Two Runners At Wincanton

There are four meetings taking place this afternoon with jumps cards from Wincanton and Carlisle as well as all-weather flat cards from Southwell and Newcastle.  David has two runners at Wincanton this afternoon; Top Wood and Arkadios.  Top Wood (pictured above) carries top weight in the staying handicap chase at 2.55pm.  He looks to be on a reasonable mark now, 6lbs lower than his last winning rating although he does need to bounce back to form.  Meanwhile, Arkadios contests the 2m novices' hurdle at 3.30pm and he needs to improve on what he has shown so far to figure - Michael Heard is in the saddle and claims 5lbs off his back.

Talk is rife about which race David's leading Cheltenham Festival contender Moon Racer should go in.  I know for a fact that the target has yet to be decided and it doesn't matter how many times David is asked at preview evenings or on social media, that will remain the case until he has had a final discussion with Tom Scudamore and the owners.  Personally, if he were my horse I would be aiming him at the Supreme Novices' Hurdle - he could contest the Champion in future years while you only get one shot at the Supreme...but I am not the trainer and although it is a nice dilemma to have, I am glad I don't need to be making the decision!

I see that former Liverpool and England footballing legend Michael Owen is considering riding in the Princes' Countryside Fund charity race at Ascot.  He says, "It's been a passion of mine for a long time" - if I were him I would be getting another passion!

A flat tyre cost jockey Pat Cosgrave a winner at Lingfield yesterday.  John Egan stepped in and was duly successful.  I know that a lot of these jockeys do not leave themselves a lot of time to get to the races.  Perhaps they should consider such eventualities, or brush up on their tyre changing proficiency?!

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There was a good result for Chelsea last night as Manchester City could only draw with Stoke.  It looks like the challengers are trying to gift the Premiership to Chelsea.  Meanwhile Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is the latest star who wants to leave Arsenal - surely the directors need to step in and sort things out before it all gets out of hand.  It wasn't so long ago that the players managed to get rid of the reigning Premiership winning manager at Leicester.

Tyson Fury's cousin Hughie is going to fight for the world title that Tyson ditched last year.  I didn't even know that Hughie was a boxer - I guess it goes to show that you can trade on a name!  I guess he has seen Tyson in action and decided that fighting is better than working.

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My friends keep telling me that I am in the closet.  I tell them that it's Narnia business!  Keep smiling...

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