Great Day Ahead

It's a huge day for racing today with five meetings taking place at Ascot, Catterick and Wolverhampton on the flat as well as two jumping cards at Cheltenham and Kelso.  The stable has one runner at Cheltenham, His Excellency (pictured above) who takes in the two mile novices' chase at 4.55pm.  He has already won a couple of chases in Ireland over the summer and that experience should stand him in good stead here in what looks to be a good contest with several promising types taking part.  However, much as Cheltenham is the pinnacle of jumps racing all eyes will be on the flat at Ascot as Frankel takes in the Champion Stakes.

Let's hope that the superstar colt takes his place in the line-up as connections seem to be a little concerned (and rightly so) over the heavy ground.  However he did win on soft ground as a two year old at Newmarket so there is reason to believe that he will handle it.  Whatever happens, I am sure that connections will do the right thing by him as they have done throughout his entire career.  He has really captured the public's imagination and earlier this week even the Queen's Household Cavalry exercised their horses wearing the colours of his owner Prince Khalid Abdullah!  This could well be his last race so make sure that you are near a television to see a real champion in action.

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It's not very often that I would nominate a losing ride as the ride of the week, but I will put forward our stable jockey Tom Scudamore's effort aboard Wayward Glance at Fakenham as a real candidate.  In the end he was beaten a nose, but Tom gave the reluctant four year old a great ride for two miles and seven furlongs.

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I see that Harlequins scrum half Danny Cape asks why airports are so boring.  He thinks they would be a lot more entertaining if they are home to a casino or a betting shop to help pass the time.  Just think what the flight home would be like if the pilot had done his money in the casino before take-off!  I think the duty free shop is plenty opportunity enough to lose money, especially if you are holidaying with someone like my wife!

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Arsenal look to be a good bet to beat Norwich this afternoon and while 4/7 may be prohibitive odds for some, why not stick them in a treble with Liverpool and Manchester United...it's all too easy this gambling game!