Weekend Jottings

There are three meetings taking place this afternoon with a jumps card from Market Rasen as well as a couple of flat fixtures from Thirsk and Chester.  The big race of the day is the Group 3 Queensferry Stakes over 6f at Chester at 3.10pm.  The draw at Chester is more important than at any other track in the country owing to its tight, turning nature, especially over these sprint trips.  With that in mind, all looks in place for frontrunner Dakota Gold to put in a bold show.  A Group 3 winner last season, she should be all the better for her recent reappearance effort and looks to be the one to beat.

The card from Market Rasen tomorrow will be the last jumps fixture before the mid-summer break, with no more NH fixtures until 14th August.  The best part of a fortnight without jumping...what are we going to do?!

*****

The Olympic action has turned to the track and field and there are 25 medal events taking place today, including the men's 100m final.  It will be the first time the event has been held without the great Ussain Bolt since 2004.

Novak Djokovic, who recently joined Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal as the winning-most players in Grand Slam history with his victory at Wimbledon, missed out on an Olympic medal when beaten by Pablo Carrena Busto.  The Serb showed his frustration by smashing a racket en-route to defeat.  Carrena Busto obviously has an effect on Djokovic, as he was also his opponent when hitting a line judge with a ball last year.

The Hungarian Grand Prix takes place this afternoon with the championships on a knife edge as the sport heads into it's summer break.

*****

A petty criminal was sent to hell for his sins.  As he was led to the place of eternal torment, he passed a room where an estate agent was locked in a passionate embrace with a beautiful woman.
"Hey!  That's not fair," moaned the crook.  "Why do I have to suffer torture and deprivation for ever more while the estate agent gets it together with a beautiful woman?"
The devil snapped back, "Who are you to question that woman's punishment?"