The Crying Game

Today there are three flat meetings at Ayr, Ripon and Windsor and the stable has one runner, Vergrigio at Windsor's Monday night meeting where he will be partnered by Simon Pearce.  I thought that Grand Exit produced a decent first effort since joining the stable at Market Rasen yesterday afternoon when finishing runner-up in the novices- it was her first start in over 1,000 days and the mare stayed on nicely in the closing stages under Tom Scudamore.  It was her first start over hurdles and I am sure she can only come on for the experience and there must be a little race within her compass, maybe over a little further.

There were quite a few non-runners at Market Rasen yesterday on account of the ground, but I have to say that it looked okay to me.  Indeed, the going was changed during the meeting from soft to good/soft so I'm not quite sure what those trainers expected following all of the downpours!

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I enjoyed the Wimbledon Final yesterday afternoon - the problem for Andy Murray as far as I can see is that there are three players out there that are better than him.  For all three of them to be knocked out of a championship before the final of a Grand Slam is going to take a minor miracle!  Fortunately for Murray, Federer must be coming toward the end of his career, although judging by the way he played yesterday he could still add another Grand Slam or two yet.  Nadal and Djokovic still appear to be ahead of the crying Scot and so long as they are about it will always be hard for Murray.  You can back him at 8/11 to win a Grand Slam event before he retires and that looks worth an interest to me - the trouble is you could be waiting for 6 or 7 years to get paid out!

One of my mates asked me why Murray hasn't cried before - the answer was the cost of tissues!  In all seriousness though, I think that his post-match interview with Sue Barker will have done him no end of good.  Murray has always divided opinion among the British fans, but yesterday after the match he was opened up for the first time with an emotional speach displaying humility and sportsmanship and he seemed grateful to his supporters - I am sure there will be many more from now on.