Weekend Jottings!

It looks like being a perfect day for me - I will be at the yard this morning catching up with a few old friends, equine and human, while this afternoon I will be watching the Hammers take on Cardiff on the television.  After that I might just go to the golf course and hit a few balls - does it get any better than that?!  I see that Hills go 5/6 about the Hammers and with new manager Big Sam having brought in a few players I reckon they could be a difficult team to beat this season.  With Avram Grant they had the most layed back manager around and that didn't work - they will certainly notice the difference under Sam Allardyce.  Come on the Hammers!

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I was impressed while watching young Simon Pearce booting home a winner for his mother Lydia at Lingfield on Friday.  I don't know why more flat trainers don't use his services - he still has a useful apprentices' claim and if I were a trainer I would certainly be using him.

Talking of good young jockeys (this will not be news to you if you are a regular reader!), I overheard Matt Chapman on Attheraces waxing lyrical about our stable conditional Conor O'Farrell after he had ridden American Art to victory at Worcester on Friday.  Motormouth Matt was talking in terms of Conor being a future champion jockey - I know of at least one person who will have something to say about that, but Conor still has age on his side and you would have to agree that he is excellent value for his claim.

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I see that Richard Hughes is putting up Amazing Storm as one to follow at Windsor on Monday night.  He has run better than his finishing position would suggest at Goodwood from a poor draw and is very much one to keep in mind.  The Hughes and Hannon combination have an enviable strike rate at the Berkshire track - you have been warned!