Sunday Musings

       I'm Dreaming of Warm Sunny Days
               & Sleeping Horses!

It was a total wipe out for racing yesterday in Britain and Ireland with both all-weather meetings being lost at Lingfield and Chelmsford after after failing morning inspections with their tracks frozen.  Officials at both courses held second inspections to give their meetings every chance but improvement was not sufficient enough.  There is due to be jumping action at Lingfield on Monday, we have two declared runners, Last Quarter and Red Lion Lad.  However, the course must again pass a 7.30am inspection to race.  Temperatures are set to rise but will the thaw happen quickly enough, that is the question?  The jumps track has snow on it and it is frozen in places.  Temperatures overnight from Sunday into Monday are due to be 9c but I guess we will all just have to wait and see.  

While I was watching Exeter Chiefs win their Heinekin Cup Match against South African team Vodacom Bulls yesterday (44-14) I heard the news that Frankie Dettori will retire from the saddle at the end of the 2023 flat season.  He is probably the World's most famous jockey and one of the most popular figures in our sport their has ever been but he is set to hang up his boots in a farewell World Tour which will end at the Breeders Cup in 2023.  The three times Champion Flat jockey celebrated his 52nd birthday this week and says he wants to retire while still at the top of his game.  There have been many ups and downs in both his professional and personal life and if you have not seen the documentary about him it is well worth a watch.  I think we will all be joining him in an emotional rollercoaster journey throughout the coming months but it will be his last Guineas, his last Derby, his last Royal Ascot.  love him or hate him, our sport will miss him when he has gone so we must all make the most of his final season.

On the racing front, there is no jumps racing in Britain today with Fakenham called off a few days ago.  Fingers crossed they will race on the all-weather at Wolverhampton and keep everything crossed there may be some jumping in Ireland.  Both Navan and Thurles have Sunday morning inspections so it would be really good if both or even just one of these meetings got the go ahead.  There are lots of runners and competitive races to watch, should it go ahead.

I did not get to watch the third place play off World Cup Football match between Croatia and Morocco yesterday but I see my head was right and Croatia clinch third place by beating Morocco 2-1.  I shall definitely be watching the final this afternoon and hoping for a good match.  I think Argentina will win and give the fairy-tale ending to Lionel Messi's career, fairy-tales do happen!

I tripped in France.  Eiffel Over!  Happy Sunday!