Diamond Day At Ascot

Well, it's a bumper day of action today with seven meetings taking place but unfortunately if you are a fan of the jumps you are left disappointed once again as not one of them is over the sticks.  The action comes from Ascot, York, Newmarket, Chester, Newcastle, Salisbury and Lingfield and the big race of the day is the King George from Ascot at 4.30pm.  It is a Group 1 contest worth almost £700,000 to the winner - I might be looking back with rose coloured spectacles, but it doesn't seem to be the race that it was.  It used to be the first opportunity for the best of the classic generation to meet their elders over 1m4f but it seems to have lost all of it's importance, I wonder why?  Anyway, let's hope that Dartmouth can provide a Royal winner and get The Queen back the £75,000 she shelled out to supplement him!

Also at Ascot it is a big day for the ladies as they have the 7f handicap to themselves at 5pm - there are 19 runners and without wishing to sound rude, I was quite surprised as I didn't think there were 19 lady riders!  Miss S Brotherton is usually a standing dish in races of this nature so I will be looking no further than Brian Ellison's Robero.  She tends to look like a professional against a bunch of amateurs.

David had one runner yesterday at Uttoxeter but Junior Package proved disappointing in the 2m7f handicap hurdle.  He looked to be going best turning into the straight but weakened tamely between three out and two out.  It didn't look as though he stayed the extra distance to me so I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him revert to shorter next time.

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England have had a good start to the second test match against Pakistan as they have reached 314-4.  Another 100 runs or so and they will be in a strong position.  England's two world class batsmen Cook and Root both made centurys with Root unbeaten on 141.  These two are head and shoulders above anyone else in the squad.

Big Sam Allardyce has been given a two year contract as England football manager.  Is that long enough to find any World Class players and sort out the current mess?  I have my doubts.  The trouble is that we do not have a single player that would make it into a World XI.  Good luck Sam...I think you might need it!

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I bought a book called 'Beating Addiction' yesterday...I haven't been able to put it down!

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