Heart Of A Lion!

Vieux Lion Rouge ran out the brave winner of the bumper at Newbury yesterday afternoon.  It was a game performance from our four year old to score under a penalty over this shorter trip on only his second start.  He displayed a really admirable attitude to repel all raiders as they lined up to challenge him in the straight.  David says that he may now take a look at the Festival Bumper at Cheltenham, but whatever else happens he looks sure to make a lovely hurdler.

It is good news this morning as Wincanton has passed their early morning.  Unsurprisingly the ground is going to be pretty testing and is officially described as soft (heavy in places).  There are also two all-weather cards on the flat at Wolverhampton and Lingfield.  Let's hope that the fog lifts at Lingfield - it looked like hard work for the commentator yesterday as the horses disappeared out of sight for prolonged periods.  It was so bad that even the official judge lost the placed horses in the murk!  The stable has no runners today, which is a bit of a pity considering we have had a winner each day so far this week.

I guess I am lucky - the temperatures down here on the south coast have remained very mild but I am not looking forward to tomorrow very much.  They are forecasting all sorts of weather including plenty of the white stuff...I would imagine that will be a big problem ahead of Taunton's richest ever race meeting tomorrow.  The forecasters predict it snowing almost all day tomorrow and with temperatures not supposed to rise much above freezing, I would imagine that course officials are more than a little concerned.

I see that a pensioner has been duped out of £4,000 by responding to a tipping mailshot that guaranteed no financial risk.  I guess the gentelman in question shouldn't have been so naive - you are supposed to get wiser as you get older and he was 87.  If it seems to good to be true, the chances are that it is.  The scam is believed to be run by a gang in the Brighton area, so be vigilant and make sure that any suspect mailshots are dealt with appropriately (in the bin!).

*****

My little home double on Manchester United and Arsenal came to fruition last night as both teams won 1-0, so the Barnes household has food for the remainder of the week!  The result of the evening though was Southampton's great fight back from 2-0 down against Chelsea to earn a 2-2 draw.  The bottom of the Premiership is starting to look tight and I think that Stoke and West Ham (sadly) could get dragged into that battle.

*****

Golfer: "Please stop checking your watch all the time - I am finding it too much of a distraction!"
Caddy: "It's not a watch, it's a compass!"
Have a nice day!