Four Flat Cards

It's another blank day for those of us who love their National Hunt racing, although there are still four flat meetings taking place this afternoon from Doncaster, Chester, Sandown and Salisbury.  It is day three of Doncaster's St Leger meeting and they have a nice card to look forward to with three Group 2's and a Listed contest on the menu.  It is just a shame that Chester have a meeting today also - they are both nice tracks and I would imagine that many of the same people would have liked to be at both meetings.

It's another blank day for those of us who love their National Hunt racing, although there are still four flat meetings taking place this afternoon from Doncaster, Chester, Sandown and Salisbury.  It is day three of Doncaster's St Leger meeting and they have a nice card to look forward to with three Group 2's and a Listed contest on the menu.  It is just a shame that Chester have a meeting today also - they are both nice tracks and I would imagine that many of the same people would have liked to be at both meetings.

Talking of Doncaster, I see that Roger Varian is now unsure about the participation of ante-post favourite Kingston Hill in the St Leger on Saturday.  The Derby runner-up has been withdrawn from a number of previous engagements this term due to the ground, but I would be shocked if connections didn't take their chance this weekend.  The ground was still officially described as good/soft (good in places yesterday), so I do not fully understand why they are saying that he will not run unless the ground is watered.  It is the last chance he will have to win an English Classic and he looks tailor-made for the race, it will be interesting to see what they do.

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Above, you will see another nice photograph from my little forray to the gallops earlier in the week.  This time, pictured during morning exercise are youngsters Obistar and Brook.  Obistar (nearside) showed promise when finishing runner-up in a Ffos Las bumper, while Brook is another ex-French recruit who looks like a nice prospect for the future.

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I hope we don't split up the United Kingdom at the Scottish Independence Referendum next week and it looks like former champion jockey Kieren Fallon feels the same way.  He said, "The reason why I love riding in Scotland is because the Scottish are lovely, honest people and great to be around."  Someone should try to get Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond to the races, I understand he loves the sport!

I see there is going to be another charity race for jump jockeys on 11th October.  I still remember Frankie Dettori competing in one of these races for MCP.  The story goes that Frankie closed his eyes at every hurdle and his mount, Gold Medal just came up for him at every flight!  I don't think Frankie ever rode over the sticks again after that!  While we are on the subject of races with unusual conditions, congratulations to one of our owners Richard Wilkin who was a part of the successful partnership who owned Jump Jockeys Derby winner Eton Rambler yesterday...an Epsom Derby winner sounds very exciting!

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I see that golfer Fabrizio Zanotti was rushed to hospital after being hit on the head by a ball at the KLM Dutch Open.  So many of these professionals do not shout fore when they hit a wild shot.  Practically every amateur shouts fore so I have no idea why the pro's don't do it.  I once played with a lady golfer who didn't shout the warning and when I asked her why not, she replied "I forgot the number!" - true story!

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I love the story that footballer Nicky Butt has recounted about Sir Alex Ferguson and the International Friendlies.  Sir Alex told them never to fake an injury, although he forewarned the players "There's an England friendly coming up and you're not going!"  Don't forget Sir Alex is Scottish!

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