One Runner At Worcester

There are four meetings to look forward to this afternoon - three on the level at Leicester, Redcar and Beverley as well as a National Hunt fixture at Worcester.  The stable has one runner, Vapiano who participates in the handicap hurdle at Worcester at 4.10pm.  Vapiano has only finished runner-up once from ten starts to date but ran okay on his Pond House debut when fourth last time out, a mistake at the penultimate hurdle costing him quite a bit of ground.  Once again, it is not exactly breaking news, but the most prize money on offer today is at the Irish meeting of Galway.

There are four meetings to look forward to this afternoon - three on the level at Leicester, Redcar and Beverley as well as a National Hunt fixture at Worcester.  The stable has one runner, Vapiano who participates in the handicap hurdle at Worcester at 4.10pm.  Vapiano has only finished runner-up once from ten starts to date but ran okay on his Pond House debut when fourth last time out, a mistake at the penultimate hurdle costing him quite a bit of ground.  Once again, it is not exactly breaking news, but the most prize money on offer today is at the Irish meeting of Galway.

I see that Mikey Ennis had his final ride as an amateur jockey yesterday afternoon and now turns professional.  Mikey is probably fed up with hitching lifts up the motorway - he has probably worked out how much it cost him to travel to Perth yesterday - worse still, he finished second!  Let's hope it works out for him.

  
Above (left) Tanerko Emery and right Knight Pass on the gallops

I have a couple more photographs from the gallops to bring you this morning.  Above you will see Tanerko Emery who won three times and improved 35lbs last season since joining the team at Pond House as well as exciting former bumper performer Knight Pass.  It is good to see them back in action.

Champion jockey A P McCoy was in good form again yesterday with a double at Perth.  He is now on 83 winners for the season, more than double that of his nearest rival Jason Maguire - not bad when you consider that he spent the first month of the seasons on the sidelines through injury!  He seems to be riding better than ever - he now has less than 100 winners to go to reach MCP's total jumps winners in Britain (excluding Ireland).

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There is an important football match for England tonight as they take on Ukraine in a World Cup Qualifier.  The betting looks close, even allowing for the fact that the bookies always go short about England because of patriotic money.  The result looks too close to call for me as both sides seem moderate.  Hills go best about both teams at 9/5 - I will probably have a little wager on England for some interest...there I go doing exactly the opposite of what I would usually advocate, betting with my heart rather than my head!  It will probably be bread and cheese for the remainder of the week in the Barnes household!

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I haven't mentioned her in a while so it is about time to give Helen Flanagan another plug!  The former Corrie actress must have the best agent in the world as she is always in the papers, even when she isn't doing anything of interest.  As far as I am concerned she would struggle to get into the Pond House pantomime!  Today she has made it onto page 3, unsurprising really as she only seems to have a couple of things going for her!