Newbury, Plumpton Runners

There are four meetings taking place this afternoon with jumps cards from Newbury and Plumpton as well as a couple of all-weather flat fixtures from Lingfield and Kempton.  I wonder if the race planners have a map of the country?  How close together are these courses?  Unfortunately, if you live up north it is a case of on your bike!  David has one runner at both jumps fixtures.  Percy Street contests the 1.10pm race at Newbury, a 2m½f handicap hurdle.  He has been running consistently well without winning but has been creeping up the weights as a result.  In a tight little race, he looks to have each-way prospects again under David Noonan.  Tom Scudamore is aboard Three Star General (pictured above) who goes in the 3m1f handicap hurdle at 2.35pm.  He will handle the ground and is another with an each-way chance.

I see that jockey Tom O'Brien had a day to forget at Lingfield yesterday afternoon.  He finished third aboard Shaws Cross and then failed to weigh-in so was given a seven day suspension.  It is something that used to happen quite a lot in the old days, but never to one of our jockeys.  Either Martin or myself would always walk back to the scales with our jockeys to ensure this never happened.

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There is a good FA Cup third round replay taking place tonight between Southampton and Derby.  Southampton are a best priced 4/6 and they look worth a few quid.  Meanwhile, I see that Leicester are trying to coax Brendan Rogers away from Celtic to take the manager's position there.  Why would you leave the easiest job in football?  Any of us could manage Celtic (even you Sean!), but Leicester is a different proposition entirely.

Tommy Fleetwood and Brooks Koedka have been swotting up on the new golf rules.  You can now leave the pin in when putting, you can double hit, press down spike marks on the green and move loose impediments in bunkers.  I think these measures have probably been taken to speed play up, although I am not sure that it will.

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I have discovered that I have a logic fetish...I can't stop coming to conclusions!  Have a great day...

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