Action Packed Friday

It is a bumper Friday for racing action today with day four of the Punchestown Festival, several good flat meetings and a hunter chase card at Warwick this evening - something for everyone!  The Punchestown card gets underway a bit later at 3.40pm today with two hunter chases, the second of these being the feature champion race.  No horses from this side of the Irish Sea competing in it this year but the top horses from Ireland all line up and it looks quite an open race.  Dinoblue is the short prices favourite for the mares chase at 4.50pm and this high class mare is always very hard to beat.  The winner of the Turners novices hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, King Rasko Grey is the very short priced favourite for the 2m4f novices hurdle at 6.00pm as is stablemate Lossiemouth a very short priced for the Champion hurdle which follows at 6.40pm.  Golden Ace and Wilful have made the journey across to take her on but I think we will see another victory for this wonder mare.  A handicap hurdle and a bumper finish of the Punchestown card for today on what is student day at the course so I am sure they will all be partying well into the evening!

We have the first day of the Guineas meeting at Newmarket today and there is also good flat cards at Ascot and Goodwood as well as an all-weather fixture at Newcastle.  The hunter chase meeting at Warwick gets underway at 4.30pm and it is a little sad to see so few runners on the card but I can understand why.  The ground is quick enough everywhere at the moment but also, unfortunately this meeting has been moved from its usual home at Cheltenham and no offence to Warwick but it does not quite have the same pull as Prestbury Park.  I know things cannot be helped and that is the way it is this year but some people do like running just for a day out at Cheltenham, whether it be owners, trainers or jockeys, it is a special place and the home of jumps racing so people do like going there.  There are not many west country horses in action this evening but I shall try and keep an eye on the races. 

There were emotional scenes at Punchestown yesterday after Bob Olinger won the stayers hurdle.  It was always going to be the eleven year olds final race before retirement and he read the script and won the race in style.  The gelding has been a high class horse throughout his career and this was his eleventh career win from 22 starts and his fifth Grade 1 success.  

There were sales after racing at Punchestown last night and lots of them made good money.  Top lot was lost 21 a Walk in the Park gelding called Walkonseas who was signed for by JP McManus himself for 500,000 Euros.  The majority of the horse went through the sales ring for six figures and very few were unsold.

Last night in the football, Nottingham Forrest won 1-0 at home to Aston Villa in the first leg of the Europa League semi-final while Crystal Palace got a nice 3-1 away.  Tonight there is one Premiership match with Leeds against Burnley.  Leeds need a win to remain just ahead of the relegation battle.

I got over my addiction to chocolate, marshmallows and nuts...

It wasn't easy...it was a rocky road!

Happy Friday!