Fixtures Foul-Up!

It's day three of our jumps break so we have flat cards at Brighton, Pontefract, Newcastle, Kempton and Yarmouth to keep us amused.  As David mentioned in his blog last week - what is the point in this disjointed summer calendar?  Why not have a distinct break between the start and finish of the jumps season rather than a week off in August and another week off in September?  It is all very start-stop, but just to add a bit of spice to the mix there has been an additional jumps fixture at Stratford added right in the middle of the September break on 17th September!  I would really love to ask the race planning people how and why they come up with some of the fixtures they do...this one is just the latest in a long line of head scratchers.  Jockey Aidan Coleman was considering taking a break but has had to cancel any such plans - why don't the BHA pay more attention to what the jockeys have to say?

A P McCoy's baby son Archie is less than two days old and already the bookies have some special bets about A P McCoy Jnr!  Corals make him only a 6/4 chance to become a professional jockey.  The trouble is that you will have to wait at least sixteen years before you can collect!  I wonder if these firms pay you interest?  Mind you, at today's rates, it wouldn't be very much!

Talking of AP, I see that according to the Racing Post, his longest losing run was 29 rides.  When you consider that he has been riding in this country for the best part of 20 years, it really isn't very many - especially when you consider that it is not uncommon for some top jockeys to experience three figure runs.

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I see that Ffos Las were unhappy that they put up £15,000 for a fillies' handicap only for three horses to run.  The last home pickey up £1,400 for her troubles, so I guess the next thing is that there shouldn't be any fillies' handicaps as the trainers do not seem to want them.

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Defending USPGA champion Rory McIlroy is being layed to miss the cut at this year's event.  To me, it doesn't look like the Irishman's mind is on the job...a comment that seems to coincidentally apply to his tennis playing girlfriend Caroline Wozniaki.  It could just be his new clubs I guess, but his confidence looks like it has been shot to pieces.  I will be having  little interest in Stenson at 40/1 and Mickelson at 25/1.

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Luis Suarez wants out of Liverpool - he really couldn't be more obvious.  The Uruguayan has now pulled out of the team's trip to Norway with a foot injury - he always seems to be putting his foot in it (or his mouth)!