Matt's Bad Boots!

There are four meetings taking place this afternoon with jumps cards at Kelso and Leicester while there are a couple of all-weather flat fixtures from Lingfield and Chelsmford City.  David has no runners this afternoon but stable jockey Tom Scudamore goes to Leicester for one ride aboard Theatre Flame in the 3.45pm - there are only four runners but you couldn't really rule any of them out and the 'one ride theory' could pay off today.

I see that Chester racecourse have increased appearance money from £400 to £500 this year.  I think this is a really good idea and at least it helps the owners with transportation costs or the monthly bill a bit.  Other racecourses would do well to take note.

I had to laugh yesterday - where on earth did the orange one (Matt Chapman) get those boots that he was wearing at Towcester yesterday?  They must have been a gift because there is no way you would part with your hard-earned for them!  They were so bad even Sam Twiston-Davies had to mention them.  Talking of Towcester, there was no going stick reading at the meeting yesterday as the equipment was broken - I can tell them it was heavy!

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I hope you followed my little football double last night as a not very good Bayern Munich beat Arsenal 5-1.  Arsenal completely capitulated in the second half.  Meanwhile Real Madrid also won 5-1...lovely jubbly!  While we are on the subject of football, it is not just the players that the Chinese sides have been targetting - it could be that our best referee Mark Clattenburg could be leaving these shores.  China have the most money and will like his red cards!

What about 15 year old school boy Jackson Page?  He beat John Astley 4-3 to reach the third round of the Welsh Open snooker championships yesterday.  Of his victory he said, "It's great to be off school!"  I was always told that it was a sign of mis-spent youth if you were good at snooker or darts.

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I was once caught stealing a horse...it was a fair clop!