Buying Cash!

It looks like being a busy afternoon with runners at both National Hunt meetings.  Bathwick Man and American Art who finished first and second at Stratford take each other on again at Fontwell and once again there shouldn't be much between them at the revised weights.  Bathwick Man will once again be ridden by Tom Scudamore and Conor O'Farrell is in the saddle aboard American Art.  Meanwhile Kusadasi (ridden by Kieron Edgar) is our only runner at Hereford where amazingly despite some overnight rain, they will be watering this morning.  You certainly wouldn't need any water here - we had no less than 27mm over the last 24 hours with 10mm of that coming in less than an hour yesterday afternoon!

It looks like being a busy afternoon with runners at both National Hunt meetings.  Bathwick Man and American Art who finished first and second at Stratford take each other on again at Fontwell and once again there shouldn't be much between them at the revised weights.  Bathwick Man will once again be ridden by Tom Scudamore and Conor O'Farrell is in the saddle aboard American Art.  Meanwhile Kusadasi (ridden by Kieron Edgar) is our only runner at Hereford where amazingly despite some overnight rain, they will be watering this morning.  As you can see from the picture below, you certainly wouldn't need any water here - we had no less than 27mm over the last 24 hours with 10mm of that coming in less than an hour yesterday afternoon!

Above: The scene at Pond House yesterday afternoon

Our only runner yesterday, Keep The Cash ran a promising first race when finishing second in the bumper at Worcester on his racecourse debut under Tom Scudamore.  He harried the winner all the way up the straight, the pair of them coming twenty-four lengths clear of the remainder and he looks as though he should be more than capable of winning something similar.  As a half brother to former Pond House inmate, the prolific Grade Two winning chaser Seven Is My Number, Keep The Cash should prove even better when sent over obstacles.  Interestingly there is an exciting opportunity for someone to obtain a quarter share in him for only £6,000 and that price includes training fees up until the end of September 2012.  Further details can be found on our horses for sale page, or feel free to give the office a call on 01884 840715...but be quick as at that price I don't see him being available for long!

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I was saddened to learn that England cricket captain Adrew Strauss has decided to retire from all forms of the game.  He was clearly held in some regard as everyone speaks very highly of him (with the exception of Kevin Pietersen)!  He was a good captain, savvy with the press, although he wasn't a great batsman.  The Pietersen problem certainly wouldn't have helped (some would say that KP was a nut!) or his form with the bat but you couldn't argue with his record as captain, leading England to number one in the world rankings for some time.

It's funny how you always seem to get some great performers in sport who are anything but straight forward - in football you had George Best and Gazza, snooker had Ronnie O'Sullivan and Jimmy White and cricket had Ian Botham and Geoffrey Boycott...all complex characters.  They all needed kid glove treatment otherwise the toys would have been out of the pram!

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I was watching some of the US Open tennis yesterday and was very impressed by young British girl Laura Robson who pulled off the biggest win of her career by beating former world number one Kim Clijsters.  Clijsters is another who has decided to retire, but it was a good win for our eighteen year old nonetheless.

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There is plenty of movemen in the football transfer market at the moment, but one thing I have always been puzzled about is why sometimes players are transferred for an undisclosed fee?  Why is it a secret?  Could it be that the clubs are embarrassed about how much money they have just spent?!