Wood Wins At Chepstow!

The stable was among the winners again at the weekend with Top Wood (pictured above) scoring at Chepstow on Saturday and Enfant de Lune winning at Ffos Las on Sunday, while we had a few reach the frame at Aintree including Battle Group who was narrowly denied in the 3m1f John Smiths Handicap Chase.  Talking of Aintree, what a shambles they made of the start of the Grand National - they had three goes at getting them off...how can they use knicker elastic to start the biggest race in the world?!  Why don't the horses line up 20 yards from the tape, or is that too simple?!

Enfant de Lune with connections after his victory at Ffos Las on Sunday

The stable was among the winners again at the weekend with Top Wood scoring at Chepstow on Saturday and Enfant de Lune winning at Ffos Las on Sunday, while we had a few reach the frame at Aintree including Battle Group who was narrowly denied in the 3m1f John Smiths Handicap Chase.  Talking of Aintree, what a shambles they made of the start of the Grand National - they had three goes at getting them off...how can they use knicker elastic to start the biggest race in the world?!  Why don't the horses line up 20 yards from the tape, or is that too simple?!

If we are not careful the once a year viewers who are so appalled by the big race will get their way and have the National banned altogether following the sad deaths of two horses on Saturday.  For what it is worth, I think they should leave the fences well alone - if we make them any smaller it will end up being a 4 1/2 mile hurdle race.  The fences are already smaller and the drops have been levelled and nearly taken away.  The trouble is, with the fences being smaller it encourages horse and jockey to go faster and it is the speed at which they are travelling that causes the problems, not the size of the fences.  Ironically, the horses that were lost were not injured by their falls...Synchronised jumped around loose for a while, whilst Accordingtopete stumbled over a faller.  While it is very sad, you cannot allow for those circumstances.  I am all for improving safety for everyone concerned, but maybe the best way would be to decreased the field size from 40 to 30?  Either way, I think it is about time that we stood up to defend the National - I just hope I haven't upset too many people!

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Now for my weekly rant about the use of television replays in professional football...If the referee is unsighted, surely he cannot give a goal?  I am of course talking about Chelsea's second goal against Tottenham Hotspur - apparently the referee has apologised to Harry Redknapp over the decision...if he thought that was a goal he must need glasses!

While it made no difference to the end result, Manchester United were awarded yet another dubious penalty.  Even Sir Alex Ferguson thought that his player went down a little too easily, so that tells you it was not a penalty.  How long before the cameras are used to clear these matters up?