Eight Exeter Runners

Following the latest batch of inclement weather there are just two meetings taking place this afternoon.  They are over the jumps at Exeter and on the all-weather at Southwell.  The stable has no fewer than eight runners at Exeter this afternoon; Smiles For Miles, Tullyesker HIll, Prideofthecastle, Knight Of Noir, Junior, Alderluck, Shaking Hands and Kilrye.  Tullyesker HIll (pictured above) looks interesting to me - he won a bumper on good/soft ground at Plumpton and ran okay on heavy ground at Chepstow behind some useful looking types.  It has been a really cold start to the day with a crisp, white frost, (the first of the winter down here in Brixham) although with all those runners to look after at Exeter you wouldn't imagine that David will be cold!

Yesterday we had just the one runner at Plumpton and it was nice to see Massannie back on track after taking a heavy fall at Market Rasen in the summer.  I thought that she ran a decent race to finish a clear second, although she probably cost herself any chance of the win by messing around at the start.  It was good to see travelling head lad Craig 'Marks & Spencer' Wylie (he sells anything) at the start earning his money for a change!  On this run there look to be plenty of other races in Massannie (particularly on faster ground) if she decides to set off with the rest of the field, rather than give them all a head start.

Tom Scudamore was in the winners' enclosure yesterday when No Buts bolted up for David Bridgwater - he looks well up to winning again.

*****

Arsenal went top of the Premier League with a 2-1 win against Aston Villa last night.  The top four, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool look a lot better than the rest of the division.

Meanwhile Christiano Ronaldo was collecting his second FIFA Ballon d'Or award (or King of football award) - his old side, Manchester United could certainly do with him playing for them at the moment!

*****

Over in Melbourne, Australia it is currently 42°c and they are playing the Australian Open Tennis Championships.  Why on earth they would allow players to compete in those conditions, I will never know.  Players are being sick, ball boys are fainting...just think, it is going to be even hotter when the World Cup football goes to Qatar...absolutely ridiculous!