It's Cold!

I thought that for the most part our runners at Wincanton yesterday ran very well.  Bois des Aigles finished third and looks as though he will improve further when he tackles a longer trip, while Bygones Sovereign filled the same position in the conditional jockey's handicap hurdle just ahead of Weekend Millionair.  Off The Wall was also third in the closing race.  After the abandonments of Taunton (waterlogging) and Towcester (snow) this afternoon we are left with only one meeting taking place on the all-weather at Lingfield - unsurprisingly the stable has no runners.

I thought that for the most part our runners at Wincanton yesterday ran very well.  Bois des Aigles finished third and looks as though he will improve further when he tackles a longer trip, while Bygones Sovereign filled the same position in the conditional jockey's handicap hurdle just ahead of Weekend Millionair.  Off The Wall was also third in the closing race.  This afternoon there is only one meeting taking place on the all-weather at Lingfield - unsurprisingly the stable has no runners.

That's not to say that we are not keeping busy despite the cold weather - there are still plenty of horses to be exercised.  I was watching the gallops the other day and took a great picture of E Street Boy working in company with dual bumper winner Heath Hunter.  The pair of them appeared to work nicely and I notice that Heath Hunter has an entry over hurdles at Ffos Las later in the week.

Above: E Street Boy (left) and Heath Hunter (right) on the Pond House gallops

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What a furore surrounding the motor racing yesterday in Malaysia!  Triple world champion Sebastian Vettel was told by his team boss to stay behind team-mate Mark Webber after the final round of pit stops...can you imagine a trainer having two horses in a race and telling one of them that he must not win - he would be up before the stewards in no time.  Fortunately for us spectators, Vettel decided to ignore the call and pulled off an incredible overtaking manoeuvre to beat his sulky team-mate who is now considering retirement...a bit of an over-reaction maybe?!  Personally I think that team orders make a mockery of the sport and they should go back to the days when they were against the rules (even though teams would often find crafty ways of changing position in the pits).

It did make me chuckle when Lewis Hamilton drove into the wrong garage during his pit-stop yesterday.  I don't think he realised that he doesn't drive for McLaren any more having signed for Mercedes this season - it was just like something out of the Wacky Races!

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It's lucky that Australia were whitewashed by the Indians in the latest international cricket series.  The upcoming Ashes series looks to be between two second rate test teams even though the press will hype it up to be between two of the finest!  I know they are not in the most accessible of areas, but even so I couldn't believe how few spectators were at the New Zealand versus England match...you get more people at a Torquay United football game!

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A policeman knocked on my door the other night and asked me where I was between 7 and 11?  I said, 'don't be daft...I was at school!'  Have a nice day...