Wet!

A very wet start to the day at Pond House with 35mm of rain falling overnight.  There are four meetings taking place this afternoon with all the action coming on the flat from Salisbury, Lingfield, Carlisle and Thirsk.  If they have had the rain we have had down in this neck of the woods the going is likely to be pretty testing.  There are no runners from the stable today.  Buster Edwards finished third at Stratford and he has now been beaten twice from this mark since winning at Fontwell...perhaps the handicapper might drop him a few pounds now?  Ekayburg shaped with promise at Windsor last night, finishing sixth over 1m2f.

I had better wish my former boss Trevor Hemmings a happy 84th birthday for today.  Trevor is a fantastic supporter of National Hunt racing in this country and he also has a couple of horses with David.  Many happy returns Trevor!

Norther trainer Keith Dalgleish turned up at Catterick with the wrong horse.  It should have been one of Colin Tizzard's horses over 400 miles away but they were mixed up when they were transported to Britain from Ireland.  In the end it was Dalgleish who was fined £750.

Lady Halifax is set to contest a charity race at York on Saturday at the age of 69 - she is President of Macmillan Cancer Support.  She had been riding out at Richard Fahey's yard in preparation for the race.  I think she is tremendously brave to take up race riding at that age, although it is a wonderful cause.  To help her fund raising just search Camilla Fairfax at www.justgiving.com

*****

There is a great picture in the newspaper of the 1969 Newcastle United football team.  There in the front row is Pop Robson who played for West Ham and also competed in the East London League at table tennis.  He married one of my old mixed doubles partners, Maureen Heppell.  Pop also had hair in those Newcastle days!  Happy memories...

Who will be the new boss of Chelsea?  The fans are calling for Frank Lampard.  Whoever takes over will have a hard job.  Don't forget the have a transfer ban and have also just lost star player Eden Hazard.  Good luck Frank (or whoever it is), you are going to need it.

*****

I was at the beach the other day and loads of meat floated past...it was a bit choppy!

Tweet