Two At Bangor

There are five flat meetings taking place this afternoon at Bath, Goodwood, Musselburgh, Newmarket and Thirsk as well as a jumps card at Bangor where the stable has two runners.  Tom Scudamore will be aboard Ladyvie (pictured above) in the 2m4 1/2f novices' chase at 2.45pm, while Conor O'Farrell rides Prime Design in the conditional jockeys' handicap hurdle at 6.05pm on her Pond House debut.

If you were thinking of going to Chester races on Sunday make sure you give yourself plenty of time as twelve months ago there were over 45,000 people crammed into the Roodeye.  It looks like being a good card with two Listed races on offer, but I think it is an excuse for a bit of a jolly-up for many.  It seems to be a favourite place to be seen for footballers who pose around in the centre of the track with bottles of champagne in hand.

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One for your notebooks...I was very impressed by a nice looking filly at Salisbury last Saturday night.  My mate at the track said that Waterway Run looked like she would benefit from the outing, but she defied her looks and won the six furlongs maiden in good style.  Ralph Beckett's two year old can only improve for the experience and looks like one to keep on the right side of over the coming months.

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I was surprised to read about former Derby winning trainer Paul Cole's struggles.  I still remember Generous winning all those good races, but it doesn't take long to slip out of favour in this sport.  Back in his heyday Cole would have had some 150 horses at his disposal - now he has only 38.  You certainly need numbers to keep turning out the winners, and it helps if you have 100 two year old's every season...just ask Richard Hannon.

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It was another good day for Team GB at the Olympics yesterday with gold medals for Sir Chris Hoy and the men's cycling team, the men's canoe double team, and shooter Peter Wilson.  The action switches to the track today and the start of the athletics and I will be rooting for heptathlete Jessica Ennis as she bids for gold.  I still can't believe that someone referred to her as fat not that long ago...was he looking at the same athlete?  To me she looks like she has been carved out of stone.