Well Done Chelmsford

There are five flat meetings taking place this afternoon so you are out of luck if you are a fan of the jumps (unless you can tune in to Punchestown on Attheraces).  The action on these shores comes from Haydock, Chelmsford, Yarmouth, Hamilton and Kempton, but it is on the all-weather at Chelmsford City where the money is.  They have three handicaps and two of them are worth £32,345 while the other has prize money of £25,576 - I am always having a go about the prize money on the all-weather, so credit where it is due and very well done to the team at Chelmsford.  Looking at the Punchestown card, there are two maiden hurdles that have drawn 25 runner maximum fields while there are a further three reserves in each.  There are always loads of runners at Irish fixtures - perhaps it is a sign that we have too much racing over here?

Many happy returns to former stable jockey and eight times champion, Peter Scudamore who is 60 today...now I really am starting to feel old!  We had some great times with Scu and wish him a very happy birthday...

There is a great article in today's Racing Post about Mick Channon.  He says "When I finished playing football I had nothing, mind you we enjoyed ourselves.  Alan Ball, me and a couple of others would go off to Wincanton on a Thursday and wouldn't be seen until we turned up for the match on a Saturday".  I didn't know Mick Channon very well but knew Alan Ball, in fact we shared a bedroom when we were both on the television program Superstars.  Yes, I was in Superstars...that will shock a few of you (who remember what it was!).

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I see they are backing old favourite Phil Mickelson and newcomer Rickie Fowler for the US Open golf.  I think that Phil is probably a bit too old to land the tournament now, even though he has finished runner-up six times, while Fowler seems to be a nearly man.  Meanwhile, Tiger Woods will be staying on his dinghy - I call it a dinghy, but it is actually a $15 million yacht that sleeps 12 people.  His 155 foot dinghy called "Privacy" is moored less than an hour away from the Shinnecock Hills course...it sounds like a terrible commute!

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What do you have when a politician is buried up to his neck in sand?   Not enough sand!  Keep smiling...

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