More From The Gallops

Today there are three meetings taking place at Newmarket, Haydock and Wolverhampton on the level and a jumps card at Stratford.  Stratford is an additional fixture, which is probably just as well as Worcester saw their hopes of holding their intended meeting today washed down the M5 with the rain.  Did you see the ground?...it looked more like a boating lake than a racecourse!  It looks like a typically high class affair at Newmarket with £394,000 up for grabs, while Wolverhampton can offer just £27,000 for their entire card...and don't forget there's going to be even more racing next year...I despair!

Today there are three meetings taking place at Newmarket, Haydock and Wolverhampton on the level and a jumps card at Stratford.  Stratford is an additional fixture, which is probably just as well as Worcester saw their hopes of holding their intended meeting today washed down the M5 with the rain.  Did you see the ground?...it looked more like a boating lake than a racecourse!  It looks like a typically high class affair at Newmarket with £394,000 up for grabs, while Wolverhampton can offer just £27,000 for their entire card...and don't forget there's going to be even more racing next year...I despair!

We have no runners today, but that doesn't mean the work stops - quite the opposite in fact, with Cheltenham only three weeks away the horses continue their preparation towards the start of the jumps season proper.  Over on the gallops I caught recent recruit, ex-French Amigo who was working in company with Cesarewitch entry Martial Law.  I also took a nice snap of staying chasers Shaking Hands and Master Overseer as they worked together.

  
Above left: (l-r) Amigo and Martial Law, and right (l-r) Shaking Hands and Master Overseer on the gallops

On the flat, I see that John Gosden moved to the head of the trainers' championship courtesy of a treble yesterday with £2,821,592 in prize money from 95 winners.  He has just usurped Aidan O'Brien who has had only eleven winners!  Personally I think that Richard Hannon (191) and Mark Johnston should be slugging out the trainers' championship owing to the number of winners trained.  If they calculated the flat jockeys championship the same as the trainers, it would be William Buick in front...of course the jockeys title is decided (rightly) on winners ridden and Richard Hughes is 41 clear of his nearest rival.  It's winners that count and I think that both championships should be decided as such.

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It's Angie Malde's birthday today - I won't tell you her age, but I bet she will be having a quiet word with her husband George about telling the Racing Post.  George and Angie have been friends of the yard and have had many nice horses here down the years, most notably dual Welsh National hero, Bonanza Boy.  Many happy returns Angie!

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What about the ongoing saga with John Terry?  I find it strange that John Terry is not found guilty by law, but is found guilty by the FA...either the law is wrong or the FA is wrong, so which one is it?!