Three Meetings

Today we have three runners at three different meetings and while the lorries heading to Uttoxeter and Lingfield were well on their journey early this morning, it will be a much later start for the lorry to Taunton which is of course much closer to home.  Bashful Boy is our runner at Taunton and it is great they are back racing after losing their intended first fixture of the season as the ground was too firm.  It still will be on the quicker side of good today but it is safe and this is the type of ground that Bashful Boy loves.  He runs in the 2.50pm handicap hurdle over 2m3f and Harry Cobden rides.  This will be his first run over hurdles for over a year but he has been running well on the flat all summer, without winning but he has been contesting some tough races.  He once again ran better than the bare result suggests in the Cesarewitch at Newmarket last time and he retains all of his enthusiasm.  He carries top weight in the race today and is handicapped to go well if he enjoys his return to hurdling.  He has a good man on top and I think he can put up a bold show if he wants to!

River Run Free is our first runners of the day and he runs in the opening contest on the card at Uttoxeter, the conditional jockeys handicap chase at 12.25pm.  Rian Corcoran rides and this is our six year olds seasonal reappearance.  He has won two of his four starts over fences and while he did finish the last campaign with a poor run, that was too bad to be true and he starts this season on a workable mark especially with Rian's claim.  There are only six runners but it is quite a competitive little field.  This is probably the minimum trip for him but the ground will be hard work which he won't mind and I think he will run well.

Gold in the Rivers runs in the 2.25pm novices handicap chase at Lingfield and Jack Tudor rides.  He ran well at the track last time on chasing debut to be second over this trip and a repeat of that run would give him a good chance in this.  There are only six runners but again it looks a competitive looking race and we are about 9/2 third best in the betting.  He wears a tongue strap today and I hope we won't be too far away come the finish.

As well as the three meetings over jumps there are two flat fixtures on the all-weather at Chelmsford and Newcastle.  In Ireland they race over jumps at Thurles.

Yesterday there was good news for racing in the budget with the racing tax set to remain the same.  The campaign by everyone involved with racing in the last few months with everyone coming together I am sure had an effect and it was good news.  I don't know enough about it all to write too much more but I do know it would not have been good news for racing had it gone up.  There still will be knock on consequences from other changes made in the budget but for the main one it was a victory for racing.

It was a great night for Arsenal in the Champions League last night as they beat Bayern Munich 3-1 for an historic win and they looked very good in the bits of the match I watched.  It was not such a good night for either Spurs and particularly Liverpool who both lost.  Tonight attention turns to Europa League action and Aston Villa, Nottingham Forrest and Crystal Palace are all in action.

Why did the teddy bear say no to dessert?

Because she was stuffed!

Have a good day!