One More Sleep!

There is just one day to go until Christmas...I guess it is time I did a bit of shopping!  For those who work in the racing yards life goes on exactly the same.  The horses still need to be fed and watered and of course exercised - especially if they are going to be running on Boxing Day.  You can tell it is Christmas by the sudden surge of silly hats on display - as you can see from the photograph, none more so than when Roger Stanley and Paul Reynolds visited us earlier in the week!

Looking through today's edition of the Racing Post they are already concentrating on the Boxing Day action - I have had a quick look at the stable runners and unsurprisingly Tom Scudamore heads to Kempton for the mounts aboard Ballynagour in the King George and Unique de Cotte who makes his chasing debut.  Kempton's card wouldn't be out of place at the Cheltenham Festival in March and Irish champion Willie Mullins travels across with Open Eagle, Net d'Ecosse, Faugheen, Valseur Lido and Vautour.  Faugheen looks the banker in the Christmas Hurdle although those mean bookies aren't exactly full of Christmas spirit with this one at 4/11.  Mind you, he did get beaten last time.  The biggest shock was young Sam Twiston-Davies getting off his dad's horse The New One to ride Old Guard for current boss Paul Nicholls.

One of the stranger things I noticed about Boxing Day was that runaway jockeys' championship leader Richard Johnson goes to Huntingdon for five rides yet not one of them is forecast favourite.

I did like the picture of lady rider Cathy Gannon in the Racing Post with singer Ronan Keating at the Lester Awards earlier in the week.  Ms Gannon was receiving her third Lester Award and fortunately for her she is a much better jockey than singer!

Many happy returns to Gerry Supple who the Post say is 38 today.  I am sure they have that wrong as Gerry has worked in the yard for over 30 years!  I wonder if he gets two lots of presents?

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I loved Manchester United manager Louis Van Gaal's press conference yesterday.  I call it a conference but it only lasted eight minutes in total!  He stood up and walked out after having a pop at all of the press, although he did tell them all to help themselves to wine and mince pies.  I see the under pressure boss is now a 1/5 chance to be the next Premier manager to be shown the door.

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What did Father Christmas say to the little chimney?  You're too young too smoke!  Have a lovely Christmas Eve...

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