Only 4 For Dettori's Dismount!

After Blue Bunting won her third Group One race of the season, the Yorkshire Oaks yesterday, we were treated to the customary flying dismount from jockey Frankie Dettori.  However, Frankie didn't make his usual perfect landing and went down on his knees - the judges would only have given him a 4 out of 10 for that effort, and probably only a 2 for the face that he pulled!  It's all good fun, but you have to remember - you are getting older Frankie!

If Frankie scored a 2 for the face he pulled after his win yesterday, I bet the bookie who had to pay out £50,000 would have scored substantially less.  One punter had £2,000 each way on Mark Tompkins 20/1 winner Dazinsky on the Knavesmire yesterday...I bet his friendly bookie looked like a bulldog sucking on a wasp!

*****

It's hard to believe, but former jockey, author and Attheraces pundit, Richard Pitman has come up with a good idea in the wake of all the talk about modifying the Grand National!  Why not put an extra fence in 50 yards from the start?  That way the horses would not be going so fast during the early part of the race - he is right, as soon as the tapes go up they go like the clappers towards the first fence.  There is quite a long run to the first and the horses can build up a good head of steam and are always going too fast - good thinking Richard.  Having said that, I suppose you could always save time and money by just moving the starting tapes nearer to the first fence...d'oh!

*****

I thought that Tottenham Hotspur put up a good performance to beat Hearts 5-0 last night in Scotland.  It just shows that other than Rangers and Celtic, the standard is Scottish football is fairly poor in comparison.  I am pretty sure that Spurs will not be winning 5-0 away from home in the Premiership this season!