Two Worcester Runners

There are four meetings taking place this afternoon with action on the level from Bath, Beverley and Thirsk while there is a rare sight - a jumps card from Worcester!  David runs two at Worcester in the staying handicap chase at 6.30pm; For 'N' Against and Dusk Till Dawn.  For 'N' Against (pictured above) won a chase at Market Rasen on good ground under a good ride from Tom Scudamore but he is 7lbs higher today and this looks to be a tougher race.  Meanwhile Dusk Till Dawn was disappointing at Newton Abbot last time and remains 8lbs above his last winning mark although David Noonan claims a useful 3lbs off his back.

I see that trainer Mark Johnston has said that ITV will need to drop all betting talk when they take over the broadcasting rights for racing next year.  I don't share that opinion as betting is an integral part of the sport so you can't pretend that it does not exist.  The most important ingredient is a team of presenters that have personalities and share some chemistry together - just look at Top Gear where the new team have sadly failed to replicate the likes of Clarkson, Hammond and May.  There is no formula for this, they are just going to have to keep trying until the find the right pieces.  Mrs Barnes is just an average viewer (I hope she is not reading this!) and she says that the set-up is too complicated and she has lost interest.  There is too much analysis of form and consequently they are losing the casual viewer - I heard a great phrase this morning "paralysis by analysis".

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Sam Allardyce has flown back to England from a training camp in Austria to conduct talks about the vacant England manager's job.  One thing is for sure, Big Sam would tighten the defense up and get the players on his side so I can only see him as a good appointment.  The biggest drawback is that his sides don't play the most attractive football, but does that really matter if they are getting results?

I see that world number three golfer Jordan Spieth is the latest player to give the Rio Olympics a swerve.  His absence means that the top four players in the world will be missing and I can quite understand why...why chance your health?  Surely they must have been advised about the situation by somebody?

Talking of golf, it is going to be an early start for Colin Montgomerie on Thursday when he has to be up at 4.30am as he is hitting the first tee-shot in the 145th Open.  This is Colin's home course as he was born just down the road from Royal Troon.

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Thought for the day...people who say they sleep like a baby don't usually have one!

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