Great Weekend

What a tremendous weekend for the stable with the Grade One success of Adagio in the Finale Juvenile Hurdle at Chepstow and the success of Martinhal at Exeter on Sunday.  Adagio produced a superb performance to lower the colours of favourite Nassalam on Saturday.  He travelled and jumped brilliantly and showed a spritely turn of foot on very soft ground to take it up between the last two hurdles and quicken away from his rivals under Tom Scudamore.  He was still pricking his ears halfway up the run-in, so hopefully that is a sign there is more to come.  Meanwhile on Sunday, Martinhal (pictured above) was a brave winner of the 2m1f maiden hurdle at Exeter, staying on resolutely in the closing stages to score narrowly from the favourite.  He looks for all the world as though he will get further and is another nice young prospect for the stable.

There are three meetings taking place this afternoon with jumps cards from Doncaster and Hereford as well as an all-weather flat card from Wolverhampton.  David has two runners today at Doncaster; Airton and Buster Edwards.  Airton contests the conditional jockeys' handicap hurdle at 12.30pm.  He has been in good form of late, winning at Uttoxeter and finishing in the frame on his two subsequent starts.  He has to shoulder top weight in this wide open race but is only 1lb higher than when successful and has each-way claims under Fergus Gillard.  He represents the David Pipe Racing Club.

Our other runner is Buster Edwards who goes in the 3m2f novices' handicap chase at 2.40pm.  A multiple winner over hurdles, he began his chasing career with promising efforts from higher marks and whilst not as good recently, those earlier efforts give him every chance here.  Regular rider David Noonan is in the saddle and he would have each-way claims on his best form.

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There is more FA Cup action to look forward to tonight as West Ham take on Stockport County.  The Hammers currently sit 86 places above their rivals tonight, although West Ham manager David Moyes is taking no chances and says he will be picking a strong team.

The Masters Snooker got underway in Milton Keynes yesterday but did so without world number one Judd Trump or Jack Lisowski who have both tested postive for Coronavirus.  Their absence makes things considerably more open and I am hoping Neil Robertson can benefit.  Dave Gilbert and Kyren Wilson were both successful on day one, progressing to the quarter-finals.

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I was arrested for selling flags in the street the other day...something to do with trading standards!

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