Fontwell, Uttoxeter Runners

Today there are three meetings to look forward to with National Hunt cards from Fontwell and Uttoxeter as well as an all-weather flat card from Southwell.  The stable has runners at both of the jumps meetings this afternoon with the very promising unbeaten pair Bidourey (pictured above) and Molo travelling to Fontwell to be ridden by Tom Scudamore, while Conor O'Farrell is aboard Lady Of Longstone and newcomer Flabello at Uttoxeter.  With sixty-four winners on the board I am sure David would like to keep the momentum going with a few more today!

It really does seem to be a case of how low can you go at Southwell with a Scrooge-like £28,000 on offer across their eight race card!  Obviously not much festive cheer for the owners from Arena Racing Company!

Looking back at yesterday's action, there were some very close finishes at Musselburgh.  Indeed four of the races were decided by distances of a nose, a head, a neck and a neck...I should know as both of my bets finished second (not that I am bitter about it!).

David has long extolled the virtues of the veteran's races and finally the BHA have decided to do more with them.  There is a proposed series worth £400,000 open to horses of ten years of age or older and it will give some of the old stars a chance to compete against their own age groups for some decent prize money.  One of the lovely things about National Hunt racing is that the horses are around for many seasons and the spectators grow attached to them, so why not do more to promote them?

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Manchester United have now managed to win five games on the trot, although they are only 'winning ugly' at the moment.  That is what good teams do even when they are not playing at their best.  My only problem is that Louis Van Gaal must learn to handle the press better as he gets upset far too quickly.  For me United's best and most improved player is David De Gae.  I bet Eddie and Tony are both unbearable this morning!

You know you are in deep trouble when Joey Barton is playing peacemaker following an altercation between QPR and Crystal Palace players during a Christmas party!  If I was the football chairman or manager I would ban these Christmas do's as there is always trouble.

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Finally, just time for one more (largely) true story.  A student was injured when a homemade firework went off in his hand sparking a bomb scare in Southampton...I bet the police gave him a rocket!