Leicester Double!

It was yet another good day for the stable yesterday when Taj Badalandabad and Bladoun completed a double at Leicester under Tom Scudamore.  Taj Badalandabad rallied bravely to win the novices' hurdle by 2 1/2 lengths under his penalty.  He certainly seemed to appreciate the soft ground and showed a likeable attitude to grind out victory here.  He has proven to be a great purchase for owner William Frewen as he has now won four of his five starts since joining us from the Irish point-to-point ranks.  Bladoun (pictured below) was given a good positive ride to record his first victory and looks as though he could follow-up.

There are four meetings taking place this afternoon with two National Hunt fixtures from Sandown and Exeter and a couple of cards on the all-weather from Lingfield and Wolverhampton.  At this point I should congratulate the Devon track who have more prize money on offer than the two flat cards put together.  Sivron takes his chance at Exeter and will be ridden by Conor O'Farrell and he is a 12/1 chance according to the Racing Post.  Meanwhile stable jockey Tom Scudamore is off to Sandown for the ride aboard Baraka de Thaix in the juvenile - we also have Classical Art in the same race and he makes his debut for the stable under Daryl Jacob.  Baraka de Thaix had some good form on soft ground in France but improved significantly upon that when a close third on his first start in this country in a Grade 2 hurdle at Cheltenham last time out.

Going back to yesterday's action I noted one to avoid at all costs...Easy Beesy who was the even money to land the novices' handicap chase at Leicester.  He didn't jump any fence with confidence and eventually fell - he is definitely one to give a swerve if competing over the larger obstacles again.

For once I found myself agreeing with Mick Fitzgerald yesterday over the severity of Davy Russell and Phillip Enright's ban after Russell borrowed Enright's whip mid-race.  Only recently a jockey won a a big race by breaking the rules and received only ten days - the ban for the two Irishmen seems disproportionate and I feel the stewards would have been much better served giving the jockeys a slap on the wrists or a one day ban.  The result was not altered by their actions with both horses well beaten.

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One legged Ronnie O'Sullivan hopped into the last eight of the UK Snooker Championship yesterday, signing off with a 147 break, picking up a £44,000 bonus.  He says the bonus will go straight to the Inland Revenue, "I'm bang in trouble with them!"

I have only seen a 147 once before and that was by Ray Reardon on a Pontins holiday camp table - it was probably the best maximum break of all time given the condition of those old holiday camp tables!

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I'm not sure I would want to be playing golf in the Kruger National Park following the death of a golfer who was killed by a crocodile while looking for balls in the lake.  Going into the water there could clearly lead to more than just a penalty.