Irish Derby Day

It is another blank day on the jumping front although there are six flat meetings to get your teeth into, not least at Newcastle where the feature is the Northumberland Plate - a twenty runner handicap over two miles.  With the bookies going 8/1 the field, it is fiercely competitive as you would expect.  The remainder of the action comes from Newmarket, Windsor, Chester, Doncaster and Lingfield.  Meanwhile over in Ireland the big race of the day is the Irish Derby from the Curragh that takes place at 6.30pm.  British raider Jack Hobbs is the short-priced favourite for the John Gosden team and on all-known form he should win by an innings!  Can you believe it though...no jump racing on a Saturday?  I know that it is the flat season but not to have any National Hunt racing on a Saturday is almost criminal - what are race planning thinking of?

How does the old expression go?  Always follow a jockey who goes to a race meeting for one ride.  Well, the theory was blown out of the water yesterday when Tom Scu travelled all the way to Cartmel for one ride, only for it to get beaten...I bet it was a long journey home.  I'm sure these jockeys would have more rides if the opportunity arose - it just means that their agents haven't done a good enough job!  I don't know who makes these theories up - always back the outsider of three, back the runners from the first horsebox you see blah, blah, blah...

Starting next Wednesday in the Racing Post there is going to be a series on unlucky punts.  I would have thought that I they would have been in touch by now!  The trouble is most of my punts have won!  It's funny isn't it -  you hardly ever remember your losing bets.

*****

It's hard to believe that it is not raining in the west country at present - the Glastonbury Music Festival is currently taking place and it isn't under water or ten feet of mud!  It ALWAYS rains during the Festival and one of the great sights is seeing all the revellers rolling around in fields of mud.

*****

With just two days to go until the start of the Wimbledon championships all eyes will be on British number one Andy Murray.  He becomes one of us for the next fortnight...unless he loses in the early rounds, in which case he reverts to being Scottish!

The Ashes cricket series will soon be upon as well so it should be a fantastic summer of sports in this country.  Oh, I nearly forgot - there is also the small matter of the British Open golf to look forward to (on a course that looks green!).  I will have to put my beach towel out on the sofa at home and hide the remote from Mrs Barnes!

*****

The big football match of the day is the Quarter-finals of the World Cup between Canada and England.  It is of course the women's tournament...you didn't think for one moment that I was talking about the men did you?

*****

Finally, there are 113 Bibles sold every minute...God knows who to!  Have a nice weekend...

Tweet