday and so roll on Good Friday."

"It was a very honest gallop today and she didn't really get going early on so I gave her the benefit of doubt, allowing her the chance to get into the race."

"Primrose Valley then helped me out and got me there. She is a high-class sprinter in my mind."

Horses qualify for the seven championship contests on the £1.1-million All-Weather Championships Finals Day (Good Friday, April 3, 2015) by winning a specified "Fast Track Qualifier" or running in a minimum of three races at Britain's five All-Weather tracks, Lingfield Park, Southwell and Wolverhampton, owned by ARC, The Jockey Club's Kempton Park and Chelmsford City, between October 30 and March 30.

Alternatively, one of the three qualifying runs can come at Dubai's Meydan Racecourse (dirt) or on the All-Weather surfaces at Ireland's Dundalk and the French tracks of Cagnes-sur-Mer, Chantilly and Deauville. Newmarket wizard Luca Cumani has signed up top apprentice Kevin Stott to join his team at Bedford House Stables. Back California Chrome 11/4 with Boyles for the Dubai World Cup at Meydan at the end of the month.

Back next Thursday.

Yours in sport

Kevan Minter - The Colonel
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