The Total Package!

There was a great win for the stable on Saturday when The Package won the Badger Ales Handicap Chase at Wincanton - he battled out the finish with Michel le Bon but always looked to be holding the runner-up under a great ride from Timmy Murphy.  The pair of them drew 41 lengths clear of the third.  The Package is in the Hennessy at Newbury in just under three weeks time, while he looked to me to be an ideal type for the Grand National.

The Package wins the Listed Badger Ales Chase at Wincanton on Saturday

There was a great win for the stable on Saturday when The Package won the Badger Ales Handicap Chase at Wincanton - he battled out the finish with Michel le Bon but always looked to be holding the runner-up under a great ride from Timmy Murphy.  The pair of them drew 41 lengths clear of the third.  The Package is in the Hennessy at Newbury in just under three weeks time, while he looked to me to be an ideal type for the Grand National.

We had a couple of places yesterday with Basil Fawlty (Ffos Las) and My Brother Sylvest (Market Rasen) both finishing close up in third.  There certainly looks to be races to be won with this pair, particularly on a sharp track in the case of the latter.

We are not exactly spoilt for choice this afternoon as there are just two jumps cards at Carlisle and Southwell.  The ground at Carlisle is currently heavy and on a stiff track like that, the distances take some getting - I am sure there will be some slow-motion finishes this afternoon!  Tom Scu travels all the way up to the northern track for just one ride, Fog Patches for Lucinda Russell - they say look out for jockeys who travel a long way for just one ride, although I don't know who says it!

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I see that A P McCoy is going to write a thriller!  Is there no end to this man's talents?!  He says he is planning to have a hero who spends a lot of time with the ladies, "I'm basing it on Carl Llewellyn!"

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Good old Rory McIlroy - what a season the young Irishman has had on the golf course.  Following his third place in the Singapore Open, he has finished up winning the money list on both sides of the Atlantic!  Such an achievement seemed impossible a few years ago but it has now been done twice in as many years (following on from Luke Donald).  I bet his bank manager loves him!

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I have never had to look so far up the table to see my beloved West Ham!  The could end up challenging for a place in Europe - I hope I don't wake up to find that I have been dreaming!