3 Runners at Newton!

This afternoon there are three meetings taking place with a flat card from sunny Brighton and two National Hunt fixtrures from Perth and our local track Newton Abbot.  Once again it is Brighton who claim the wooden spoon offering a paltry £26,000 across their seven race card...I really don't know how they get away with it - hang your heads in shame.  The stable has three runners at Newton Abbot; Northern Bay, Ainsi Fideles and Bathwick Man.  Ainsi Fideles (pictured above) is bidding to extend his unbeaten run since switching to chasing to four and he gets a handy 13lbs from apparent danger Lamb Or Cod.  Our runner was rated 2lbs superior over hurdles and is currently 1lb superior over fences yet he receives almost a stone - I will leave the maths to you!

I thought that Purple 'N Gold ran another cracking race at Stratford on Saturday when beaten only a short head.  Although he doesn't get his head in front all that often, he seldom runs a bad race and is sure to go up another few pounds in the weights for this effort.

I see that it is former conditional champion jockey Martin Foster's 44th birthday today.  I still remember well the days when Martin was claiming 7lbs - I also remember him wanting to land one on Graham McCourt at Nottingham but that is another story.  Martin has a fair right hook on him so his weighing room colleague did well to avoid him!  Many happy returns Martin.

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England take on Switzerland this evening in the first European Cup Qualifier after their disappointing showing in the World Cup in Brazil.  I hope they get some sort of result tonight otherwise the thronging masses will slaughter manager Roy Hodgson.  During my time playing ping pong I always had the press with me - the last thing you want to do is upset the media.  Kick off is at 7.45pm

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I wonder what price you could have got about a Cilic versus Nishikori final to the US Open tennis?  I think it is the first Grand Slam final for either player so it should make for entertaining viewing.  Nishikori leads Cilic 5-2 in previous meetings.

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Could Rory McIlroy's incredible recent form have deserted him?  He four putted from just four feet at Cherry Hills - it is the second time in two days he has done it at the twelfth hole.  Meanwhile resurgent senior Colin Montgomerie won the Russian Seniors Open yesterday...he has now won four of his five tournaments since starting on the old boys' tour.

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