Happy Birthday Ashley!

There are four meetings taking place this afternoon with flat cards from Newmarket, Pontefract and Chelmsford City, while the good news is that following an early morning inspection the jumps card from Perth goes ahead.  Leading jockeys Richard Johnson and Sam Twiston-Davies have made the marathon trip north for the fixture so let's hope they are successful otherwise it will be a long journey home for them.

It is local legend Ashley Farrant's 46th birthday today and I reckon it's about time that he started to take things a bit easier.  I would hate to see what Ashley (pictured above) looks like tomorrow morning.  Come to think of it, I would hate to see what he looks like any morning!

I see there could be another jockey riding in bumpers very soon.  I am talking about Qipco supremo Sheikh Fahad Al Thani.  He has ridden in charity flat races and now fancies having a go at the real thing in bumpers aboard a few horses in training with Gordon Elliott.  I would imagine that he will have a few nice ones among them.

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I hope you followed my little football double which paid out yesterday after Manchester United and Chelsea both won.  Mind you, Chelsea left it until the 94th meeting to beat Atletico Madrid 2-1.  Meanwhile, tonight Everton are 3/10 and Arsenal are 1/2 - both short but I can't see either team losing.

How stupid of England cricketer Ben Stokes to get into a fight just before the start of an Ashes series.  Not only is there the social responsibility of being a well-known sports personality, he has also gone and broken his finger.  What was he doing in a night club at 2.30am?  He could lose his job as vice captain and lose his spot in the Ashes squad.  Meanwhile England won a thriller against the West Indies yesterday by 6 runs on the Duckworth/Lewis rules.  Who are these Duckworth and Lewis people I wonder?

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Mrs Barnes thinks that I have a gambling problem...she hasn't said anything, but I bet that is what she is thinking!

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