A Quiet Thursday!

There are two jumps meetings today at Huntingdon and Stratford but the stable does not have any runners.  We move onto day three of Chester’s big meeting and they also race on the flat at Brighton and Chelmsford.  In Ireland they race on the flat at Gowran Park and over jumps at Tipperary.

Arrest heads the betting for the 3.40pm Group 3 1m5f Ormonde Stakes at Chester for the Gosden team ridden by Kieran Shoemark.  Point Lonsdale for the Ballydoyle team is next best in the betting. 

Yesterday at Fontwell we had Only Fools and the false start didn't help her at all and she didn't get away the second time all that well. She got bumped into at the first and nothing really ever went right for her at all, she ran well considering the drama, but she is much better than that. 

There was a forfeit stage for the Derby earlier this week and a total of 41 colts remain in contention for the Epsom classic, 13 of which are trained by Aidan O’Brien and three by Charlie Appleby.  Arabian Crown currently shares favouritism with City of Troy who disappointed at Newmarket last weekend.  Aidan seems to say he thinks he was too easy on his start over the winter and we will see a different horse at Epsom come June 1^st.

In other news this week, dual Cheltenham Festival and multiple Grade 1 winning jockey Adrian Heskin announced his retirement from the saddle aged 32.  He was retained rider for owner Max McNeill for several years and enjoy significant wins, but following their split last year he returned home to Ireland.  He rode 436 winners under rules but he had struggled to re-establish himself and has ridden four winners since returning home.   

Last night in the Champions League semi-final Real Madrid 2-1 Bayern Munich.  The winner will play Borussia Dotmund in the final at Wembley.

Tonight’s football action comes from the Europa League with two semi-final matches, Atalanta play Olympique Marseille with the tie nicely poised at 1-1 after the first leg.  In the other match Bayern Leverkusen have a two goal advantage at home to Roma.  Both matches are an 8pm kick off. 

A couple of kids asked me what it was like for me growing up.

So I took their phones, shut off the internet, gave them an ice pop and told them to go outside till the street lights came on!

Have a nice day!