Four Meetings Today

There are four meetings today, two over the sticks at Ludlow and Catterick as well as all-weather flat cards at Kempton and Lingfield...I wonder how many people will try to attend both all-weather meetings?  I would imagine you could probably count the answer on your own hands!  It was a good day financially yesterday and I hope that you readers may have benefitted too.  I did say that I thought A P McCoy had a good book of rides at Sedgefield and that his first and last rides of the day could win.  I had a small double at odds of 5/2 and 9/4...I do get it right sometimes!

There are four meetings today, two over the sticks at Ludlow and Catterick as well as all-weather flat cards at Kempton and Lingfield...I wonder how many people will try to attend both all-weather meetings?  I would imagine you could probably count the answer on your own hands!  It was a good day financially yesterday and I hope that you readers may have benefitted too.  I did say that I thought A P McCoy had a good book of rides at Sedgefield and that his first and last rides of the day could win.  I had a small double at odds of 5/2 and 9/4...I do get it right sometimes!

Above is a picture of ever popular grey Swing Bill in action on the gallops earlier in the week.  'Bill', who has run great races in the last two renewals of the Grand National, could return to Aintree this weekend as he has a couple of entries in the Becher Chase and Betfred Chase at the Liverpool track.

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David reported in his blog earlier in the week that Madison du Berlais had sadly passed away at the age of twelve after a bout of colic and the papers are just starting to pick up on the story now.  There is a nice picture of him in today's edition of the Racing Post, as well as a second photograph later in the paper with Tom Scudamore beckoning a well-beaten Denman on.  The article is all about sledging...quite appropriate given the time of year!  Anyway, I am sure that David would like a few more like Madison - he came from a French claimer and amassed almos £1/2 million in prize money.  Condolences to all connections.

Talking of sledging, the Ashes tour down under has brought the subject back into the media again.  I was particularly amused by the anecdote about Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath - he asked opponent Eddo Brandes 'Why are you so fat Eddo?'  Brandes replied 'Because everytime I have sex with your wife, she gives me a biscuit!'  Apparently Joey Essex likes sledging, but finds the snow cold!

While we are on the subject of the Ashes, the second Test starts tonight and England need to post a big score in their first innings or they could be sledged out of things by the Aussies who are already 1-0 up in the series.

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It was a sad evening in the Barnes household last night when my beloved West Ham were beaten 1-0 by Crystal Palace.  I hate to admit it, but both sides looked poor and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see both teams drop out of the Premier league.  The Allardyce West Ham team does not go down very well with all of my mates - if we go down, let's at least go down playing football!