New Age At Lingfield

There are three meetings taking place this afternoon with jumps cards from Carlisle and Lingfield as well as an all-weather flat fixture from Newcastle.  David has one runner today as Exeter bumper winner New Age Dawning (pictured above) makes his hurdling debut at Lingfield in the 2m3½f novices' hurdle at 3.15pm.  It does look like a decent contest but our gelding put up a good performance first time out and this step-up in trip should suit based on his form in Irish point-to-points.  He looks to have decent claims under Tom Scudamore.

I thought that Ramses de Teillee ran another absolute cracker in the Grand National Trial at Haydock on Saturday, finishing runner-up, beaten only ¾length.  Jumping the last I thought he was going to hold on, but he was just collared near the finish.  The big one at Aintree could be on the cards for him now.

Warthog ran a decent race, finishing third in the 2m4f handicap chase although his current mark of 137 still looks high enough to me.  Champers On Ice was fourth in the Pertemps qualifier on his first start back from an absence and I thought that it was a promising performance and he is certainly entitled to improve for the outing.

I see there are quite a few people having a pop at Irish trainer Gordon Elliott over the number of horses he could run in the Grand National.  He has already stated that he may run 10-15 horses, depending on how many he can get in the race.  There is a letter in today's Post from James Rooney which says "Vieux Lion Rouge has been around the National course six times and was second in the Becher Chase.  He could be stopped from getting a run by a plethora of Gigginstown horses".  (I think that means a lot!)

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I hope a few of you followed me with the football bets over the weekend as they all won.  There is a good game tonight as Chelsea and Manchester United face-off in the fifth round of the FA Cup.  United are 6/4 chances and that will do for me.  I am not sure that Chelsea boss Maurizo Sarri knows what he is doing and it looks like Zinedine Zidane could be their next manager.

It was good to see how Manchester City played on the Newport pitch.  I thought it was a nice touch by City boss Pep Guardiola who told the Newport players "You want shirts or training gear as mementoes?  Just take anything you want".  I am going to take a look on E-Bay!

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What do you do if your nose goes on strike?  Picket!  Come on, it is Monday...they can only get better!

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