Man Our Fontwell Runner

Today there are five meetings taking place, four on the level at Salisbury, Newmarket, Beverley and Chepstow as well as a jumps fixture at Fontwell.  The stable has one runner, Bathwick Man at Fontwell and he is top weight for the 2m2 1/2f handicap hurdle.  He looks quite well treated when you consider that he runs from a mark of 110, while he has won from 115 in the past - Tom Scudamore takes the ride.  Street Entertainer was due to take in the two mile flat handicap at Beverley but is now a non-runner.

Somehow Chepstow have managed to get away with a paltry £27,000 prize money for their seven race card - even Fontwell's jumps card boasts more money and they are hosting just six races!  Meanwhile, the richest race of the evening at Kempton has only three runners - the horses who finishes last will pick up more than most of those that finish runner-up on the card!  Surely sooner or later they will have to introduce some kind of ruling to stop this nonsense....should there be a minimum number of runners?

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I watched the international friendly football match between England and Scotland last night.  It was an entertaining game with England winning 3-2, but neither team are going to be winning any tournaments judged on this effort.  Manager Roy Hodgson seems to have run out of ideas - he looks tired, a bit like his team.  I don't understand why he doesn't use some of the younger players, after all the under-21's won 6-0 the other night, rather than bringing on substitutes like Frank Lampard who (with respect) is approaching the end of his shelf life.

There was a great result for Northern Ireland as they beat Russia 1-0 in the World Cup Qualifier - that was their first success in nine matches.

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Time for a partly political broadcast from the Barnes party.  You have an election, don't like the result and so start a civil war...does war solve anything? No!  That was my thought for the day...doesn't anybody remember Bob Hoskins telling everyone that "It's good to talk"?!