3 Uttoxeter Runners

There are six meetings taking place this afternoon with jumps action from Uttoxeter and flat fixtures from Thirsk, Ascot, York, Newmarket and Chepstow.  David has three runners at Uttoxeter today; Port O'Clock, Defi d'Oudairies and Koi Dodville.  Port O'Clock is the first of them as he contests the 3m novices' handicap chase at 2.10pm.  He has run well in two starts for the stable, finishing a close second on both outings and a repeat of those efforts should see him right there again for the David Pipe Racing Club.  Tom Scudamore is in the saddle.

Defi d'Oudairies runs in the 2m7½f handicap hurdle at 2.40pm.  He stayed on strongly in the closing stages to finish second, beaten only a nose at Newton Abbot last week and runs from the same mark this afternoon and has obvious claims on that basis.  Philip Armson claims 5lbs off his back.

Koi Dodville runs in the 2m handicap chase at 3.15pm.  He has taken well to the larger obstacles, finishing runner-up in both of his chase starts to date.  He gets a useful age allowance and should go close once again.  Tom Scudamore rides.

We were out of luck at Worcester and Sandown yesterday with Kolisi faring best of our three runners when third in the 2m handicap hurdle at Worcester. He ran well to be beaten less than three lengths and was squeezed up a bit at the last flight of hurdles which would not have helped.  After a prosperous Spring, the handicapper does look like he has him right where he wants him.  d'Jango was disappointing in his bid for a Worcester hat-trick, although he didn't jump with any fluency and may be better back over timber.  Lady Reset ran her usual honest race to finish fourth at Sandown but is another that looks to have little in hand of the handicapper at present.

I see that Gordon Elliott has lambasted the fact that Irish trained horses are not allowed to contest low-grade handicaps over here.  I can see his point, although perhaps, given the obvious disparity between the ratings on either side of the Irish Sea, they should run in a number of non-handicaps here first where they will qualify for a British rating?  The French already do this and it makes more sense than just excluding them altogether.

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England's cricketers are back in One Day action again today as they take on South Africa at Old Trafford in the second of their three match series.  The tourists were comfortable winners of the first match so England will be hoping to turn that around, although with plenty of rain in the forecast, it could become unpredictable.

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 What's the difference between bird flu and swine flu?  You give one tweetment and the other oinkment.