Badger Ales

 
                  Standing Ovation

Today we have four meetings, three jumps cards at Wincanton, Sandown and Kelso plus a flat card at Doncaster.  There are eight races at Doncaster including the competitive November handicap.  David runs Standing Ovation in the 2.40pm Badger Ales chase at Wincanton.  Our seven year old ran a cracker at Cheltenham last time to finish second and went up two pounds for that run.  He won this race last year to complete a four timer but he is 11 pounds higher this time round.  Providing they do not get too much rain at the track and the ground remains fairly good we hope he should run a big race.  Although it seems to have rained most of the night in the west country they have only had 1mm of rain at Wincanton.  Although they are due more this morning lets just hope they do not get too much!

I see that Irish trainer Tony Martin has a runner at Saint Cloud today, a two year old in a Group 1.  I would not think he has had many runner in France, let alone two year olds so it could be one to watch.  The ground as always is likely to be testing in France but it is going to be pretty testing at Sandown today where it is already heavy in places.

Ryan Moore has been granted a short term licence to ride in Japan.  Moore has ridden 19 top level winners in 8 countries across 4 continents in the last 12 months.  Talk abouthow a jockey will travel!  It is great he is prepared to do this however so the rest of the world can see how good he is.

One of our local football teams, Exeter lost in the FA Cup last night to the lowest ranked team in the competition.  Warrington Town who play in the eighth tear of the football league beat the Grecians 1-0.  The early game today is Liverpool versus Chelsea at 12.45pm.  I wonder when Liverpool were last 5/2 to win at home?  There should be goals as Liverpool's defence is not the best.  In the other action Burnley play Hull and if Burnley have any chance of staying up surely they must get three points from this game.  To me they look down alongside QPR and Crystal Palace - time will tell!

They tell me there is some rugby match at 2.30pm where England take on the All Blacks.  I have never really got into rugby as we only played football and cricket at my school in the East End.  What about footballer Callum Hinde getting booked for deliberately missing a penalty.  He did not think it was a penalty - you cab't be right for being wrong!