A Winning Weekend!

No you didn't misread the headline - we enjoyed a winning weekend on Thursday when Weekend Millionair landed the maiden hurdle at Ffos Las in facile style.  He jumped well and once Tom Scu had him settled he always looked the likeliest winner to me.  This was probably quite a decent effort and on only his second start for the stable after an absence of over 18 months.  Tom was also on the mark with the stable's Roi de Rose who jumped well and really seemed to enjoy the genuine good ground at the Welsh track when winning the handicap chase - this first try at three miles on better ground certainly seemed to suit him.  Tom had earlier ridden a winner for his brother Michael, so was completing a treble on the day.

Weekend Millionair is the first leg of a Pond House double at Ffos Las yesterday

No you didn't misread the headline - we enjoyed a winning weekend on Thursday when Weekend Millionair landed the maiden hurdle at Ffos Las in facile style.  He jumped well and once Tom Scu had him settled he always looked the likeliest winner to me.  This was probably quite a decent effort and on only his second start for the stable after an absence of over 18 months.  Tom was also on the mark with the stable's Roi de Rose who jumped well and really seemed to enjoy the genuine good ground at the Welsh track when winning the handicap chase - this first try at three miles on better ground certainly seemed to suit him.  Tom had earlier ridden a winner for his brother Michael, so was completing a treble on the day.

Roi de Rose completes the double under Tom Scudamore

It is a quiet day for the yard today with no runners.  Once again the people at race planning can give themselves a round of (ironic) applause for a job strangely done.  There are two jump meetings in the country today, Newcastle and Wetherby, both in the north-east of the country.  I just wonder if anyone responsible for planning has a map of the country pinned up in their office?  I would imagine that the ground at both meetings is going to be on the lively side, despite watering.

*****

I can't quite believe that Richard Hughes has had his 50 day ban incurred in India upheld.  The original suspension (for a rule that does not exist in this country) was for only 15 days, but as racing doesn't take place everyday over there, the sentence covers a ridiculous 50 days over here!  The rule itself is ridiculous - apparently Hughes failed to ride to orders...how can they possibly prove that?!  The whole thing is a complete joke and robs us of much of the interest in the jockey's championship before the turf season has even started!  The ban started earlier this month and means that Hughes will miss the whole of April - if you go by last year's figures, Paul Hanagan would already have poached a 28 winner head start by then.  I don't see Hughsie making a return visit to India anytime soon.

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Sadly England lost the test match cricket against Sri Lanka - it was an exciting match until Trott was dismissed.  I cannot believe that we can include a player who cannot bat or field at all - I am of course talking about Monty Panesar.  While he might be a great bowler, he needs to show enormous improvement in the other areas of the game before being selected.  He must be one of the worst fielders and batsmen ever to play the game, and that includes Phil Tufnall!

*****

I must be getting old!  I saw a couple of girls of around 13 throwing their used drinks cans into a hedge yesterday.  When I shouted to them to pick their rubbish up, they just turned around and stuck two fingers up at me...I don't ever remember acting like that when I was a youngster!