Tipperary October 7th
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We have one runner tomorrow at The Junction. It’s a mixed card and we send Alcatraz for the 9 furlong handicap. He has come back from a brief hiatus in good form and his last 2 runs have been pleasing. We were commenting pre race the last day how he had got so much better jumping from stalls. He must have been listening to us. Chris said he got mulish as bedamned at the back of the stalls and thought about not bothering to jump off. He got out of his ground as a result but stayed on well and ran terrific in the circumstances. The extra furlong tomorrow and the slower ground and a repeat would still have him close. Alcatraz is not one to be hanging your hat on but he has been more predictable lately so hopefully. I’m a bit sensitive to our runners being described as ungenuine. He’s one of the kindest most timid horses in training with plenty of miles on the clock and we’re very fond of him. If he continues to be predictable (enough) then we might postpone the claiming route for the time being.

