Good Racing Both Codes

It is Day two of the Cheltenham Showcase meeting today after a good day of racing yesterday hopefully there is more of the same today.  The stable does not have any runners but American Sniper ran well enough at the track yesterday.  He just got a little tired at the top of the hill and I am sure he will improve for the run.  There is also jumps racing today up at Kelso.  There are three flat meetings at Doncaster, Newbury and Wolverhampton and in Ireland they have jumps racing at Galway.

There are plenty of runners on the Cheltenham card with some top handicaps with good prize money and it might be difficult to find the winners.  Up at Doncaster we have the last British Group 1 race of the season, the Futurity Trophy over a mile at 2.05pm.  With a non-runner that would have been one of he favourites, this race is highly likely to be won by the Ballydoyle team.  They now have three of the five runners and they fill the first three places in the betting.  The favourite is a horse called, Benvenuto Cellini and he will be partnered by Christophe Soumillon.  He is actually rated one pound lower than stable mate Hawk Mountain who is second in the betting but the former is currently favourite for next year's Derby so they obviously think he has the star potential.  There is also money for Action, the third runner for Aidan O'Brien so you wouldn't really be surprised if any of the three won, the bigger surprised would be if none of them are to win!

After racing at Cheltenham yesterday, there was the dispersal sale of the horses owned by David Maxwell and they all seemed to sell well.  Top lot was El Cairos who was bought by Gordon Elliott for £410,000.  The five year old won a bumper at Newbury for Gary and Josh Moore before he finished fifth in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham.  He then finished second at Punchestown when hanging left in the closing stages probably cost him victory.  He looks a smart prospect and could be a name to follow.  The seventeen strong draft of horses turned over £2,257,000 and while some existing trainers did manage to buy back the horses they wanted to, several will be switching locations and it will be interesting to see how they get on with new jockeys in the saddle as well.

West Ham have made their worse start to a season in 52 years and lost again last nigh away to Leeds, 2-1.  There are just four Premiership football matches today and no lunch time kick off.  Manchester United against Brighton is the tea-time game at 5.30pm while Brentford play Liverpool at 8pm.  There are also some good Premiership rugby games this afternoon.  Exeter Chiefs are at home to Gloucester while Bath play the Bristol Bears.

I told my son he needed to check his attitude.

He looked at me and said, "for product complaints, contact the manufacturer!"

Have a good day.