Weekend Jottings!

It's a quiet day on the racing front with just two meetings taking place on the level this afternoon.  The action comes from Epsom and Musselburgh and once again it seems a missed opportunity that there is no National Hunt racing on a Sunday when most people would be able to attend.  Anyway, as the flat jockeys' championship hots up it is interesting to see that defending champ Richard Hughes has five runners in this country while Ryan Moore is riding overseas.  It certainly looks as though Hughsie is hungrier for a third title and he has the not inconsiderable firepower of the Hannon yard at his disposal.

Talking of Richard Hughes, I see that he went to the Ryder Cup when it was held at The Belfry.  The champ says that he couldn't see anything - just imagine how it would have been for some of the shorter jockeys!  Hughsie has always had the nickname 'The windowcleaner' owing to his height!  I have to agree with him, you do see far more on the television and it must be much the same for Formula One racing.  One of my mates went to a Grand Prix and said that you only see the cars for a fraction of a second, although he did add that it was a great atmosphere.

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I wouldn't normally say this, but it is good news that there is only one football match taking place this afternoon (between WBA and Burnley).  That means that I will have the whole afternoon to concentrate on the final day of Ryder Cup action!  Mrs Barnes says that it is a good job that it only takes place every two years...it really is difficult to explain to non-golfing fanatics how the game can grip you.

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I see that Sepp Blatter is saying that the FIFA report into World Cup corruption will be kept secret.  This is yet another reason why this man should not be in charge of world football.  Why should it be a secret...I wonder if he has given his watch back yet?

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Onto other sports now and it is the first of three American Football matches at Wembley this evening and James from our office is going up to watch the match between the Oakland Raiders and Miami Dolphins courtesy of the kind folks at Channel 4.  Sadly for David, he couldn't make any of the London matches but I know that his representative can't wait!  It is a game that I have struggled to get into...surely the Dolphins will drown out of water?!

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My final Ryder Cup related thought for the day...Golf is just a lot of walking, broken up by disappointment and bad arithmetic!  Have a nice weekend...

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