TAUNTON Racecourse stages its Roarsome Family Race Day today (Thursday) .The first race is scheduled for 1:33 and we have a bumper 82 horses competing over an 8 race card. Here’s a very brief run-through, writes Martin Higgs.

It all kicks off with a Championship Qualifier Novices’ Hurdle and Lario looks interesting with in-form Paul O’Brien on board, he has ridden 4 winners from his last 8 rides and that’s impressive.

Following that, Pentire Head wears blinkers for the first time for Champion Trainer Paul Nicholls who has an excellent strike rate at the track. I’m liking the look of Soir De Gala in the third race, another Nicholls inmate who is partnered by Lorcan Williams, another jockey at the top of his game. Time for the first Chase of the afternoon and Breaking Cover could be suited well by the right hand track for the Anthony Honeyball team. 

I’m struggling to find an angle on the 3:53 so will move on to the following Chase and will side with Boys Of Wexford who has run well in defeat on his last two runs, this could be his day. The day finishes off with two National Hunt Flat Races and Jena D’Oudairies looks interesting in the first, the second looks impossible, so the opportunity to settle down and celebrate the aforementioned six winners with a Coke (other soft drinks are available) or maybe something a little stronger...

It is sure to be an entertaining afternoon with plenty of runners and some great entertainment for the children, they can come in FREE and there is every chance they could meet a dinosaur. Tickets are available at the gate and we even have a courtesy coach service arranged for the day, it will depart from outside platform 5 of Taunton Railway Station 90 minutes before our first race time and return half an hour after the start of the last.

STOP PRESS. It’s the Grand National at the weekend and a race which has never proven lucky for yours truly, however, always being ‘glass half full’ the tide must change soon and here’s a couple for you.

I Am Maximus won last time out, recorded an excellent speed figure, has already won an Irish Grand National and on the form book looks well handicapped in this. My other selection is Kitty’s Light, he loves the Spring and only has to repeat what he did last April when he won the Scottish National and the Bet 365 Gold Cup to figure prominently in this. So there’s two for you, let’s hope the glass is fuller by 4:15 on Saturday..enjoy your racing !