Weekend Jottings

There are just two meetings taking place this afternoon with jumping action from Exeter and Uttoxeter.  David has three runners at Exeter courtesy of Three Star General, Miro and Mutanaqel.  Three Star General (pictured above) and Miro contest the 2m7f handicap hurdle at 1.20pm, with the former shouldering top-weight of 12-0 less jockey Charlie Hammond's 5lbs claim.  He should like the ground, mind you we have had an awful lot of rain over the last couple of days.  Miro is the mount of David Noonan and he had bits and pieces of form when with Gordon Elliott - indeed, if you go back far enough you will find that he beat subsequent Imperial Cup winner Mr Antolini!  It is a pretty open race and I think I will be keeping my money in my pocket.  Mutanaqel is our final runner in the conditional jockeys' race at 3.50pm.  He has shaped with promise in his three starts and due to his three year old's allowance he carries only 10-6.  Charlie Hammond takes the ride.

Meanwhile, stable jockey Tom Scudamore is over at Uttoxeter where he has picked up a few outside rides.

Over in Ireland there is an eight race card at Navan and there are loads of runners.  As far as I am concerned, it once again illustrates that there is just too much racing in this country.

Slightly further afield, top flat jockeys Ryan Moore, William Buick and Fran Berry will be riding in Tokyo for the Japan Cup at 6.40am this morning.  The race is worth almost £2 million to the winner - even the fifth home picks up close to £200,000.

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There are only two football matches taking place this afternoon with Bournemouth playing Arsenal and Wolves hosting Huddersfield.  Arsenal look worth a bet at 21/20, whilst Wolves are too short to be backing.

I asked a couple of days ago what the point was of the Woods versus Michelson golf shoot-out was.  It was a £9 million winner-takes-all event and the standard of golf was terrible...and I'm a golfer.  Michelson has picked up over $600 million during his career and woods is over $1 billion.  What they should have done is donated all of the money to charity and save everybody the embarrassment.

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My Christmas decorations are inflatable...I'm forever blowing baubles!

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