Four Cheltenham Winners!

Well, as you would expect it was a great three days at Cheltenham's Open Meeting and the yard had a great time of it with four winners and a further three seconds.  For me Dynaste was the pick with the way that he dismissed a very high class rival in Fingal Bay, although Our Father (pictured above) was also very impressive on his chasing debut under an enterprising ride from Timmy Murphy.  It looks to me as though David has a very nice crop of novice chasers to look forward to for the remainder of the season.  Old favourite Swing Bill rolled back the years to win the amateur riders chase for the second successive year while Goulanes looks a very useful young recruit.

The ground at Cheltenham was changed to soft (heavy in places) and the testing conditions certainly seemed to find out plenty of the runners.  Nicky Henderson was clearly not happy with the ground and withdrew yesterday's big-race favourites Darlan and Sprinter Sacre.

After being spoiled with such great action, it seems to be a bit of an anti-climax this afternoon with two meetings over the sticks at Leicester and Plumpton as well as a flat card on the all-weather at Wolverhampton.  The stable has no runners today.

*****

Carl Froch is one of our best ever boxers yet doesn't seem to get the credit that he deserves.  He is the consumate professional who just goes about his business quietly and doesn't make the fuss that will grab the headlines.  He beat Yusaf Mack with about three stone in hand in Nottingham at the weekend, but I don't suppose that many people even know about...a great champion.

*****

Miguel Angel Jimenez becam the oldest winner on the European Tour when he won the Hong Kong Open just five weeks short of his 49th birthday.  I am not quite sure how Hong Kong is in Europe, but I bet that Jimenez cannot wait until he is 50 and playing on the senior tour!

*****

There hasn't been much for England's cricketer to be encouraged by, but what a great century from Alistair Cook.  Sadly it was not enough to England from a complete drubbing in the first test.

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I will be looking forward to an enjoyable evening on the couch in front of the television tonight.  My beloved West Ham take on Stoke...the only problem is that I haven't told the wife yet.  Sorry dear, I'm A Celebrity is going to have to wait!