What The Doctor Ordered!

Doctor Harper was the ready winner of the novices’ chase at Leicester yesterday. He jumps his fences much better than he did hurdles and was foot perfect yesterday under Tom Scudamore as he won with the minimum of fuss. This was only two miles yesterday and he did win a Grade Three hurdle at the Grand National meeting a couple of years ago over three miles so there are plenty of options open to him. I see he was a mover in the betting for the Cheltenham Festival with firms making him a 12/1 chance for the Kim Muir Chase and the 2½ mile novices’ handicap chase.

There are only three meetings this afternoon following news that Bangor have abandoned their jumps fixture this afternoon due to waterlogging. Last time out winner Bella was due to participate there for the stable although the cancelation leaves us without any runners today.

Why is it that the Racing Post get my age wrong every year on my birthday?! When I get on the bus old ladies stand up to give me their seats! I am only joking…it is only on trains that they do that!

What a match between Liverpool and Stoke in the second leg of their Capital One semi-final last night. The Scousers scraped through 6-5 on penalties with their goalkeeper the hero of the hour as he saved two penalties including from former Liverpool striker Peter Crouch.

Manchester City and Everton play tonight for the other place in the final and Everton hold a 2-1 lead going into the second leg. It will be a Merseyside derby if Everton can hold on and that would make for fantastic viewing.

England’s cricketers lost the latest Test match in South Africa after they were bowled out for just 101. They lost the match by 280 runs, although at least they won the series. South Africa are the number one ranked side in the world, although I am not convinced that they played to that sort of rating. I am far from convinced that we will beat the Aussies…we need another opener to play alongside Alistair Cook.

Can you believe there are a couple of Brits through to the semi-finals of the Australian Open following the successes of Johanna Konta and Andy Murray? Konta won in straight sets against Zhang Shuai and she now plays 7th seed Angelique Kerber in the semi-final. The problem for her is that Serena Williams is still in the other half of the draw!

What’s the difference between a Reliant Robin and a golf ball? You can drive a golf ball more than 200 metres!

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