More Rain!

There are two jumps meetings today at Ludlow and Sedgefield but the stable does not have any runners.  Jack Tudor rides at Ludlow this afternoon and Rian Corcoran travels to Sedgefield for one ride, well done to Rian who had a winner aboard Our Dylan for Kayley Woollacott at Taunton yesterday.  There are two all-weather flat meetings at Kempton and Newcastle today and in Ireland they have some jumps racing at Punchestown.  This is the fixture originally scheduled for Monday but moved last minute to accommodate the first day of the Dublin Racing Festival being abandoned.

I think the weather looks set to play its part in the racing calendar this week with rain continuing to fall everywhere!  We have had nearly 30mm already again this week follow the wettest January and as of yesterday.  Sandown made their Grand Military meeting on Friday an all chase card at the beginning of the week to try and make it go ahead but thinks are looking doubtful for it taking place at all now with further rain yesterday meaning they are now inspecting the track at 8am this morning.  Fingers crossed it will go ahead for the Military riders or hopefully they will be able to re-arrange the races to a different date if it is lost.  Exeter are due to race on Sunday but their going was described as unraceable yesterday following more rain and so they will need a bit of luck to avoid losing yet another fixture this season.

Yesterday, entries closed for the Aintree Grand National in April.  There were just 78 entries for the races, down from 90 last year and 94 in 2024.  Back in 202 there were 107 entries and as many as 126 in 2016.  We do not have any entries this year, neither does Paul Nicholls who had five in it last year or Joe Tizzard.  The race is much harder to get into these days, because it is slightly less of a jumping test, people are prepared to run better horses in the race and you need to be rated in the 140's at least to stand any chance of getting in the race so what is the point of entering if you are not going to get a run?  The bottom weight last year was 145 so it shows the quality of the horses has improved, even though I am not sure it improves the race as a spectacle for everyone watching.  There is also so much more paperwork to do behind the scenes with an associated cost that goes with the additional vets checks that makes you think twice about entering a horse if you are probably not going to get a run.  I am sure there will still be a maximum field come April so I don't think we have to worry too much about the declining number of entries.  Willie Mullins has won the race for the last two years and has thirteen entries including the two winners, I Am Maximus and Nick Rockett while Ireland has 48 of the 78 entries.  The current favourite for the race is the Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero trained Iroko at 7/1.

The game between Arsenal and Chelsea last night was a bit dull for the neutral but Arsenal grabbed a late winner to put them through to the final 4-2 on aggregate.  The second semi-final of the League Cup takes place this evening, Manchester City are at home to Newcastle and have a 2-0 lead from the first leg so it will be very hard for Newcastle to come back from this and get a result.

The Winter Olympics gets underway today in Milan Cortino and while you don't hear so much about it like the Summer Olympics I shall try and follow what I can.  The Opening Ceremony is not for two days but their is Curling action today and this takes place now on everyday until the end of the Winter Olympics.  I quite like the Curling and would actually love to have a go at it one day! 

How do you console an English teacher?

There, their, they're.

Have a good day!