A Busy Weekend

It looks like being a busy day with the stable having no fewer than nine runners this afternoon at Wincanton,  Haydock and Ascot.  It would be nice if Waterunder could score at Wincanton for his owners Wayne and Sarah Clifford who are sponsoring the race through their Bathwick Tyres brand.  They are wonderful supporters of racing in this country and deserve every success - they are sponsoring no fewer than seven races this afternoon at Wincanton and without support like this a number of racecourses would struggle.  My wife tells me she likes the sound of Waterunder and Water Garden from the stable this afternoon - who needs a form book?!  The ultra-consistent I'msingingtheblues takes his chance in the eight runner Grade One Betfair Chase and with prizemoney down to sixth place, let's hope that it's another good payday for this amazing Saturday horse.

It looks like being a busy day with the stable having no fewer than nine runners this afternoon at Wincanton,  Haydock and Ascot.  It would be nice if Waterunder could score at Wincanton for his owners Wayne and Sarah Clifford who are sponsoring the race through their Bathwick Tyres brand.  They are wonderful supporters of racing in this country and deserve every success - they are sponsoring no fewer than seven races this afternoon at Wincanton and without support like this a number of racecourses would struggle.  My wife tells me she likes the sound of Waterunder and Water Garden from the stable this afternoon - who needs a form book?!  The ultra-consistent I'msingingtheblues takes his chance in the eight runner Grade One Betfair Chase and with prizemoney down to sixth place, let's hope that it's another good payday for this amazing Saturday horse.

Over on the gallops, I was able to take a couple of photographs of some of this weekends runners as they completed their preparations earlier in the week.  Below you will see high class chaser Massini's Maguire (who runs this afternoon at Ascot) as he worked upsides Shaking Hands, while Water Garden (engaged in the 2.00pm at Wincanton) worked upsides Bamboleo.

  
Above left: (l-r) Massini's Maguire & Shaking Hands, and right: (l-r) Bamboleo & Water Garden on the gallops

We didn't have a winner yesterday afternoon, although there were a number of creditable performances.  I'm So Lucky acquitted himself well against Sprinter Sacre when finishing third in the Game Spirit, while I thought that Presenting Ace ran a promising race behind some very useful novice hurdlers.  Grand Crus' full brother Gevrey Chambertin finished a close fourth in a hot looking bumper in which there were no fewer than eight previous winners - he was done no favours by the first two close home as they converged on him, leaving Tom Scu little option other than to snatch our runner up.  It probably cost our runner third place and while the race was contested by some very inexperience horses, I cannot believe there was not even a steward's enquiry.

Just when I begin to think that I am running out of superlatives for A P McCoy - the great man took a horrible looking fall from Darlan in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury yesterday afternoon.  The champ lay motionless on the ground for some time before finally getting up and walking off - incredibly he was back in action later in the afternoon and gave Shutthefrontdoor a great ride to prevail in a driving finish in the bumper.  These jockeys are made of tough stuff.

*****

I have never heard of a sand storm stopping a cricket match, although it could conceivably happen in the Pakistan versus England match.  It would certainly help some of our batsmen (who might be better off building some sandcastles!).  I see that some bookmakers are laying 5/1 that Eoin Morgan scores 24 or more runs, yes I did say 24...he is that bad!

*****

My football bets for this weekend will consist of Stoke (11/10), Everton (11/20) and Norwich (10/11) - you heard it here first!