Irish Derby

Guess Again - runs at Uttoxeter on Sunday

Today we have six meetings all on the flat at Newcastle, Newmarket, Windsor, Chester, Doncaster and Lingfield.  The Curragh has over £1.3 million in prize money on offer with the feature race being the Irish Derby.  The Lingfield card today has just £30,000.  The big race in England is the John Smith's Northumberland Plate, a 2mile handicap with 20 runners.  Many years ago we had Baron Blakeney in the race.  We drove all the way to Newcastle on the Friday and stayed the night and prayed for rain - it rained so much the meeting was abandoned!  There is jumping action tomorrow at Uttoxeter and David has four runners, including Guess Again and No Secrets in the feature handicap chase as wll as Azza and Famousandfearless.  Check back here tomorrow for more news about Sunday's action.

In the Irish Derby there are only seven runners and Aidan O'brien has four of them.  English Derby winner Australia is a 3/1 on chance to win.  You only need to beat one home and you pick up £12,500 in prize money!

I read this in the paper - "My house is a shrine to me, sometimes I think what kind of wonderful person lives in a house like this and then I remember it's me!"  he should be back on channel 4 racing - I will let you guess who said that!

I did not realise that in Ireland jockey's get half of their income tax back on their best 10 years.  I can imagine our tax man over here saying you have to pay double on your 10 best years as you must have been fiddling your expenses!

I watched the Ricky Burns boxing match and he lost the fight on a split decision and I think the result was correct.  Burns was 10/1 on with some of the firms so you can see what a big turn up it was.  Burns needs to go back to the drawing board as this was a terrible result for his career,

I have not mentioned Suarez yet.  Gary Lineker says "what on earth will he do today with no game to watch?  Long lunch I suppose, might see if Suarez is free and fancies a bite!"  I won't mention him again until he bites someone else.  I hope the food is good in Spain!  Have an nice day.

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