Hoping To Cash In!

As you can see from the picture above, it is yet another damp and dreary day in the west country, but at least we have our first runner for a few days this afternoon when Keep The Cash takes in the Worcester bumper at 3.20pm.  Keep The Cash is a half brother to prolific winner and former Pond House inmate Seven Is My Number and it is his racecourse debut this afternoon.  It is a big day for these unraced youngsters as they get taken to the races for the first time...the experience of all the people, racing in a group of horses for the first time, being put under pressure - everything is new to them.  There isn't much form to go on in the race so it is difficult to assess his chance - we will just have to see how he gets on in the hands of Tom Scudamore.

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I was pleased to see former jump jockey Graham Lee record his 50th win of the season since switching codes to the flat yesterday as he notched a double at Ripon.  He seems to have seemlessly made the transitions between jumps and flat and doesn't look out of place in a tight finish, although I would imagine that Graham is a fair bit stronger than one or two of his flat colleagues.  After pushing one for four and a half miles around Aintree this new game must be a doddle to him!

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I am looking forward to a night in front of the television this evening as Real Madrid take on Barcelona.  It was certainly an interesting first leg with tackles flying about all over the place - someone is sure to get sent off in this return leg and the atmosphere should be electric in the Bernabeu.  The action all kicks off tonight at 9.30pm on Sky.

On the domestic front I see that Swindon beat Stoke after extra time to go through to the next round of the League Cup.  I bet manager Paulo De Canio was going mad - he was a great footballer and seems to be doing okay as a manager.  I don't think it will be too long before he gets a bigger job if someone will be willing to take a chance.

I see that there has been plenty of money flying about for West Ham manager Sam Allardyce to be the next Premiership boss to be shown the door.  I certainly hope not as he has managed to get my beloved Hammers back into the Premiership - why not see if he can keep us there?  A couple of managers have already been sacked - and that is after just a couple of games of the new season!