Rock and Real Ale

One of my other passions, apart from rock music, is real ale. So it's nice to report that a couple of races at today's Chepstow meeting are sponsored by Bath Ales, brewers of superb beers.
My tip runs in one of these, the 2.45. Presence Felt reminds me of one of Led Zeppelin's albums, Presence. Released in 1976, it is a tremendous album, with the cover causing a lot of speculation, as it featured images of everyday life, but in each photo was a "presence" - a black, obelisk shape, that no one knew what it was (apart from the designers, Storm Thorgerson and Hipgnosis, presumably... or maybe not)..
Not the best album cover in the world, but a bloody good album.

Trying to beat those winter blues...

Well, you never know - one day, one of my tips will come good.
My choice this week runs in tomorrow's meeting at Ascot, in the 2.40. The Rainbow Hunter has a dual connection with two, now defunct, bands. Rainbow were a superb band, existing between 1975 and the mid 1980s. Formed by former Deep Purple maestro Ritchie Blackmore, they went from bombastic hard rock to commercial success, all the time underpinned by Blackmore's wonderful guitar playing.
The Hunter was a song performed by Free, a fantastic short-lived band. The singer, Paul Rodgers, along with drummer Simon Kirke, went on to form Bad Company. Sadly, their troubled guitarist, Paul Kossoff, died in 1976.

Let's try again

Last week's tip, Thunder Sheik, was a non-runner, but it's going tomorrow in the opener at Wetherby, so we'll give it another chance.
My other tip also runs at Wetherby, in the 2.45. Sammys Gone reminds me of Sammy Hagar. A brilliant guitarist and singer, he was part of the classic Montrose, fronted Van Halen for a time and now fronts Chickenfoot. In between, he has produced some fantastic solo stuff. All round, a true rock legend.