Warthog At Wetherby

There are two meetings taking place this afternoon with a jumps card from Wetherby and a flat card from Newcastle.  David has one runner this afternoon as Warthog (pictured above) takes in the three mile handicap hurdle at 3.40pm.  Our former Irish point-to-point winner has finished placed on three of his five starts and he starts off in handicap company from a mark of 127.  He could improve for this step-up in trip and pilot Tom Scudamore will be hoping that is the case as it is his only ride of the day.  Not the most pleasant of journeys for jockey or our box driver I am sure.

I see that Wetherby have a two runner novices' chase on the card and it is blatantly obvious that despite endless tweaking to the novice chase category, the trainers just don't want them.  This sort of race does absolutely nothing to broaden the appeal of the sport and needs further consideration.  Connections of the second will be about the only ones pleased today as they will pick up £2,175 just for schooling round.

It is Ryanair and Gigginstown supremo Michael O'Leary's 57th birthday today.  I wonder what he will get for his birthday?  He seemed to get all of his presents last week at the Cheltenham Festival!  He shares a birthday with Lars Kelp who is 54. Lars, who was champion jockey in Sweden, worked at Pond House for a while and picked up a few rides before becoming a bloodstock agent.

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Lewis Hamilton has just signed a three year contract with Mercedes that is worth £120 million.  That works out at around £770,000 a week!  I can see some of the footballers starting to ask for more money.  At least they have to run around a bit...Lewis just sits in his car with the heater on!

Talking of football, I knew it was only a matter of time before some of the top European clubs would be chasing Liverpool's Mo Salah.  Real Madrid, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain are ling up £200 million bids to take him off their hands.  Let's hope that the reds have him tied in to a long term deal and don't need the money.  The West Ham board would already have his bags packed!

Rory McIlroy put in a great final round to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational at the weekend to record his first victory in 18 months.  He is now favourite to win the Masters.  Tiger Woods played well once again but still lets the odd shot fly off line.  It's going to be a good Masters - I can't wait for the start.

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Man, I'm tired.  I stayed up all last night trying to remember if I had amnesia or insomnia!

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