Overturned!

In case you missed it yesterday, the hot news off the press is that Tom Scudamore has had his five day ban that he was given for his ride in the Becher Chase at Aintree aboard Soll overturned on appeal.  The incident occurred just before the famous elbow on the run-in as Tom held his line and stopped one of his rivals from going for an optimistic run up his inner.  Tom is there to do his best for his owner and trainer and not to say 'after you old boy' to his rivals - his actions were no different to a racing driver holding his line and had he let one through he would have incurred the wrath of pundits and punters alike.  I am pleased to see a rare victory for common sense.  I wonder if there will be any action against the instigator?

David is also among the headlines today as he has criticised the 2m4f juvenile hurdle at Uttoxeter this afternoon.  He made his feelings about the race clear in his blog on Monday and it looks as though he has been proved right with an uncompetitive field of three lining up for the race with the favourite, Perceus a 1/5 shot.  It certainly does racing no favours at all and it says to me that trainers do not want a race of this nature...if you take a look at David's blog you will see what else he has to say on the matter.

This afternoon there are four meetings with jumps action from Ascot and Uttoxeter while there are two all-weather flat cards from Southwell and Wolverhampton.  The stable has no runners today.

I was watching the racing from Exeter yesterday and it was certainly very testing.  The Devon track is stiff at the best of times but when the ground comes up like that it becomes a real battle of endurance.  The last three races were each over a minute slower than the standard time.

When you think of racing at Jebel Ali you always think of big prize money but that is not always the case.  Look at today's card where the 11.15am race is the most valuable on the card yet is worth £11,500.  Even so, it has still attracted most of the top jockeys from these shores with a ten runner race fielding eight of our jockeys from over here.

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It was inevitable that Chelsea and Jose Mourinho were going to part ways sooner or later.  Having won the Premier League last season Chelsea are struggling near the bottom this time around.  It is the players who are going to get you sacked - it is the same bunch as last year but they are no longer performing for their manager.  It will be interesting to see if his replacement can motivate them once again.  Mourinho has only just signed another four year contract which means that he will get a £10million golden handshake, so he is effectively laughing all the way to the bank.  I wonder if he could be headed to Manchester - either City or United?

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I had an unusual text yesterday from one of my Australian readers, asking me to praise some of the Australian cricketers in the upcoming series against England.  As far as I am concerned there is nothing better than giving the Aussies a good spanking at anything...they probably gloat more than I do!  Sorry mate!

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In Sopforth today the funeral of Britain's most successful door to door salesman was called off because every time they tried to close the coffin lid he jammed his foot in it!

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