Seven Runners Today

It's been ten days without any jump racing but it seems more like ten weeks to me!  At last we are back in business with a couple of meetings at Plumpton and Uttoxeter.  We have runners at both meetings and Tom Scudamore has elected to go to Plumpton to ride Bathwick Scanno, Arab League, Ladyvie and Surfboard, while Conor O'Farrell picks up the ride on American Art and Taratata Sivola at Uttoxeter and Timmy Murphy rides Teshali.  We look to have some sound chances so we will be keeping fingers firmly crossed for a good day.

Market Rasen winner Taratata Sivola bids to follow-up at Uttoxeter this afternoon

It's been ten days without any jump racing but it seems more like ten weeks to me!  At last we are back in business with a couple of meetings at Plumpton and Uttoxeter.  We have runners at both meetings and Tom Scudamore has elected to go to Plumpton to ride Bathwick Scanno, Arab League, Ladyvie and Surfboard, while Conor O'Farrell picks up the ride on American Art and Taratata Sivola at Uttoxeter and Timmy Murphy rides Teshali.  We look to have some sound chances so we will be keeping fingers firmly crossed for a good day.

I see that A P McCoy has rides at Uttoxeter - he must be taking a break from his golf!  It's just as well that he is the greatest jump jockey of all time because he is to golf what I am to being a jockey!

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It is a shame that the Nigel Twiston-Davies trained former Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Imperial Commander is out for the season after he suffered a tendon injury during his pre-training in Northern Ireland.  He is expected to return for the 2012/13 jumps campaign but will be rising twelve by then so it would be some achievement to return to his glory days.  It seems to me that you read about various high profile horses getting injured quite regularly these days - almost as much as those pampered footballers.  I have heard of instances where a horse can get injured just by having a shoe put on - can you imagine a footballer injuring himself putting his boot on?!  Hang on a minute...I might have just given a few of them some ideas!

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Betting pundit Mark Winstanley must have at least one hundred track suits and batches of checked jumpers like the one he was wearing in the Post yesterday!  If you are thinking of sending Mark a Christmas present, what about a nice tie in the claret and blue colours of West Ham - I am sure that would be top of the list of any nutty Chelsea supporter!