2 Stratford Runners

There are five meetings taking place this afternoon with a jumps card from Stratford and flat fixtures from Goodwood, Nottingham, Epsom and Salisbury.  David has two runners at Stratford; Lady Reset and Defi d'Oudairies (pictured above).  Lady Reset contests the 2m½f mares' handicap hurdle at 3.42pm.  She threw in a rare disappointing effort at Cartmel last time over jumps, but she was plenty keen enough that day.  The winner of this race last year, a repeat of her best form would give her every chance.  There are only four runners which means win only for betting purposes and it is a trappy affair with her rivals all last time out winners.  Tom Scudamore is in the saddle.

Defi d'Oudairies is our other runner in the 3m2½f handicap hurdle at 4.55pm.  He was the ready winner of a chase over this sort of trip at Newton Abbot last week and can compete from a 5lbs lower mark reverting to hurdles.  This is another competitive race with several other last time out winners in the line-up, but he has every chance with Philip Armson taking 5lbs off his back.

Baaeed was impressive in adding another Group 1 race to his resume by landing the Sussex Stakes yesterday at Goodwood, although I have to admit, comparisons with Frankel are starting to get on my nerves a little.  I wonder if connections are feeling the same?  Baaeed may be the highest-rated horse in the world at present, but he is still 12lbs below peak Frankel and that is 6 lengths over a mile on the flat.  Whilst he could improve further, that is a gulf to make up and the commentators and pundits are probably as guilty as anybody of overhyping things.  Only a couple of days ago they were lauding Stradivarius' run in defeat as possibly his best...what absolute drivel.  Have they forgotten his 10l romp in the 2020 Ascot Gold Cup?  Rant over...

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England won an entertaining T20 cricket match over South Africa by 41 runs at Bristol yesterday.  Johnny Bairstow and Moeen Ali put on a fantastic partnership, although the visitors will rue dropping Bairstow four times as he scored 90 runs from just 53 balls.  Meanwhile Ali's half century arrived in just 16 balls - a record by an England player.  The two teams play again today in Cardiff.

The Lionesses will face Germany in the final of the Women's Euros this weekend at Wembley.  There was plenty of quality action as the Germans beat France 2-1 and they will certainly provide a big test for England in the final.

The Athletics World Championships in Oregon finished last weekend and the action almost immediately turns to the Commonwealth Games which gets underway today in Birmingham with coverage provided over the next 12 days by the BBC.

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My wife blocked me on Facebook because I post too many bird puns.  Well, toucan play at that game.