Could Lightning Strike Twice?

There are five meetings taking place this afternoon with flat cards from Goodwood, Epsom, Nottingham and Ffos Las as well as a jumps card from Stratford.  There are no runners from Pond House today.  Meanwhile, stable jockey Tom Scudamore has picked up four outside rides at Stratford so let's hope he has a good day.  Frankie Dettori is back in the saddle following his suspension and is in action at Goodwood, although looking through his mounts, he may struggle to make a 'glorious' return.

Pictured above is another photograph from my recent jaunt to the gallops.  This time I was able to catch Exeter winner Whitley Neill working nicely under our celebrity jockey Clare Wyatt who a few of you may have seen contesting the charity race at Newton Abbot recently.

I did say yesterday that quality staying hurdler Lil Rockerfeller was the class act at Goodwood yesterday and if fit and well he would win.  But my, how he won!  The seven year old scooted up by 15 lengths from his mark of 82.  The handicapper is sure to clobber him for winning so easily...I wonder what Silvestre de Sousa was thinking?  I can't see him getting much change from a mark of 100 next time.

The big race of the day at the Galway Festival today is the Galway Hurdle which takes place at 4.35pm.  There are 20 runners and owner JP McManus owns 9 of them!  Just think of the cost of buying nine sets of colours, nevermind the horses and training fees.  Even though he is mob-handed I am not sure he will have the winner, although I have been known to be wrong on occasion!

I see three jockeys were fined £140 yesterday for failing to ride past the stands as requested before the seller at Redcar.  David was underbidder on the winner Jacbequick, while somebody claimed the runner-up Red Charmer for £6,000.  I didn't think it looked at all straight forward so it will be interesting to see how that one gets on in the future.  David was successful at Leicester where he secured the winner of the seller there; Malangen for £10,500.  He is a three year old and was having only his second start and won quite readily in the end.  With further improvement likely and a switch to hurdling probably imminent, he could look like a really good buy.  Furthermore - do you remember the Leicester winner we bought that won a Champion Hurdle?  Make A Stand anybody?  I wonder if lightning could strike twice?

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India certainly had the better of the first day of the cricket test match against England.  England are on 285 for 9 and that could have been significantly worse had it not been for Joe Root scoring 80.  It's just a shame he managed to get run out - that is almost criminal in the five day format.  In fairness he was run out by a great throw from Virat Kohli who blew a couple of kisses and looked to be taking the mickey out of Root.

British number lady tennis player Jo Konta who seemed to have completely lost her form over the last 18 months, beat Serena Williams 6-1 6-0 yesterday.  It was the heaviest defeat of the 23 time Grand Slam winners' career.  She became the only Brit ever to beat Wililams and said, "She obviously wasn't playing anywhere near her best" - that has to be a contender for understatement of the year!

England are going to give manager Gareth Southgate a longer contract that is going to be worth £4 million per year.  It's not a lot when you consider how much some of the players are getting paid, although it will keep him in waistcoats for a while!

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I fell over in the bookmakers yesterday...it was a betting slip!  Keep smiling...

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