Today we have four meetings to look forward to, with three flat fixtures from Yarmouth, Sandown and Beverley and a jumps meeting at Kelso.  It was good to see our stable sponsors Bathwick Tyres have a winner on the flat yesterday at Chepstow when Verse Of Love landed the seven furlong handicap.  I must admit that I did have a few quid on the five year old but that aside I was delighted for Wayne and Sarah who put so much into the sport through their extensive sponsorship.

The flat jockeys championship is building up for a cracking finale with Ryan Moore now only four ahead of reigning champion Richard Hughes.  Personally I think that Hughsie values the title more than Ryan Moore.

Looking at the flat trainers championship it beggars belief that Mark Johnston is only fourth in the table despite having trained 197 winners.  He is currently directly behind Aiden O'Brien in the standings who has had NINE winners - how on earth can that be right?  Surely both the flat and jumps trainers championships should be decided by the number of winners like the jockeys?  Why is one decided by winners and the other by prize money?...nobody seems to know!  Just think how differently things would look if the NH championship had been decided in this way - Donald McCain would have been champion trainer the last couple of years!  It would certainly make things a lot more interesting as there are currently seven or eight trainers who are well capable of turning out in excess of 100 winners.

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It's been a misty start to the day here, but it certainly adds to the atmosphere of a good photograph and pictured above you can see the string on their way to the gallops before first lot.

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I was watching the football between Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund last night and the Gunners will feel a little disappointed to have lost 2-0.  Welbeck did miss some very good opportunities and it seems that he needs five or six clear chances before he manages to put one in the back of the net.

Meanwhile Liverpool won their match 2-1 with all three goals coming in the final ten minutes of the game.  Whe you think that five years ago Ludogoreti was not even a football team, you have to be impressed with how far they have come in such a short period of time.  I think that both Arsenal and Liverpool are going to struggle in their return matches.

There is a cracking good match on Sky tonight at 5pm.  Bayern Munich play Manchester City and a draw would be a great result for City.  Bayern are odds-on to win at 4/6, while the draw is available at 10/3.  I will be having a sneaky little treble on Chelsea at 1/3, Porto at 2/7 and Forest at 3/4.

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Did you watch Tumble, the British gymnastics report?  Apparently there has been a 150% increase in the number of people looking up their local club.  They could have watched me trying to ride a horse over poles - that's the same as Tumble!

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Finally, it is the bosses birthday today.  I won't say how old Carol Pipe is - many happy returns, that is all I'm saying m'lady!mrs_pipe_bday

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