Back To The Flat

It is back to the flat this afternoon with just four meetings on the level with the action coming from Ffos Las, Musselburgh, Chelmsford City and Nottingham.  Unsurprisingly David does not have any runners today.  It looked as if the 'one ride' theory was going to pay dividends again yesterday as Tom Scudamore was going well aboard Next Sensation when coming to grief three out.  I may be biased but he looked the likeliest winner to me.

I see that it is former Cheltenham Festival winning jockey Hadden Frost's 26th birthday today.  Hadden has been retired for a couple of years now but he was a very accomplished young jockey who enjoyed his finest moment when steering Buena Vista to victory in the 2010 Pertemps Handicap Hurdle Final at the Cheltenham Festival.  I still vividly remember having one of the most frightening experiences of my life with Hadden...I was sharing a lift back from Cheltenham with one of our Irish owners and Hadden was driving the car with Johnny Farrelly the co-driver.  It was that horrifying that the owner asked to be dropped at the nearest train station!  You could quite see how they were such fearless jockeys.  Anyway, many happy returns Hadden.

*****

I always enjoy reading Alistair Down's column in the Racing Post, he has a way of putting things unlike anybody else in the sport - small wonder he is always the one picking up the gongs at all the awards ceremonies.  I do find it difficult to believe however that he does not have Sky television in his household and was equally surprised at his broadside over their coverage of the Open golf at the weekend.  I thought they were excellent - different class to the old drivel that used to get served up on the BBC.  They had Butch Harmon, the best coach in the world at the commentary box alongside the wit of Wayne Riley and former number one, Sir Nick Faldo - what more does he want?!

I love a bit of 'arrers' and there should be a tasty darts match on tonight between heavyweights Adrian Lewis and Gerwyn Price.  Lewis has called Price a big mouth in the lead-up to the match so there is clearly no love lost between the two.  It is on Sky Sports tonight at 7pm.

*****

I asked Mrs Barnes to record a television program for me on ITV+1 last night.  Unfortunately she recorded ITV2.  Have a nice day...

Tweet