5 Runners At Taunton

It looks like being a busy day for the stable this afternoon with five runners at our local track Taunton where the ground is going to ride very testing after the rain and snow that we have endured over the last few weeks.  Shotavodka, Home Run, Qalinas, Standing Ovation and Garryleigh represent the yard today.  The amazing Home Run (pictured above) goes for his sixth consecutive win having started from an initial rating of 89.  Obviously he is going to find life much tougher against better opposition from a mark of 124 so we hope that he can continue to improve.  There are three other meetings taking place this afternoon at Doncaster and Huntingdon over the sticks and on the all-weather flat at Wolverhampton.

Above: Home Run with his four winning jockeys.
Today he is partnered by Frank Hayes (second from the right)

It looks like being a busy day for the stable this afternoon with five runners at our local track Taunton where the ground is going to ride very testing after the rain and snow that we have endured over the last few weeks.  Shotavodka, Home Run, Qalinas, Standing Ovation and Garryleigh represent the yard today.  The amazing Home Run (pictured above) goes for his sixth consecutive win having started from an initial rating of 89.  Obviously he is going to find life much tougher against better opposition from a mark of 124 so we hope that he can continue to improve.  There are three other meetings taking place this afternoon at Doncaster and Huntingdon over the sticks and on the all-weather flat at Wolverhampton.

I see that two of David's horses have been supported for this Saturday's Betfair Hurdle (formerly the Tote Gold Trophy) at Newbury.  Swing Bowler and Ronaldo des Mottes are both currently around the 10/1 mark having been longer earlier in the week.  Timmy Murphy will be wasting hard to do the 10-1 that Swing Bowler, the unbeatern daughter of Lady Cricket is set to carry.  Martin won the race a couple of times with Make A Stand and Swing Bowler - remember Make A Stand went on to win the Champion Hurdle...he must have been some sort of good thing in the Newbury handicap!

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It is David's birthday today and I couldn't let the master of Pond House escape without wishing him a happy 40th!  I still fondly remember David in short trousers with a snotty nose...things don't change much.  Just a thought for the day David, you will never again be as good as you are today!

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There was a good result in the football last night as England beat Brazil 2-1.  I see that the Brazilian press are reporting that the result is not important...to me it sounds like they are just bad losers - I don't suppose they have had as much practice at dealing with defeat as we have!  Having said that, the Brazilians are not rated very highly in the world rankings at the moment.  The amazing thing is that Frank Lampard can score the winner for England against Brazil but can't get an extension to his Chelsea contract...funny old game!

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I went to see my doctor yesterday.  He stood me on the scales and then proceeded to tell me that if I were three inches taller I would be the perfect weight...I am definitely going to have to join weight-watchers!