Happy Birthday David!

        Barton Stacey on the Gallops

Just two all-weather meetings today at Wolverhampton and Southwell.  I am sorry to report that there will be no jumping action tomorrow either as Ludlow and Carlisle have failed their morning inspections while the other meeting scheduled for tomorrow, Lingfield was already abandoned yesterday.  Lets just hope the mild weather is coming for the weekend.  Newbury is a card we definitely want on.  David has Grands Crus entered and Nicky Henderson's Sprinter Sacre could run in the Betfair Super Saturday chase, that is not to mention the other great races on the card.  I am praying for good weather as I am having withdrawal symptoms!  Fingers crossed I think Taunton will be the next Jumps meeting ot go ahead on Thursday.  I don't want to put the mockers on it but although temepratures were low it did not freeze last night at Pond House and we would race here today.  We are literally only a few miles from the racecourse so as long it does not get too much colder in the next 48 hours they will hopefully be okay to race.

It seems funny to me that they have had more chance of racing at Ayr yesterday than most of the other jumps courses across the UK.  Usually they get the worst weather up in Scotland but the ground looked fine their yesterday and it was officially soft, heavy in places.  They can put an all-weather meeting on at short notice, why not another jumps meeting at Ayr?  I would have thought you could have arranged another fixture there for today as they said there was no danger of yesterdays meeting being called off, or am I missing something?!

It is David's birthday today, so many happy returns to him!  Mind you, the Racing Post have got it wrong.  They say he is 39.  They have obviously put down what David has told them!  I will not tell you his real age but its more than most of all our cricketers made in the test against Pakistan!  I'm only joking, he is actually 39.  He is busy working today but I think he is having a small celebration this evening!

In last nights football I cannot believe that Liverpool and Spurs played out a 0-0 draw.  I was convinced there were going to be goals but football is a funny old game!  Celtic are best priced 10/11 to win the Scottish Cup.  They are drawn away to Dundee in the next round.  That takes the cake, I am sure there is a joke in there somewehere!