How's That For Openers?!

Well, it's a blank day on the jump racing front with no National Hunt meetings taking place today.  Instead there are no fewer than six flat meetings on at Ascot, Lingfield, Newcastle, Newmarket, Salisbury and York - the Ascot card in particular looks very competitive with an interesting Group Three six furlongs contest for fillies.  Our only runner of the day yesterday, Dukes Art finished a creditable enough third in the two mile handicap hurdle.  He looks as though he might be worth a try at a little bit further, although the underlying suspicion remains that he is a little too high in the weights.

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Obviously I have to make reference to last night's opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics.  I thought that it was a real spectacle with some great and memorable moments (and some funny ones too) - Rowan Atkinson in the band, David Beckham in the powerboat and the Queen and James Bond parachuting from a helicopter into the Olympic stadium.  For me it surely has to be the best opening ceremony ever and that could well be our first gold medal of the games!

However, I do take issue with the decision to let seven young hopefuls light the Olympic cauldron - while I appreciate that it is to signify that the games are for everyone and that these youngsters are the future, I can't help but think that one of our sporting legends should have been given the honour.  I liken it to buying seven young untried store horses - sure, you may get one champion but the chances are that you are going to get a selling plater or two in there as well.  Just think, in twenty or thirty years time when people look back on London 2012 and who lit the cauldron, I wouldn't be at all surprised if a couple of them aren't on the old rock'n'roll!

The Olympics seems to get bigger with every renewal and at the next games golf is going to be included as well.  Why not include tiddlywinks or dominoes?!  Personally I preferred it when the games were almost exclusively for amateurs.  The bit that I am most looking forward to is the beach volleyball which will be held in the middle of London - it's not just a bum sport!

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I see that it is Sir Gary Sobers' 76th birthday today.  Martin's telephone rang a few years ago (yes, it has rung since!) and I answered it.  To my astonishment it was the legendary cricketer - he loves his racing and he was a pretty good table tennis player to boot!