Leicester, Wetherby Runners

There are three meetings taking place this afternoon with action coming from Leicester and Wetherby over the sticks while there is an all-weather flat card from Southwell.  So long as they pass their early morning inspections David will have runners at both jumps cards.  Stable jockey Tom Scudamore travels to Wetherby for the ride aboard Mr Big Shot in the National Hunt novices' hurdle.  Our six year old was an impressive winner of a soft ground Uttoxeter bumper on his only start to date - he has schooled well at home and a big run is expected.  La Vaticane runs in the 2.20pm race at Leicester, a Listed mares' chase - she was a good winner at Doncaster last time and looks to have the Paul Nicholls runner Tagrita to beat.  David Noonan takes the ride.

Surely if a horse refuses to race or jumps off a distance behind the rest of the field it should be declared a non-runner?  Such an instance occurred again yesterday when 8/1 chance Devious Spirit wouldn't set off at Wolverhampton - punters lost their cash without even getting a run...how can you lose if you can't win?

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I might have a cheeky little double on the football tonight with Brighton at 9/13 and Sheffield at 8/15.  Talking of football I see that Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger could be in trouble for pushing a linesman and calling him a cheat...I guess it was a French connection!  He could be in for a touch line ban and hefty fine.

It is good to hear that Hull footballer Ryan Mason is conscious and talking again after that horrible clash of heads over the weekend.  He is even talking about getting back playing so he must be on the road to recovery.

Joanna Konta is set to play Serena Williams in the quarter finals of the Australian Open tennis - Williams is 35 now and must be coming to the end of her spectacular career which has seen her win 22 Grand Slams.  Konta could have caught her at the right time...I just hope that the LTA don't claim Konta to be one of their success stories!

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There are quite a few things that need doing around the Barnes household at the moment so I called an 'odd job man' in and gave him a list of eight tasks.  He was useless, he only did numbers one, three, five and seven.  Have a nice day...

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