Congrats AP!

Day two of our jumping sabatical and we have four flat meetings to look forward to this afternoon with action from Ffos Las, Catterick, Ripon and Kempton.  For a jumping fix it is over to Ireland for their meeting at Roscommon.  It's hard to believe it, but A P McCoy is having the day off - just be careful if you are playing golf anywhere in the Lambourn area, he does tend to spray them all over the place!  I'm only joking of course, in fact the champ has a very good reason for a day off today following the birth of his son - sincerest congratulations to him and Chanelle.

I see that it is Billy Ellison's 68th birthday today.  He was Red Rum's lad and will always be linked with those famous pictures of him exercising the Grand National legend in the sea at Southport.  Billy also brought him to Pontins at Southport to meet all the holiday makers and the horse went down better than the cabaret acts!

It is also the birthday of Sean Tracey today.  Sean, who owns His Excellency among others is 46 today...he certainly doesn't look to be that age.  It must be his lovely wife Josie keeping him young!

According to the Racing Post, apparently Fred Jeffries is 85 today.  I have no idea who Fred Jeffries is, but the Post say that he is a veteran punter...I hope I manage to get to 85.  My wife tells me that when I die she is going to dance on my grave - I told her I am getting married at sea!  The old ones are the best...

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The all lady jockey card at Carlisle last night was an interesting affair and I did suggest that the likes of Lucy Alexander, Kirsty Milczarek and Cathy Gannon would carve the meeting up between them and so it proved with the trio winning four of the races between them.

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There was a lovely bit of rain at Old Trafford yesterday to help England's cricketers to a draw in the third Ashes Test.  I was getting worried there for a while when we lost a few wickets and the rain seemed to be holding off.  Fortunately the rain came just in time...5/2, lovely jubbly!