Newton, Fontwell Runners

There are five meetings taking place this afternoon with jumps cards from Newton Abbot, Kelso and Fontwell as well as a flat meeting from Chester and an all-weather card from Kempton.  David has four runners today with To Fly Free (pictured above) representing the David Pipe Racing Club at Newton Abbot and Dock Of The Bay, Percy Street and Doyen La Lutte at Fontwell.  To Fly Free contests the mares' handicap hurdle at 4.40pm.  She was a winner last season at Fakenham (form that has worked out well) and was placed on several occasions.  She is yet to prove her stamina over 2m2½f but this sharp track should certainly help and she will like the prevailing good ground so she certainly has each-way claims.  Jack Tudor is in the saddle and is excellent value for his 3lbs claim.

Over at Fontwell, Dock Of The Bay contests the 2m3f novices' hurdle at 4.50pm.  He makes his debut for the yard today and has an absence of over 1,000 days to overcome.  This is a good bit of placement as win, lose or draw, he will earn some prize money so long as he completes.  The favourite had some decent bumper form so is probably the one to beat but our chap goes nicely and has a good attitude and should run well with Fergus Gillard in the saddle taking 5lbs off his back.

Percy Street runs in the 2m3f handicap hurdle at 6.50pm.  He makes his seasonal debut after a break of 202 days.  A winner at Wincanton under similar conditions, he is well capable of putting in a good run and is 4lbs lower than his last winning mark.  Fergus Gillard takes the rid and claims 5lbs.

Our final runner is Doyen La Lutte who runs in the concluding mares' bumper at 7.50pm.  She produced a good performance when winning an Irish point-to-point on her second start between the flags and goes well at home.  Fergus Gillard takes the ride and she looks to have decent each-way prospects.

The stable drew a blank yesterday at Ayr and Southwell with a pair of fourth places our best results.  Thanksforthehelp shaped with a good deal of promise in the Southwell bumper, sticking on and not being beaten at all far on his racecourse debut.  He is from a good family and will have learned a great deal for the experience and he looks to be a nice type for the future.

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Manchester City beat Paris Saint Germain 2-0 last night in the second leg of their Champions' League semi-final to reach their first European final in 51 years.  There is a real chance it could be an all-English affair as Chelsea resume tonight in their semi-final second leg against Real Madrid.

Meanwhile, Jose Mourinho was not out of a job for long.  The "Special One" was yesterday named manager of Roma.

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A middle-aged man was sat in a truck stop when three rough bikers strode in.  The first walked over to the man and stubbed his cigarette out in his lunch.  The the second biker drank his coffee.  Finally, the third biker picked up the man's plate and smashed it on the floor.  Without saying a word, the man stood up and left.
"He wasn't much of a man was he?" sneered one of the bikers to the waitress.
"He's not much of a truck driver either," she replied.  "He has just backed over three motorcycles outside."