Donny Today

Bygones Sovereign was only narrowly beaten at Leicester yesterday afternoon in what looked to be a fair novices' hurdle for the course.  The third home, Medinas had winning form and I think that the first three home will all go on to prove themselves useful hurdlers and win further races.

We have two runners this afternoon at Doncaster, Trop Fort and newcomer Bamboleo.  Bamboleo, who runs in the closing bumper certainly looks the part on paper being a brother to Nicky Henderson's very smart hurdler/novice chaser Mossley, with the dam being a half sister to Commanche Court.  Tom Scudamore will ride both our runners.

Bamboleo (nearside) on the gallops earlier in the season

Bygones Sovereign was only narrowly beaten at Leicester yesterday afternoon in what looked to be a fair novices' hurdle for the course.  The third home, Medinas had winning form and I think that the first three home will all go on to prove themselves useful hurdlers and win further races.

We have two runners this afternoon at Doncaster, Trop Fort and newcomer Bamboleo.  Bamboleo, who runs in the closing bumper certainly looks the part on paper being a brother to Nicky Henderson's very smart hurdler/novice chaser Mossley, with the dam being a half sister to Commanche Court.  Tom Scudamore will ride both our runners.

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I see that jockey Mark Bradburne is calling it a day and retiring from the saddle after a career spanning nineteen years.  Mark was certainly good enough if the horse was and he rode 350 winners during his career and I still remember him finishing third in the Grand National aboard Lord Atterbury for us in 2004.  He is now going to pursue his electricians business so he shouldn't get any more kicks (unless of course he touches a live wire!).  Enjoy your retirement Mark.

Yesterday we reported on former Pond House jockey Danny Cook following a nasty fall on Tuesday that left him with his kneecap broken in three places.  Well apparently, he has had his knee wired and pinned (sounds painful just thinking about it) and is hoping to be back in action in March.  March is only eight weeks away and that sounds like an icredibly quick recovery to me.

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I don't think that Betfair will be enjoying the adverse publicity they are enduring at present following the lay fiasco yesterday where they have voided bets totalling £23 million.  If you are a punter and make a mistake, you have to pay for it - I can see lots of their customers getting together and mounting some sort of legal challenge.  I just think that if it was a technical fault and so obvious, then why did it take them so long to come out with a statement?

Talking of in-running betting - I am constantly amazed by the number of horses that come from a seemingly impossible position to get up on the line to win at Lingfield's all-weather track.  If you were betting in running, you could certainly do some money there!