One Runner At Taunton

There are two meetings taking place this afternoon after Haydock was lost to the frost.  Following an inspection Taunton goes ahead without a problem and is supported by an all-weather flat card from Lingfield.  The stable has one runner at Taunton; Northern Bay (pictured above)who participates in the conditional jockeys handicap hurdle where he will be partnered by Kieron Edgar.  Northern Bay finished runner-up on good ground at Newton Abbot in September - I think the softer ground will help this ex-French gelding and he has shown enough to suggest that he is capable of winning a race of this nature.

It always makes me chuckle when you listen to the clerks of some of these racecourses.  The temperature reached -6ºc around these parts yesterday, although they said they could have raced at Taunton - it's amazing how these tracks can always race on a day you don't want them to!

What a performance from Hurricane Fly to win yet another Grade One at Leopardstown yesterday, beating Champion Hurdler Jezki in a driving finish.  The crowd gave him an incredible reception and rightly so, although I still doubt whether either one of them will be able to beat The New One at the Cheltenham Festival.  Meanwhile, I dare anyone to ask A P McCoy how his Irish trip went, you would certainly be a braver man than me!

Nicky Henderson is said to be delighted by the piece of work that Sprinter Sacre did at Newbury yesterday.  Bookmakers reacted by shortening him from 7/2 to 2/1 favourite for the Champion Chase in March, although I still have my doubts.  Surely it is only a proper race that will tell us if he is truly back to his best...there are still too many questions to answer before I would consider getting involved at those odds.

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Liverpool had a good result as they beat Swansea 4-1 yesterday and my 8/11 looked a solid bet.  Meanwhile the managers merry-go-round has started...Newcastle want Tony Pulis, Crystal Palace want Alan Pardew (although I'm not sure many of the fans do) and who will go to West Brom?  It is the usual case of chairmen panicking as they can see £millions of Sky's money disappearing if they drop out of the Premiership.

I think the FA should ban Newcastle striker Pappiss Cisse for longer than the three games he will get after he elbowed Everton's Seamus Coleman.  He has admitted the incident which is big of him considering that it was blantant and the whole thing was caught on camera.  I would make sure that he misses Premiership action and not just African Cup matches with Senegal...Barnes justice!

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Apparently nearly one third of men with beards would rather give up sex than shave them off...whatever tickles their fancy!