More Fixtures Lost

                 On the Gallops

Only one meeting has survived the weather today and that is the all-weather meeting at Kempton.  Already Doncaster and Huntingdon have been called off for tomorrow.  Taunton officals are currently out looking at the track.  They have some covers down so they are seeing what things look like underneath.  It suddenly turned colder again down in the west country last night.  I thought we would definitely race at Taunton tomorrow but now I am not so sure.  An update since I have been writing this is that unfortunately Taunton has been abandoned for tomorrow.  It is -4c on the gallops at 7.30am.  Meanwhile things look slightly more positive in Ireland tomorrow.  They say there are no reported problems at Thurles.  It is great they have managed to re-arrange the Musselburgh fixture that was abandoned the other day.  This is due to take place on Saturday and entries close today.  Fingers crossed we may get some jumping action this weekend. 

At home the work is still continuing as normal.  Once again the weather has not inconvenienced us too much but it does make things a little more hard work.  I have another photo from the gallops of Weekend Millionair.  He has not run since 2010 after having only one run over hurdles but he is a new recruit who will be nearing a return to action very soon.  He is owned by David's yard Sponsor Bathwick Tyres and this is a great time to once again thank them for there longstanding support both of our yard and racing in general.  They put so much into the sport so we just hope we can give them a winner or two along the way!  Don't forget to visit one of the their many depot's if you need any tyres!  

                               Weekend Millionair

I see that lots of bookies are complaining that they are hardly making a living working.  On course bookies used to take four staff to the course, now a lot of them stand on their own.  Simply the business is not there and the expenses are too high.  Pat Dennis used to take 1000 bets ten years ago.  Yesterday he took just 122.  The Exchanges have hit the bookmaking business hard and also in the current economic climate the punter does not have so much money to bet with.  People used to say you never see a poor bookie, but you do!

There is a local derby in the football tonight as Middlesborough play Sunderland.  What a job Martin O'Neill has done at Sunderland.  You can back Sunderland at 21/20 which looks a bet for me!  The game is on ITV at 7.45pm.  Not sure I will be popular when I tell my missuss no Emmerdale or Coronation Street tonight!