Good Day For Art Lovers!

American Art couldn't complete the five-timer but still produced a decent effort at Southwell yesterday when finishing runner-up.  Our six year old found the task of trying to concede 12lbs to the winner Grand Art just too much...one thing is for sure - it was certainly a good day for art lovers with the forecast paying nearly £45!  Despite not winning yesterday he looks to be more than capable of scoring again especially in this grade.

It was exciting news to hear that Grands Crus will be making his chasing debut at Cheltenham this Friday.  Our six year old grey son of Dom Alco began his rise to prominence at this meeting last year when landing the intermediate hurdle in fine style and it would be nice if he could do the same this time around.  I have seen him jumping fences and he certainly looks very exciting and this race could well be worth the price of admission alone.  David says the main problem that Tom will have will be to keep him relaxed in the early stages of the race...roll on Friday!

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I was saddened to see that former heavyweight boxing champion Joe Frazier had passed away.  I can remember back to my youth and watching the three greatest heavyweight fights of the century against Mohammed Ali.  In 1971 their match attracted 300,000,000 viewers and even the great Frank Sinatra begged to be the ringside photographer (and the great man could take a mean picture)!  I watched the fight down at the cinema in Brighton and remember getting home at about 8 o'clock the next morning.  Joe died at the age of 67...a great heavyweight champion at a time when the very best were competing.

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Talking of the passing of legends I see there is an interesting piece in the Racing Post about Fred Archer, who passed away on this day in 1886.  Archer was regarded by many as the finest jockey to have ever lived and despite the fact that he was only 29 at the time of his death, he had been champion jockey on an incredible thirteen occasions!  You will see to the right, a picture of Fred Archer in the colours of the Prince of Wales (now used by Queen Elizabeth II) that MCP has in his collection