Runners At Chepstow, Stratford

*Doctor Harper - non runner Stratford 5.05pm*

It looks like being a bumper day of action this afternoon with three flat cards at Doncaster, Newbury and Wolverhampton as well as good jumps fixtures at Aintree, Chepstow and Stratford.  The stable has runners at Chepstow.  Broadway Buffalo and Notus de la Tour take in the competitive handicap hurdle at 4.10pm at Chepstow.  Broadway Buffalo, who will be partnered by Tom Scudamore, won five times last season including his first three starts over timber and looks a most promising individual, while Notus has been unlucky in his most recent starts although he did have high class form as a novice over fences - Conor O'Farrell will take the ride.  Over at Stratford Doctor Harper is now a non-runner in the 5.05pm race.

Meanwhile there is some top notch action on the level with the Racing Post Trophy for two year old's taking star billing at Doncaster - the eleven runners have won fourteen races between them, so it looks to be a quality affair.  There are also a couple of Group races at Newbury, where our stable sponsors Bathwick Tyres sponsor the 3.30pm race.  Connections of yesterday's runners at Newbury say that the ground was bottomless after the heavy rain.  If they have had much more overnight rain, the meeting will look more like a jumps card!  It will certainly test the two year old's so if you are thinking of having a bet, make sure your selection will handle the ground and has abundant stamina.

I spoke of the valuable Cox Plate race in Australia yesterday and there was a shock result in the early hours of this morning as a maiden partnered by a nineteen year old apprentice jockey Chad Schofield landed the £1million contest at odds of 20/1.  Shamus Award only managed to get in the race when another runner was taken out and he made all the running to prevail in a thrilling finish by a short head and 1/2 length from Happy Trails and former Sir Michael Stoute trained Fiorente.

For those of you who missed Channel 4 this morning, the Secret Pricewise tip on the Morning Line was George Rooke who takes in the 5.30pm race at Doncaster...good luck if you are going to have a little wager!

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I have heard some great excuses for defeat down the years, but I heard one that really takes the biscuit in my local betting shop in Brixham last week.  I heard one of the punters tell his mate that his horse was beaten because he had trodden on a golf ball.  His friend replied 'why didn't the golfers call the horse through?'  I had to explain that they don't play golf at the racecourses on race days...you can see what I am up against here!

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Boxing is a very difficult sport to make a living from, especially if you are not very good at it.  What about journeyman fighter Johnny Greaves?  He had 100 fights and lost 96 of them!  He once took a fight at 90 minutes notice and retired having won his last bout.  My wife said that he must have had a bang on the head...I told her that he had had lots of bangs on the head!

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Tonight there is a football match to savour as Barcelona take on Real Madrid on Sky Sports at 5pm.  With the pay roll worth £417 million, it is the richest game ever held and gives us a chance to see the world's best footballer Christiano Ronaldo in action.  Ronaldo has already scored 15 goals in competitions for Real Madrid.  I wonder how long he spends in front of the mirror every day doing his hair?!

My old mates at West Ham tells me that the great Bobby Moore took plenty of time in front of the mirror, mind you, he was so good that he never even got his kit dirty.