MD

Something overlooked today was the very minimal grading once ht1 got going. It had no detrimental effect on racing IMO with passing right through to ht15. #ScrapHt10Grading

Fairly decent meeting in the end with Basso, Nicol and Hume getting stuck in. Ulle still too slow with Basso and Nicol rounding him rather than be caught by a Scorps rider after Lambert did Basso in ht5. Jake Allen was fairly poor on a track he's normally decent, Jordan Palin even poorer. Expect stronger opposition on Friday with Oxford.

Think they were very frustrated with him in the playoffs.

Ulle's form is showing no signs of changing. He can still gate but just has no speed. I often wonder if this is his retirement year and he's not investing in equipment. Its gone on far too long. The issue with replacing anyone other than Cook is that their averages make it very difficult. Basso, Brennan and Hume are riders signed on the up, on lowish averages but like so many young riders are inconsistent. I keep trying to convince myself not to panic in June, its the couple of meetings at the end of the season when we really need to turn it on. Its not working!

In those intervening years he has been able to make the mistakes you learn from and turn into the shrewd operator you mention. You can do that when you are both owner and manager, and take your time doing it.

Tungate, totally forgot about him, never seems to be mentioned much these days.

I think we needed that, flattering to deceive for a bit now. Ulle just hasnt got going other than last time over there, Basso likewise and Nicol doing very very little. Danyon had a rare off night though frustrating to watch us still trying the inside line throughout the meeting when it largely died around ht 5 or 6.

95% of heats at Armadale are won from the gate. That was amateur right through the order.

It was the former but see Dan T now at reserve this month. Their potential for away wins from these fixtures has increased significantly.

With Leicester having away visits in the league to Berwick, Poole, Newcastle, Glasgow and Oxford within the next 28 days I suspect its another shrewd move from Dickson to play the system to its fullest advantage.

So that Dickson could install himself as manager and was likely just waiting for the opportunity. In reality no manager, experienced or not gets every decision right.

He needs to be on improved equipment, slow as treacle recently.

Ulle is just slow, his bikes see to have little in them. Noticed last week he got 000 for PB at home. Whatever it is needs sorting.

Its coming, we got away with it against Edinburgh two weeks ago and again tonight. Next up is Edinburgh again! A point from either of Poole's no scoring riders would have made it happen. I expected Ben Cook to get a couple of points rather than zero.

As did Steve Worrall after the first lap in one heat. You won't see that every week!

We usually only win the odd heat after the dreaded re-grade but managed three this time thankfully. We should only be pulling the dirt back if we are using gate pattern A, which has us using gates 1 & 3 three times in the last five heats. No one I can think of grades their track to their own disadvantage. Its this sh!t that almost cost us defeat against Edinburgh.

A better team would have slaughtered us, we were there for the taking. Cook had a rare no scoring ride and Ulle was slow as treacle, despite winning ht13 where it looked like he jumped. Ruml was very good value though frustrating to watch him continually pull the same moves out at the fence and pass Glasgow riders so easily. Ht15 was superb, Cook on his own passing and re-passing Lawson to get the win. We must do better at home.

If correct, only one of those will significantly impact the meeting, making it a very tough one for Glasgow. Guests will be hard to find with so many other meetings on Friday.

On two occasions HA rode both wheels on the grass exiting the fourth bend and never got rumbled. McGregor would've had him, just like he did with Sarj one time.

Barker taking Ostergaards leg after the line in ht5, not on.

Harris must have been promised serious cash to win ht15 tonight, what a ride at blistering speed to take Cook.

Harris is now being quoted as the guest on the pre-match article, a much better choice than Howarth, unfortunately. This is looking like a bigger banana skin than last week!

Indeed but having done the hardest bit on Friday ..........

Against them a 7 point win is the bare minimum, anything else is a loss.

We had a massive helping hand in getting them to 44 points. The 3 Edinburgh heat leader amassed 37 points, quite incredible.