Two Bangor Runners

There are three meetings taking place this afternoon - two jumps cards from Bangor and Sedgefield as well as an all-weather flat meeting from Southwell.  The stable has two runners at Bangor; Navanman and Saint John Henry (pictured above jumping, orange jacket, blue cap).  Our five year old Saint John Henry steps up in trip to three miles having won over 2m5f on his seasonal debut at Plumpton before capsizing last time at Wincanton.  Tom Scudamore is back aboard this afternoon and he looks to have a chance.  Navanman is a 25/1 shot and looks as though he has it to do to figure this afternoon.

I see that Richard Johnson travels all the way to Sedgefield for just two rides and Knocklayre Express look to be the pick of them for me - I will be surprised if he leaves empty-handed.  Two trainers who seem to be struggling for winners are Jonjo O'Neill and Donald McCain - they must be starting to worry with the Festival getting ever closer.  Jonjo hasn't had a winner since the middle of November and had 2/5 chance Cloudy Copper beaten yesterday.  I wonder what stable jockey A P McCoy must be thinking?

*****

If you are a regular reader (or should I say 'the' regular reader) of this column then hopefully you will have had a little bet on Gary Anderson to win the world darts at the Ally Pally at the weekend.  I did say I was going to have a few quid on the Scotsman - hopefully you did too.

*****

What sort of example does Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny set?  He has been fined £20,000 for smoking in the shower after a game.  I think he was probably fined for dropping the cigarette after his nightmare game at Southampton.

Meanwhile Steven Gerard managed to keep Liverpool in the FA Cup with two goals against Wimbledon - if I was on the Liverpool board I would try to keep the Anfield legend on the books for another year...they definitely need his experience.

*****

Finally, a runaway goat caused chaos when it jumped in a shopping trolley at a Budgens store in Cambridge yesterday...and I am not kidding!  Have a nice day