Palace At Newbury

There are five meetings scheduled to take place this afternoon although the prospects of the jump meetings at Warwick and Uttoxeter hinge on early morning inspections.  Newbury goes ahead without any problems, while there are also all-weather flat fixtures from Lingfield and Wolverhampton.  The stable has five runners at Newbury this afternoon; Shotavodka, Bygones Sovereign, Balgarry, Swing Bowler and Kings Palace (pictured above).  Balgarry and Swing Bowler contest Europe's richest handicap hurdle The Betfair Hurdle, while Kings Palace is set to complete his Cheltenham preparation in the novices' chase.  He has jumped with aplomb over the larger obstacles in two starts at Cheltenham and a clear round should suffice this afternoon.  He is also entered at Exeter tomorrow although that is very much a second preference.

It's David's 45th birthday today - I know, he looks much older!  He normally adds a couple of years onto my age, so I am adding three onto his!  According to the Racing Post he is the trainer of Comply Or Die and Well Chief...I thought that he trained a few more than that.  Many happy returns David, let's hope that you enjoy a birthday winner or two!

It wasn't such a good day for the star names in the hunters chase at Bangor yesterday (with the exception of Teaforthree) - Calgarry Bay (Henrietta Knight) beat one home, Hazy Tom (David Loder) pulled up, as did Act Of Kalanisi (Zara Phillips).

I was very disappointed to see that the 22,000 Kylie Minogue tickets sold out in little over an hour yesterday so it looks like I am not going to be so lucky!  I wonder how many of those people are going racing?  I have to hand it to them, it is an excellent initiative - even if only a handful of people become avid racegoers, it has served it's purpose.

I see that Kempton are now applying to DEFRA to move the swans from the lake in the middle of the course (and occasionally the track itself!).  There are twenty-four swans on the premises at present and the plan is to take them fifty miles away - I would have thought they will still find their way back from there.

*****

Was there some sort of Rugby International on last night between England and Wales?  I am pleased to report that the English prevailed 21-16, although it sounds more like a table tennis score.  All I know is that it made the papers late this morning!

*****

A watch and a ring that were worn by Ronnie Biggs and £1 notes from the 1963 Great Train Robbery will be sold by auction on 18th February.  They tell me that it's going to be a steal!

*****

Finally, I will leave you with my little football wager for the weekend and for my sins I am going to double my beloved West Ham at 10/3 with Newcastle at 13/10...I must be mad!