Mo Bids For Midlands Double

Well, the Festival is all over for another year but there is still plenty of action to look forward to, including five meetings this afternoon...three of them take place over the sticks at Ffos Las, Uttoxeter and Kempton, while there are also two all-weather cards at Wolverhampton and Lingfield.  The higlight of the day is the Midlands Grand National and the stable has two runners in the race, Big Occasion and last year's hero Master Overseer (pictured above).  Master Overseer (or 'Mo' as he is affectionately known in the yard) is much higher in the weights this time around from a mark of 147 but he is a difficult horse to pass when getting into a good early rhythm.  The Tracey Shuffle is our only other runner this afternoon and he takes in the competitive 2m4 1/2f handicap hurdle.

It was an eventful last day of the Festival yesterday and not the most memorable for the yard.  You have to feel sorry for the connections of Oscar Delta and in particular joceky Miss J Mangan who lost certain victory in the Foxhunters when her mount jinked at a gap in the rails and unseated his pilot.  Our Arkle third His Excellency was in the process of running another big race when falling three out in the closing Grand Annual Chase when looking likely to get involved.  It was a great pity, but you only have to think of poor J T McNamara and his family at this time to put some perspective on things.

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I see that Racing Post subscriptions manager Lucy Watson rode in the St Patricks Day Derby and was so excited that she forgot to put her skirt on!  I suppose it is something you ladies do often, but at least she had a pair of thick black tights on!

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As one Festival ends, it is nearly time for another one to begin and there is now only three weeks until the most famous horse race on earth - the Grand National.  There will be skirmishes and fights outside the bars...and that's just the girls!  (and I'm not joking).

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I will be having another little wager on the football this weekend and my three best are Tottenham (4/7), Dundee Utd (4/6) and Queen Of The South (8/15) - a little treble should do the trick.  Have a nice weekend!