Weekend Jottings!

We have three runners at Fontwell this afternoon, including two that make their debuts for us, Rainy Champion in the juvenile hurdle and Beattie Green in the National Hunt Flat race as well as last time out winner Surfboard.  Rainy Champion showed ability on the flat when finishing runner-up in a couple of maidens for Gerard Butler, while Beattie Green is already a course and distance winner of a bumper last season.  Surfboard was a ready winner at Newton Abbot last time out, but the handicapper has reacted by putting him up a whopping 13lbs - Tom Scudamore will be aboard all three runners.

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Looking through the flat trainers table, I was amazed to see that leader Richard Hannon is now a massive 100 winners ahead of second placed Sir Henry Cecil.  It gives you some idea of how well Sir Henry is doing when you consider that he has sent out 210 runners to Richard Hannon's 1,043!

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There was an interesting seriers in the Post this week about legendary gamblers and I have to admit that I was more than just a little peeved not to be included!  Of course, I am only joking, but the piece about Terry Ramsden certainly bought some old memories flooding back.  Terry bought a little horse from Martin called My Dominion and Martin was desperate to run him in a big handicap hurdle at Newbury.  The trouble was, Terry already had an intended runner in that race and he wanted to have a good bet on it - MCP finally convinced Terry to let My Dominion take his chance and of course he won well with Terry's other runner well beaten - it just goes to show, not all legendary gamblers win all of the time.

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I was watching an interview with Swindon Town football manager Paolo di Canio the other day, and looking back he was definitely one of the best players that I have ever seen at Upton Park.  However, if he were a racehorse he would certainly have earned the Timeform "squiggle" as you have to question his temperment.  It must be difficult managing a bunch of players when you are probably a lot better than them even now.  Di Canio still looks fit as a flee and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him pick himself to play - let's hope that his temper doesn't get the better of him.