First Day Of Spring!

There are three meetings taking place today - a jumps card at Chepstow as well as two all-weather flat cards at Wolverhampton and Kempton.  With all the rain we have had I would imagine that the ground at Chepstow will be very testing and we will be seeing some tired horses.  The stable has no runners this afternoon.  Today is the first day of Spring and while the seasons may change, at least we can rest easy in the knowledge that some things always remain the same - it's going to rain!

There are three meetings taking place today - a jumps card at Chepstow as well as two all-weather flat cards at Wolverhampton and Kempton.  With all the rain we have had I would imagine that the ground at Chepstow will be very testing and we will be seeing some tired horses.  The stable has no runners this afternoon.  Today is the first day of Spring and while the seasons may change, at least we can rest easy in the knowledge that some things always remain the same - it's going to rain!

It's good work if you can get it...the 3.10pm at Haydock yesterday afternoon turned into something of a non-event.  There were only four runners to start with, yet only two of the field managed to complete the race, leaving the second home to come home at a respectful distance of 29 lengths behind the winner and collect just under £2,000 - not bad for six and a half minutes work!

Over on the gallops I managed to get a picture of Alderluck (right) as he completed a solo piece of work.  Alderluck, who finished a couple of places behind stablemate and Midlands National winner Big Occasion last time out in the Surrey National has a number of entries this weekend.

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Following on from Cheltenham last week I see that the sponsors of the cross-country race are having to defend the contest.  Personally I have to agree with trainer Gary Moore who descibed it as a 'complete waste of time', while David Johnson may have summed it up better when he said 'it might have run it's course and lost it's appeal'.  The race is very hard to follow unless you are watching it on television and I don't think I'm the only one that thinks this - when the race was taking place last week, most of our guests in the marquee were at the bar!

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Former stable jockey Paul Leach is 59 today.  You may remember that Paul was aboard Martin's first Cheltenham Festival winner, Baron Blakeney in the 1981 Triumph Hurdle.  You may also recall that he beat Peter Scudamore aboard the David Nicholson trained favourite Broadsword despite dropping his whip - just thought I would remind you of that one Scu!  Anyway, many happy returns Paul.

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British ladies' tennis player Heather Watson has reversed her decision to take some time away from the game after claiming that she was burnt out.  Burnt out?!  Do these people live in the real world?  Let her work in one of the stables as a stable lass for a few weeks, then she will know what real work is...she sounds like yet another pampered prima donna to me!

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So the headlines from yesterday's budget...a penny off a pint of beer.  What good is that going to do anyone?  All it means is that Simon is going to be 50 pence per week better off!

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Thought for the day...Insanity is hereditary - you get it from your children!