Paddy Power Day

                   Ballynagour

There are five meetings on around the country today, three over jumps at Cheltenham, Uttoxeter and Wetherby plus flat cards at Lingfield and Wolverhampton.  It is a fantastic card at Cheltenham and David has seven runners.  Azza, Goulanes, Ballynagour, Close House, Edmund Kean, Legacy Gold and Vilja.  Azza has won both of her starts over jumps, her first in France at Auteuil and then she won on her stable debut at Carlisle.  This is a step up in class and she takes on the boys but it will be interesting to see how she gets on.  The feature race, the Paddy Power handicap chase is a 20 runner ultra competitive handicap as you would expect for the prize money up for grabs.  Ballynagour is making his seasonal debut and won on his yard debut at Warwick last season.  His overall profile is a bit in and out but on a good day he is very good!  I think I might buy a lottery ticket, it is that sort of race!  Goulanes is a lovely young staying chaser who has not had many runs and should hopefully run well while Edmund Kean is a future chaser who will hopefully run okay over hurdles this afternoon.  In a very competitive mares bumper, the final race of the day we have two runners.  Legacy Gold is three wins from three starts while Vilja is making her rules debut after winning an Irish point to point on her only start to date.  It looks like they all have the Willie Mullins trained Supreme Ballerina to beat.  Winners are hard to come by at Cheltenham but we shall keep everything crossed and enjoy watching the fantastic racing.

David had no luck at Cheltenham yesterday.  Standing Ovation ran a bit free early on and did not really live up to his recent form.  He now will have a winter break and we can look forward to him returning to action in the spring.  Top Gamble found the ground a bit too lively and is still very much a long distance chaser in the making.  I went to Cheltenham yesterday and we had a lovely day and I got to see so many old faces.  It was good to see Shirley Johnson there with all the family and they presented the prizes in the race named after the late David Johnson.  The horse called Thomas Crapper won the race, you could say that went down the pan!  Meanwhile up at Newcastle yesterday, Tom Scu rode a double.  Lets just hope Tom is in a good a form at Cheltenham this afternoon!

In the football, England do not have any strength in defence as Chile showed last night.  Sanchez looked World Class or did our defence just look rubbish?!

Drug cheats get four year bans as Seb Coe tells Jamaican chiefs to clean up their act.  They should be banned for life.  Four years is not long enough!  Have a nice day.