Aldrin At Huntingdon

There are four meetings taking place this afternoon with flat cards from Leicester and Kempton as well as a couple of jumps fixtures from Hereford and Huntingdon.  David has one runner today as last time out winner Aldrin (pictured above) bids to follow-up in the two mile handicap hurdle at Huntingdon at 3.45pm.  He is only lightly raced and open to further improvement so a rise of 6lbs for that success does not look unreasonable.  He wouldn't want too much rain but if he posts another effort like at Worcester last time then he would have solid prospects under Tom Scudamore.  He is Tom's only ride of the day so let's hope the 'one ride theory' is successful!

The good news today is that Wincanton's meeting for Friday has been given the all clear following the deluges at the weekend.  They had 36mm of rain which left standing water on parts of the course but it has been cleared by a subsequent inspection.  Even so, the going is still riding good/firm so you can tell the effect the long, hot summer had on the ground.

It was a day to remember for Yarmouth's racecourse photographer, Roger Harris yesterday as he retired.  Mind you, he is 82 years old so I reckon he has probably earned it.  Just to round off the day he was kicked by a horse and needed first aid treatment.  It means that I must still have a few good years in me and I am always careful to stay away from the back end of a horse!

It is Irish champion flat trainer Aidan O'Brien's 49th birthday today.  At only 49 years of age it means that he has plenty of years left in him too - I bet there are plenty of trainers on the other side of the Irish Sea who are ruing those words!  Many happy returns Aidan.

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What a great result for England last night as they beat Spain 3-2 away from home.  It was a strange match with Spain having 73% of the possession, more shots and more corners and yet England still won.  It was the first time that Spain had conceded three goals in a competitive match at home.  Mind you, we did get away with a penalty when goalkeeper Jordan Pickford lost the plot and tried to dribble the ball out of his own penalty area, lost the ball and brought down Rodrigo.  It was a penalty and the referee never gave it.  Even so, it was a good result for England so I am not going to dwell on that.  I finished up level on the night as I backed Spain at 4/5  and had a saver on England at 5's...I would have done my brains if it had finished a draw!

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Did you hear about the man who died after fallling into a vat of coffee?  It was instant!  Keep smiling...

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