4 At Ffos (If It Beats Frost)!

Well there is good news and bad news....on the plus side Ludlow have cancelled their early morning inspection and the meeting gets the go ahead.  On the down side, Ffos Las are having to inspect this morning at 9am after temperature of -5ºc left the ground frozen in places.  If the meeting does get the all clear, the stable will have four runners at the Welsh track - Qalinas (pictured above) looks particularly interesting in his bid to complete the hat-trick although he has gone up 11lbs in the handicap.  Thomas Junior makes his raceourse debut in the bumper - he is owned by Dai Walters, the Ffos Las supremo so let's hope for a good run from him!  There are also meetings at Southwell (a jumpers bumper card on the all-weather) and a 'fully-fledged' flat card on the the all-weather at Wolverhampton.

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I see that Conor O'Farrell (pictured right) has been given the all-clear to return to race riding after a few weeks on the sidelines with a fractured wrist.  It must have been a long month for the young Irishman, especially having missed the Cheltenham Festival.  He was riding beautifully prior to his injury, so let's hope that he can pick up from where he left off and is soon back in the winners' enclosure.  Incidentally, Conor is among the nominees for conditional jockey of the year at the Lesters award ceremony in Birmingham tonight - good luck to him there.

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Looking ahead to next weekend's Grand National I see that On His Own is being punted off the boards and is now as short as 6/1 favourite.  I don't know who's money it is, but I find it hard to believe that many serious punters get involved in the Grand National.  On His Own is the likely mount of Ruby Walsh and you will have already had your fingers burned twice if you follow the jockey - his other likely mounts and ante-post fancies Tidal Bay and Prince de Beauchene have already been ruled out of the big race through injury.

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I see that former jockey (and I use the term 'jockey' in it's loosest possible form) and television pundit Luke Harvey is 47 today.  Luke in his former carnation as a jockey boasted a 100% strike rate for Martin - one winner from one ride.  Just to illustrate what a good judge of a horse and a jockey Martin was, he would never put Luke up again!

It is also Heather Silk's birthday today.  Heather was the owner of Copeland and Carryonharry, she would also tell the rudest jokes I have ever heard...too rude for even me to repeat!  Anyway, many happy returns Luke and Heather.

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Thought for the day...a friend is a person who knows all about you and still likes you!  Have a nice day...