Sona's Winning Chase Debut

Sona Sasta in Taunton's winners enclosure following his smooth chase debut success

Sona Sasta continued the good form of the stable when absolutely bolting-up at Taunton yesterday under a good front-running ride from Danny Cook.  On pretty testing going our eight year old won by eighteen lengths and he looks like progressing into another decent horse for owner Roger Brookhouse.  Talking of Roger, I will probably do a tenner to his mate in our Cheltenham Festival marquee - he seems to have me over every year...mind you, I really should have twigged on that he was a racing man by the thousands of badges on his binoculars!

Talking of the Cheltenham Festival, doesn't time fly?  I can't believe there are only a couple of months now until the biggest four days of jump racing on the entire calendar.  I notice that there are several of the big race entries closing today, so I will look forward to seeing those over the next day or two, and for the latest news on the Pond House contingent check back here.

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I was watching the racing on television yesterday and despite the official going being given as soft, I have to say that the ground looked to be atrocious.  Towcester is a really testing track at the best of times, but when the ground comes up really heavy things really develop into a slog as the times showed yesterday.  Most of the races were in the region of thirty seconds slower than the standard time, despite missing a flight of hurdles and the open ditch in the chases.  I am sure that it will take yesterday's runners at the course a fair while to get over their exertions.

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I will be glued to the television tonight as my team West Ham United take on Birmingham in the semi-finals of the Carling Cup.  The match will be shown live on BBC2 at 7.45pm and if the Hammers do not get a result I fear that the manager's days might be numbered.  That may not be an altogether bad thing - he seems so laid back, he would struggle to motivate anybody!