No Runners Saturday!

Today’s racing fixtures have already taken a hit with the abandonments of Kelso and Stratford and it could get worse if Uttoxeter does not pass its 7.30am inspection.  The track did look yesterday afternoon when it was race able so fingers crossed it might go ahead.  It would be the sole surviving jumps cards in Britain, but the stable does not have any runners.  There are two all-weather flat cards at Kempton and Chelmsford and in Ireland their only racing is a flat card at the Curragh but that must pass a morning inspection as well.  Looking a little further afield there is quite a good jumps meeting in France at Auteuil.

Yesterday, entries closed for day 1 of the Aintree Festival and Taunton.  While we don’t have anything heading to Liverpool, we are likely to have a few runners at Taunton.  Meanwhile at Aintree it looks a good field for the Aintree Bowl, with Gold Cup runner up Gerri Colombe entered and also Shishskin who of course didn’t go to Cheltenham.  King George winner Hewick is entered as are Cheltenham Festival winners Corbetts Cross and Ryanair Winner Protektorat and the high class Bravemansgame.  This is why I almost prefer Aintree to Cheltenham as there are less races you get the top horses taking each other on.  The bowl, is worth £250,000 in prize money and in one of four Grade 1 races on the Thursday card.  The Aintree hurdle is also full of quality with Champion hurdle second Irish Point, Bob Olinger, Impaire Et Passe, Luccia, Iberico Lord and Langer Dan are all entered.  The first race over the Grand National fences is the Foxhunters chase for the amateurs and the west-country trained Famous Clermont will be looking to win the race for the second time.  He has not been in quite the same form this season, but once you get a horse who enjoys the National course, it is no surprise to see them bounce back to their best when returned to the track. The ground at Aintree is currently described as soft while the National course itself has heavy patches on it.  The forecast is for sunshine and showers in the coming days but then heavier rain on Monday and Tuesday.

We are forecast a storm on the west-country today but hopefully it won’t come to much or prevent Exeter from racing on Sunday.  We have two runners there, Behind the Curtain and Worldwide Fury and we also take Vieux Lion Rouge to be part of their family race day.  He will be stationed in a special stable throughout the afternoon for people to go and see him and learn all about his career and what he has been up to since retiring from racing.  

There are seven premiership football matches today with the early kick off being Crystal Palace at home to Manchester City at 12.30pm.  Arsenal visit Brighton for the tea time kick off at 5.30pm.

There was cricket action yesterday believe it or not – two out of five of the County Championship matches had play, so the weather was obviously a little better in Nottingham and Warwickshire!

Exeter Chiefs are in rugby action at Sandy Park, home to Bath in the Champions Cup at 3pm.  This is always a could West-country derby rivalry.

There is a fine line between a numerator and denominator.

Only a fraction of people understand this!

Have a great Saturday!