Four Meetings Today

There are four meetings to look forward to this afternoon with three on the level at Ayr, Windsor and Beverley as well as a jumps card at Cartmel.  The stable has no runners this afternoon.  I remember taking a trip to Cartmel on a Bank Holiday Monday years ago - the whole area comes to a complete standstill and it is impossible to park your car without getting blocked in.  I am not painting a great picture of the track, but it has a fabulous atmosphere and is a great place to visit if only the once!  The ground at Ayr looks pretty lively - there are races that have only three and four runners, as well as a five runner affair so four of the races have attracted only sixteen runners.

I have just realised how long jockey Robert Thornton has been on the sidelines.  Choc has been missing from action since March after breaking his arm in a fall at Southwell.  He says he will be back riding again in September...it seems like an awfully long time off for such a break.  Let's hope that the remainder of his recuperation goes smoothly...a good jockey.

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I hope that none of you have tickets for the final day of the second Ashes Test match.  To me (and I'm not exactly sad to say it, the Aussies look no better than an average County side.  I bet they are getting some stick from the press back home.  The Australians always seem to think that they are better than they actually are in plenty of sports...having said that, it is not often that we get the opportunity to rub their noses in it!

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Phil Mickelson played the round of his life to win the Open Golf Championship yesterday.  He carded a round of 66 to score a famous victory.  Brit Lee Westwood finished third, with that first Major still managing to elude him - he will have few better opportunities to win a big one that this and his putting looks to be the big problem.  I thought that Ian Poulter played a great final round to finish with a 67...an Arsenal supporter with some sporting ability!  It would seem that I have woken up in a nasty mood this morning!