More Weekend Winners!

It was another good weekend for the stable with the success of Ballywilliam at Uttoxeter on Saturday and Taj Badalandabad at Ascot on Sunday.  Ballywilliam won under a good ride from Kieron Edgar, while Michael Heard was victorious aboard the latter (easier to write than to pronounce!).  Taj has now won six of his eleven starts and is developing into a very useful stayer.  I must say that David is in the lucky position to have three very good conditional jockeys based at Pond House.  Meanwhile Shotavodka ran another decent race to finish third in the veterans' chase from a mark 12lbs higher than for his last success.

Talking of jockeys I see that David issued a positive bulletin about stable jockey Tom Scudamore via Twitter over the weekend, stating that he had been down to ride out and is very much on course for Aintree.  Tom is planning to be back on Thursday, although at present he is unsure if he will be riding at Taunton or Aintree (David has only one entry at Aintree on Thursday).

The stable has three runners this afternoon with Batavir and Houston Dynimo on duty at Wincanton and Eamon An Cnoic running at Warwick.  Batavir finished a decent second at Ffos Las last time out and a similar level of form will give him every chance under Michael Heard, who also takes a handy 5lbs off his back.  Houston Dynimo needs to bounce back to form to feature in his race, while former Irish pointer Eamon An Cnoic will have learned plenty from his rules debut and holds sound claims in the bumper at Warwick with Conor O'Farrell in the saddle.

Barry Geraghty landed in hot water with the stewards at Limerick yesterday for his ride when runner-up aboard Noble Emperor.  He received a thirty day ban, while the horse was warned off for 60 days and the trainer, Tony Martin issued with a fine.  He did seem to give his mount plenty to do and there didn't seem an awful lot of urgency about catching the winner.  I said to Mrs Barnes at the time that I thought he might be in a spot of bother and so it proved.  I'm afraid it didn't look very good and Geraghty will now miss the Punchestown Festival.

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There was a good Premiership win for top of the table Leicester at the weekend.  They were not at their best but still disposed of Southampton 1-0.  The sign of a good side is when they can win even when they aren't playing their best and the title now looks to be theirs for the taking.

How on earth did England manage to lose the final of the World T20 Cricket?  The West Indies needed 19 to win from the last over and Carlos Brathwaite hit the first four balls for 6 to rescue victory from the jaws of defeat.  I did my money to boot!  Meanwhile, the ladies team made it a weekend to remember for the West Indies as they landed the women's trophy.

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Another Ronnie Corbett classic to get us in a good mood on this dreary Monday morning...This is a message for seven honeymoon couples in a hotel in Peebles.  Breakfast was served three days ago!  Have a nice day....

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