Four Runners Today!

There is plenty of high class action to look forward to this afternoon with four meetings taking place - three of them are over the sticks at Wincanton, Kelso and Sandown while Doncaster hold the final turf meeting of the season on the level.  The stable has three runners at Wincanton; Standing Ovation (pictured above), Heath Hunter and Vazaro Delafayette, while Franklin Roosevelt does duty for the yard at Sandown.  Standing Ovation has proven to be a real revelation winning his last three starts, although this afternoon's contest is another big step-up in class.  Even so, winning jockey Conor O'Farrell keeps the ride and our six year old only has 10-2 on his back - a big run is expected, although he wouldn't want the rain getting into the ground too much.  Meanwhile, Heath Hunter makes his hurdling debut this afternoon and Vazaro Delafayette bids to build on his excellent debut when a close third in a hot looking Cheltenham bumper.

Another true mark of the man...I see that perennial champion jockey A P McCoy has given his riding boots that he wore at Towcester to his 4000th winner to the Sir Peter O'Sullevan Charitable Trust - they should certainly make plenty of money.  I wonder if J P McManus will be bidding?  Even The House Of Commons congratulated A P on his amazing achievements - there are obviously a few punters in there!  His next big target is to reach Martin's career total of 4,182 winners - MCP keeps winding him up about that number!

There was a bit of a touch landed at Hexham yesterday on 'Have You Had Yours' - his jockey put up two pounds overweight but that didn't stop some people backing him into 9/2.  The seven year old had been a 200/1 shot when tailed off at Carlisle on his latest start...you would have needed to be brave to pick that one out of the form book.

Below is your last chance to see which horse amateur jockey Sam Welton has picked out as his horse to follow for the season ahead...

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Manchester United's Ashley Young has been branded a diva, sorry I mean diver!  Former United stars Ray Wilkins labelled Young as 'pathetic' while Roy Keane said that he conned referees.  If I was a ref, I would book him every time he went down - that would stop him diving!

There is a great match to look forward to tomorrow between Manchester United and Arsenal.  If ever The Gunners are going to beat United, I would have thought it would be tomorrow - at odds of 23/10 they could be worth an interest...have a nice weekend.

My football bets for the weekend are Southampton at 8/13, Swansea at 21/20 and Burnley at 8/11...remember, you heard it here first!