First Runners Of New Year

Well, Happy New Year everybody!  It is a busy start to 2019 with six meetings taking place, five over the sticks from Cheltenham, Musselburgh, Exeter, Catterick and Fakenham, whilst there is an all-weather flat fixture from Southwell.  David has three runners this afternoon at Exeter; Extra Mag, Glen Vine and New Age Dawning.  Extra Mag (pictured above) contests the 2m1f novices' hurdle at 12.40pm.  A winner of his only start on the flat in France, he looked all over the winner on his debut for the stable in a hot race at Wetherby when unseating Tom Scudamore at the last.  He looks a good thing with a clear round and if reproducing that sort of effort.  Glen Vine runs in the 2m2½f National Hunt maiden hurdle.  It is a competitive contest with 18 runners but Glen Vine (a son of Gaspara) showed a good deal of promise when runner-up in a bumper on his only start and he should be thereabouts under Tom Scu.  Our final runner is New Age Dawning who goes in the bumper at 4.05pm.  He was runner-up in an Irish point on his only previous start and this track should suit so he must have a good chance at odds of around 11/4.

David signed of 2018 with a good winner at Uttoxeter yesterday afternoon when Delface bolted up in the two mile handicap hurdle.  He won this from a mark of 99 but I would imagine that he will be taking a hike in the ratings after this.  Eur Gone West finished fourth later on the card, but he was not aided by jumping out to his right.

There is some good racing to look forward to this afternoon on the television with Cheltenham being shown on ITV.  Guess where I will be today!

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There are three Premier League football matches this afternoon with Arsenal taking on Fulham, Cardiff playing Spurs and Everton versus Leicester.  I think I will have a cheeky little treble on Arsenal, Spurs and Everton.

Talk about money for old rope...Floyd Mayweather pocketed £7 million for just 140 seconds work in a kick boxing match with Tenshin Nasukawa in Tokyo.  Why do they keep lining this man's pockets with these novelty matches?  Let's just acknowledge the fact that he is one of the finest boxers ever and just let the man retire once and for all.

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Where can you buy ancient elephants?  At a mammoth sale!

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