5 Runners At 2 Meetings

There are four meetings taking place this afternoon - two over the jumps at Exeter and Towcester as well as two all-weather flat meetings at Southwell and Kempton.  The stable has runners at each National Hunt meeting - Volt Face and Jigsaw Puzzle at Towcester and Centasia, Party Girls and Decoy at Exeter.  Centasia (pictured above) was the ready winner of a Uttoxeter maiden hurdle last month and she looks a very promising mare in the making - she will be ridden by stable jockey Tom Scudamore.

Yesterday's runners were faced with very difficult tasks at Newbury on the face of it and I thought that Prasina Rusatta was running a creditable race, making some late headway when falling at the last while Vazaro Delafayette finished eighth in the National Hunt novices' hurdle.

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The Twiston-Davies yard nearly landed a touch at Ludlow yesterday when their Benbens was backed from an early 8/1 into 7/4 favourite.  He had no luck in running and should have won this - the trouble is next time out, he won't be an 8/1 shot.

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Tom Scu took a nasty fall at Fakenham a couple of days ago and rode yesterday with a badly swollen face.  Luckily for young Tom, he was never going to be a model but Lottie loves him all the same.  Mind you, Lottie is a well known local pig breeder!

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Tottenham Hotspur have some big problems.  If they can't beat West Ham then they are in big trouble - there appears to be no fight in their players.  They have made some terrible signings and are on a sharp downhill spiral at present.  As for me, I will take any victory the Hammers can get!  Manchester United remain in good form and beat Stoke 2-0 last night - they came off half way through the match due to hail stones, I have never seen that before.

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I see another cyclist, three times world time trial champion Michael Rogers has tested positive for clenbuterol.  As I have said a number of times before, if found guilty these sportsmen should be facing lifetime bans.  Drugs cheats know what they are doing and pleading ignorance is no defense.