Golfing Success!

Today is the first day of York's Dante meeting and there is some Group race action on the card.  The Minster Stakes at 3.20pm is a Group 2 contest over 6 Furlongs and Time for Sandals is the favourite for the Harry Eustace team with Ryan Moore in the saddle although it looks quite an open race.  The Musidora Stakes follows at 4.05pm and this is for the girls over 1m2f and is a trial race for the Epsom Oaks.  Legacy Link is favourite for John and Thady Gosden but I quite like the look of Felicitas for Ed Walker and Kieran Shoemark.  The filly is unbeaten in two starts so far looking smart on both occasions and she could literally be anything.  She is 7/2 second best in the betting and it will be interesting to see how she gets on.

York is just one of three flat meetings today with racing also at Yarmouth and Bath.  There are two jumps meetings today with good runners at both Perth and Newton Abbot while in Ireland they have a jumps fixture at Punchestown so plenty of action to watch today.

I have returned from my Racing Welfare Gold Day at Woburn yesterday and I am pleased to say it went quite well!  I do have to say however, I was probably generously handicapped, not my doing but I was able to take advantage of it!  Well, after three holes and I couldn't hit a shot because of nerves I wasn't saying that but thankfully I settled down and was able to capitalise on it!  I had never been to such a nice golf course and the score cards were electronic and we received a lovely goody bag on arrival.  I skipped breakfast but got to meet my team members, Matt Ennis who works for Charlie Appleby, Nathan Brennan who works for James Owen and Ben Tillet who is the head farrier for Andrew Balding.  My teammates are very good golfers and looked after me for which I am very grateful!  Nathan Played off a handicap of 9 and actually won the competition and I finished runner up behind him winning a bottle of champagne.  Our team won the team event and so it was a very good day all round!   I was in esteemed company with other players including John Francome, Mick Fitgerald, Josh Apiafi, Rishi Persad, Warren Greatrex and Harry Derham.  

Last night in the football, there was a late goal from Southampton to secure victory over Middlesborough in the play-off semi-final while tonight there is one Premiership match with Manchester City against Crystal Palace.  It is a must win game for City, they are five points behind Arsenal currently and this is the game they have in hand over the Gunner.  If they secure all three points they will be two points behind the leaders with both teams having two games left.  The title is in the hands of the leaders Arsenal but City need to keep the pressure on them by securing all the points tonight.

The England women's cricket team are in One Day International action against New Zealand today starting at 1pm in Northampton.  

I am confused, how can a cemetery raise its funeral prices...

And blame it on the cost of living!

Have a good day!