Title Tightening Up

There are three meetings taking place this afternoon with jumps action coming from Chepstow, Ludlow and Sedgefield.  Chepstow looks like a competitive card, although there is a dearth of runners at the other two jumps meetings with them mustering just one double digit field apiece.  Meanwhile, over in Ireland there is just one meeting from Cork and apart from a 5 runner field and an 11 runner contest, every one of the other six races has at least 14 runners.  Lessons to learn anyone? 

Following a four timer yesterday, things are beginning to get very tight at the top of the jockeys' championship with Harry Skelton now only five winners behind defending champion Brian Hughes.  With five weeks of the season remaining, there is still time for that lead to be eroded, although it is looking like a two horse race now with Harry Cobden 15 behind the leader.  Despite the momentum being with Skelton, it is still a tall order given the amount of support that Brian Hughes has from a host of trainers.  Meanwhile, Harry Skelton has had just 35 outside rides this season.

Cheltenham is in the rear view mirror and there are only two weeks to go until the start of the Grand National meeting at Aintree.  Vieux Lion Rouge was confirmed for the big one at the latest stage and he remains an intended runner with Conor O'Farrell booked to ride.

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England kick-off their World Cup qualifying with a match tonight against San Marino, the lowest ranked International side in football.  The match is at Wembley and should provide England with a good confidence booster.  The last time the two sides met, England emerged victorious 6-0 and it would be disappointing if they did not put a similar beating on them this time around.  Things will be a lot tougher for Northern Ireland who have to travel to Italy and Scotland who host Austria.

Mark Selby looked in good form as he trounced Kyren Wilson to reach the semi-finals of snooker's Cazoo Tour Championships at Celtic Manor yesterday.  He will face Neil Robertson in the next round.  World number one Judd Trump faces Barry Hawkins today and it would be no surprise to see the underdog give Trump something to think about given his very respectable record against him.

Talking of snooker, Stephen Hendry has drawn old friend and rival Jimmy White in the first qualifying match for the world championships which takes place next month.  Given their history in major finals, that should certainly be a match to savour even if the quality isn't quite what it used to be.

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How many MP's does it take to change a lightbulb?
21.  One to change it and twenty to form a fact-finding committee to learn more about how it's done!