Four Hexham Runners

There is plenty to look forward to today.  It is 2,000 Guineas day at Newmarket, the final day of the Punchestown Festival and there are four runners for the yard at Hexham!  Aside from that, there are flat meetings from Goodwood, Thirsk and Doncaster as well as a jumps fixture from Uttoxeter.  David runs Paricolor, First Lord de Cuet, Elan de Balme and Nordic Combined at the northern track.  Paricolor is the first of them as he contests the 2m selling hurdle at 5.20pm.  He had a great season last term, winning on five occasions and he has already beaten several of these rivals previously (including the next three in the betting) and despite the revised weights, he is reliable and should give his running once again.  Fergus Gillard gets on well with him and he looks to have a good chance.

First Lord de Cuet (pictured above) makes his chasing debut in the 2m4f beginners' chase at 5.50pm.  A progressive handicap hurdler last season, he won well at Wincanton and was far from disgraced at the Cheltenham Festival, running better than his finishing position would suggest after suffering interference.  He has schooled well at home, was the best of these over timber and looks sure to take plenty of beating under Tom Scudamore.

Elan de Balme contests the 3m handicap chase at 6.55pm.  He has been running well of late, finishing in the frame at Ffos Las and Herford.  Conditions should suit and he could benefit from the application of blinkers.  It is a tight little race, but he is another that looks to hold a solid chance.  Tom Scudamore is in the saddle.

Our final runner at Hexham is Nordic Combined who runs in the 2m handicap hurdle at 7.25pm.  He has put two solid efforts together to finish runner-up in the valuable Challenger series final at Haydock before finishing second at Cheltenham.  He is a little quirky but has the ability to win a race of this nature if putting his best foot forward.  Fergus Gillard knows him well and hopefull he will give David Pipe Racing Club members plenty to cheer about!

Over at Punchestown, the big race of the final day is the Champion Four Year Old Hurdle.  It features a rematch between Quilixios, Haut En Couleurs and Zanahiyr and I am surprised Qulixios is not favourite.  Perhaps it is the Mullins factor after his amazing week, but Quilixios is straight forward, has the form in the book and looks rock solid - I thought he would be favourite.

The 2,000 Guineas takes place at Newmarket at 3.40pm and the first Classic of the season looks an exciting contest.  I am all over Mutasaabeq following his impressive victory at the track on Craven day.  It may only have been a four runner race that he won, but the way he pulled away from his rivals in a good time was very impressive and connections shelled out £30,000 to supplement him for this race.  I may live to regret taking on the Ballydoyle battalions but Aiden O'Brien's runners in this country have cut little ice so far this season - he may have been sending over a few sighters to see where his three year olds stack up against the opposition, but I am happy to take him on today.

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The semi-finals of the World Snooker Championships are played to a conclusion today.  Mark Selby is surprisingly trailing Stuart Bingham 13-11 overnight, whilst Shaun Murphy won the last two frames of his match against Kyren Wilson to stay in touch at 10-6.  The final starts tomorrow afternoon.

Lewis Hamilton led the way in practice for the Portugese Grand Prix, narrowly ahead of Max Verstappen in his Red Bull.  Qualifying takes place today and there continues to appear to be little between the top two teams.  With all this exciting action to look forward to, it looks like an almost perfect sporting weekend for me...my wife will be thrilled!

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Why did the parrot wear a raincoat?  So that it could be Polly unsaturated!
What do you call a woodpecker with no beak?  A headbanger!
Why did the one-eyed chicken cross the road?  To get to the Birdseye shop!