A December Double!

It was a good day for the stable yesterday and a cracking way to kick off the month of December with a double at Market Rasen courtesy of Susie Sheep (pictured above) and Chic Theatre.  Susie Sheep was winning her first race under rules in the novices' handicap chase.  She jumped soundly and ran out a ready winner and looks capable of scoring again.  Chic Theatre (pictured below) completed the double in the handicap hurdle - this represented his easiest task to date over timber and he made no mistake, winning with a little bit in hand.  The better ground looked to suit him quite well.

With the abandonment of Exeter there are now only three meetings taking place this afternoon. Sandown has passed an early morning inspections, while there are no problems envisaged for Sedgefield's jumps card and an all-weather flat meeting from Wolverhampton.  I must say, it is the coldest day of the winter so far down here in Brixham - I don't think I will be going far today!

It is a pity that Exeter didn't get the go-ahead as David was due to have four runners there today, while there was an intriguing clash in the novices' chase with classy hurdler The New One set to make his chasing debut.  Regular rider Sam Twiston-Davies would have been aboard Frodon for Paul Nicholls - it has to be difficult for Sam having to give up the ride on a horse that has been so good to him.

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What a surprise, Gareth Southgate has been announced as the new manager of the England football team.  It was certainly a well-kept secret with him seemingly the only person who was ever in the running for the job!  Is it that difficult a position that he is the only one that wanted consideration?

Tiger Woods looked nervous in the first round of his first tournament in 15 months yesterday as he shot a one over par round in the Hero World Challenge.  At one point he shared the lead following three birdies but then two double-bogeys let him down badly and he is already nine shots away from the overall leader J B Holmes.

There was shock in the tennis world as six players were arrested on suspicion of match fixing at seventeen events across Spain and Portugal.  It is alleged that they were part of a betting ring that had made about £425,000...I reckon ping pong must have been one of the few honest sports!  I was never even approached when I have laryngitis...I was a hoarse whisperer!

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