Top Class Action

                Standing Ovation

Today we have five meetings, three on the flat at Ascot, Catterick and Wolverhampton plus two jumps cards at Cheltenham and Kelso.  Ascot has over £4 million in prize money for Champions Day while Wolverhampton has just £39,000!  There is some cracking racing to look forward to at all the meetings.  It has not stopped raining down here in the west country and neither it seems has it at Ascot where the ground is heavy.  David has four runners at Cheltenham and Standing Ovation gets things underway in the 3.45pm handicap chase.  He won the Badger Ales chase at Wincanton last season and although he has not won since then he ran well to finish 6th at the Festival and a similar run would see him have a great chance this afternoon.  David also have Bygones Sovereign, Ainsi Fideles and Moon Racer.  Our four year old Ainsi Fideles has won all five of his starts over fences.  He seems to go on any ground and although this is a tough novice chase he should hopefully run well. 

 I am looking forward to Moon Racer running in the concluding Bumper at 5.30pm.  He has only had one start and won nicely on his debut in Ireland on good to yielding ground.  He could be anything and is very exciting.  Please see the video below as Moon Racer was the pick of one of our members of staff, Jules Shergold as her horse to follow for the season.  Tom Scu rides all four of our runners.

Julia Shergold Horse To Follow 2014/15 Season

Purple 'n Gold ran another solid race to finish sixth at Cheltenham yesterday, just in front of stablemate Street Entertainer.  They were both not beaten far and ran okay in a competitive race.  I have been going through the Champion stakes runners for today to cross out the horses who may not go on the ground.  Seven of the nine have actually won on soft so this makes it tricky!  French raider Cirrus Des Aigles has won 14 times on soft/heavy ground and that is all you need to know!

Looking at today's football matches in the Premier League - all the top teams should win today.  Arsenal 4/9, Chelsea 4/9, Man City 1/2 and Liverpool 8/13.  I might have a small roll up!  Man City versus Tottenham is the lunchtime kick off.  It should be a good game to watch with lots of goals as neither teams defence is very good.

Imagine going into your work today knowing you could be sacked.  Well Newcastle manager Alan Pardew is in that situation today.  His team play at home to Leicester and they need to get a result to get the fans and the board off his back.  It seems to me that more and more footballers are getting injured in training.  I see that Liverpool's striker Daniel Sturridge will be out for a month after getting injured a warm up.  Mind you a warm up for them would probably do most of us in!  Have a nice day.