Newbury Runner

       Activist runs at Newbury Today

After a couple of dry days, the rain returned at Pond House overnight and I had 13mm of rain in the gauge this morning, normality has returned!  There was just 3.2mm of rain overnight at Newbury where their ground is described as good to soft and we have one runner there, Activist who goes in the opening contest at 2pm.  This is the conditional jockeys handicap hurdle over 2m4f and Rian Corcoran rides.  It is fair to say our seven year old is not always the most consistent but on the other hand, he has won five of 25 career starts so that is a pretty good strike rate! 

After a disappointing effort at Fontwell on desperate ground on his penultimate start he returned to form with a good second at Plumpton last time.  He has probably been in the grip of the handicapper since winning at Fontwell last season but with Rian claiming a handy six pounds in this race I think that puts him in with a very good chance, if he puts his best foot forwards!  This will be Rian's first ride on him, the track and ground will suit and I think he has a good each way chance.  Newbury races are always competitive but this is only a 0-110 and the only type of race he can go in so I am hopeful!

Newbury is one of two jumps meetings today with the other coming up at Doncaster.  There are two all-weather flat cards at Lingfield and and Wolverhampton and in Ireland they have one flat card at Dundalk.  There is due to be a big jumps card at Naas tomorrow but that track is struggling after recent rainfall and must pass an inspection today for racing to go ahead.

We took some horses to Wincanton yesterday for a racecourse gallop and there were plenty of other horses there as well including the Jeremy Scott trained Golden Ace.  She is going back to Cheltenham to try to defend her Champion hurdle crown and while she was lucky twelve months ago I think she might have a great chance this year in a more open looking contest.  People tend to knock her form but she is a two-time Cheltenham Festival winner and you do get horses that go back year in year out and win.  She beat Brighterdaysahead two years ago in the mares event and is looking for her third win on the spin and I wouldn't bet against her doing it again at odds of about 6/1.  Her team report her in good form and are looking forward to Tues 11th March, like me! 

There is one Premiership football match this evening and it is a Birmingham Derby as Wolves play Aston Villa at 8pm.  Last night in European action, Celtic won away at Stuttgart but have been knocked out while Nottingham Forrest lost at home but go through on aggregate.  Crystal Palace also won and go through to the next round. 

The T20 cricket World cup has reached the stage of the 'Super 8' and England having qualified from the initial group stages play South Africa today at 1.30pm.  They then will play Pakistan and Sri Lanka with the top two teams from this mini group stage progressing through to the semi-finals. 

The roundest knight at King Arthur's table was Sir Cumference.

He acquired his size from too much pi.

Have a fab Friday!