Rare Runner For Sir Mark

There are four meetings taking place this afternoon with jumps cards from Kelso, Leicester and Fontwell supported by an all-weather flat fixture from Chelmsford City.  Looking through the card at Fontwell I see that trainer Sir Mark Prescott has a very rare National Hunt runner, albeit in the bumper - an unraced four year old filly by Sea The Stars.  I would have thought that if she was living up to her breeding at home she would be racing on the level.  I wonder when the last time was that Sir Mark had a runner under jumps rules?  Champion jockey A P McCoy makes the long journey north this afternoon as he takes the mount aboard Cheltenham Gold Cup hope Holywell who is a 4/11 chance this afternoon.

I was amused to read the comments of trainer Evan Williams when he was talking about the reason why Going Concern fell last time, 'He's a good jumper, I'm sure the low sun at Cheltenham was responsible for his fall.'  Surely the low sun has been there before, is it a new thing?  Perhaps the horses will have to start wearing the same tinted googles as the jockeys?

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My dog man managed to tip a couple of winners (and a second) from his four selections at Swindon yesterday - I might have to give him another chance!

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I see that Aston Villa have sacked manager Paul Lambert.  They gave him a contract extension back in September and now come February they have given him the old pac a mac!  Has he suddenly become a bad manager in 5 months?  Perhaps they would have been better served giving him some money to spend in the transfer window to buy a couple of strikers, afterall they can't score goals!  Still, he should get a nice payoff which should soften the blow a bit.

Manchester United beat Burnley 3-1 last night but were far from convincing.  They keep struggling but keep picking up the points - I guess that is the sign of a good team, even if they are not playing like one.

Can you imagine if Bournemouth manage to get into the Premier League?  You wouldn't rule it out as they are playing good football, mind you most people go to Bournemouth to retire!

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Apparently Tiger Woods is going to pack in tournament golf for a while until he sorts his game out.  Why on earth doesn't he ask his coach Butch Harman for help?

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I made the journey from Brixham to Pond House this morning and there was fifteen miles of the M5 between Exeter and Wellington that was restricted to just two lanes.  As usual there was no-one working on the road - they normally wait until a Bank Holiday to close a lane of the motorway!