Sandown, Exeter Runners

There are four meetings taking place this afternoon with three jumps fixtures from Sandown, Exeter and Sedgefield (who need to pass an early morning inspection) as well as a flat card at Wolverhampton.  The stable run Fingertips in the 1.00pm at Sandown and he will be ridden by Daryl Jacob.  Meanwhile Tom Scudamore is at Exeter for the mount on Solomn Grundy who makes his debut for the stable in the 2.15pm race - a National Hunt novices' hurdle.

Spending Time ran a respectable race at Wincanton yesterday afternoon to finish runner-up in the handicap chase under his revised handicap mark.  I wonder if the handicapper over-reacted when putting him up by 8lbs for his success at Huntingdon last month?  I wonder how much he will drop our six year old...or is that just wishful thinking?!  Our other runner Gabrial The Great finished fourth and can only improve for the outing.

I was wandering around the yard the other day and I caught this double rainbow (pictured above) over the stables.  Could there be a pot of gold (or even two) at the end of them?

I see that Timmy Murphy was handed a fourteen day ban by the stewards at Kempton last night for his ride aboard Packing in the six furlong maiden, while trainer Jamie Osborne received a £290 fine for not letting the stable representative know the riding instructions that were given to Murphy...that's a new one on me!

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Former England cricketer Monty Panesar has admitted that he is being treated for mental illness saying "I have suffered from feelings of paranoia" although he goes on to add, "I think I can play for England again, I feel calmer, more mature, more in control".  I am not sure he has beaten his illness yet and sadly I cannot see him representing his country again which is a great shame as he was such a terrific spinner.

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Aston Villa manager Remi Garde has banned Christmas Parties - they are bottom of the league and now they cannot even celebrate Christmas...not much Christmas spirit in the Midlands this year then.  I know what Garde would like for Christmas - a new attack or defence, or preferably both!  Meanwhile Chelsea have already had their Christmas kness-up - they were seen in a nightclub at 3.15am, although apparently it was with the blessing of manager Jose Mourinho.  He feels the players deserve it after all the hard work they have been putting in this season.

While we are on the subject of football, I see that Manchester City player Yaya Toure was excused from a driving ban because the speedo on his car read kilometers rather than miles per hour...I have heard it all now!

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There were delays around Edinburgh yesterday when roads were closed after a lorry carrying beer crashed into a wall...it was Thudweiser!  Have a nice day...