American Wins At Ayr

It was a good weekend for the stable with a success at Ayr on Saturday making the long journey to Scotland well worthwhile.  Impulsive American absolutely bolted up in the hands and heels race under David Noonan and the blinkers certainly seemed to wake him up on their re-application.  He has certainly thrived on his racing this season and still seems to be improving.  He will certainly go up a few pounds in the handicap for this and it would be no surprise to see him turned out again before too long.  Meanwhile I thought that Top Wood was running a blinder in the Scottish Grand National when falling at the sixth last.  I know there was a long way still to go but he was just making ground and I think he may well have reached the frame - a real pity.

There is plenty of racing to look forward to today with flat cards from Pontefract and Windsor while there are jump fixtures from Hexham, Huntingdon and Newton Abbot.  David has one runner, Miss Williams who goes in the mares' bumper.  She has had one run to date and was not disgraced when sixth at Huntingdon last season and the form of that race has thrown up some winners since.  She is still entitled to improve for the experience although she should go well under Conor O'Farrell.

The trainers' championship is really hotting up now with Paul Nicholls landing the big race at Ayr on Saturday to move him back into the lead.  I can see Willie Mullins having quite  few runners this week in a last ditch effort to land a first British championship.

*****

How on earth did Leicester get a draw against West Ham at the weekend?  The referee gave the title leaders a penalty in the 93rd minute.  Mind you, Vardy was sent off for diving early in the match.  A point for Leicester from this match must seem almost as good as a win.  They now need just 8 points to win the Premier League.  All I can say is if it had been a fight the referee would have stopped it...can you tell I did my money?!

The big football match tonight is between Stoke and Spurs.  A victory for Spurs would certainly make Leicester sweat a bit.

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They tell me that snooker legend Steve Davis has retired from professional snooker.  I didn't even realise that the six times world champion was still playing although James from the office informs me that he still managed to reach the quarter-finals of the world championships as recently as 2010.  He was some player and did so much to raise the profile of the sport.

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