Monday Morning

There are three meetings taking place this afternoon with jumps cards from Ayr and Plumpton while there is also an all-weather flat meeting from Wolverhampton.  David does not have any runners today but stable jockey Tom Scudamore travels all the way up to Ayr where he has picked up some outside rides.  I thought that Gevrey Chambertin was running a good race when unseating Tom in the Eider Chase at Newcastle on Saturday - he was certainly in with every chance at the time and I think he would have finished in the frame at the very least.  He is not the easiest horse to catch right but he is clearly in good order at this time so let's hope that this experience does not diminish his enthusiasm...it sounds as though I am talking through my pocket!

Saint John Henry ran okay for a long way at Southwell yesterday but just tired from two out - he is still 7lbs above his last winning mark and probably needs to drop a few pounds in the handicap.

The jockeys look forward to two meetings above all others all season long - the Cheltenham Festival and the Grand National so you can imagine how upset Barry Geraghty must be at the moment with the news that he is going to miss the former with broken ribs and a punctured lung.  Just think of all the nice rides he had lined up for his boss J P McManus.  Geraghty will be giving his views on ITV but I am sure he would much rather be in action on the track.

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Manchester United were victorious in the EFL Cup yesterday with a 3-2 win over Southampton.  The best signing of the season was undoubtedly Zlatan Ibrahimovic - the Swede looked different class yesterday and he seems to play every match.  If I were a United fan I would do as manager Jose Mourinho has suggested and camp outside of Ibrahimovic's house and make him stay another year!

Yesterday's match was yet another illustration of why we need replay technology in the game now.  Southampton were denied an early goal when the referee and linesman decided that the striker was offside when he clearly was not.  Losing by only one goal, you can understand Southampton feeling aggrieved.  It is human error and these things happen, but it could be avoided using modern technology.

Leicester play at home to Liverpool tonight and it is their first game since they fired their manager.  Liverpool are a best priced 4/6 and if Leicester continue to play like they have, the Scousers look worth a bet.

It looks as though the Amir Khan, Manny Pacquaio fight will take place on 23rd April (St George's Day) - I wonder who came up with the £31 million?  Meanwhile, there was a great heavyweight fight over the weekend with Deontay Wilder getting up off the floor to knock out Gerald Washington...I can't see the Khan Pacquaio fight being such a thriller.

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I don't do jokes about graphic designers...I draw the line at that!

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